By Spy Uganda
The Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) has announced a landmark achievement in the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) results, revealing that a staggering 98.9% of candidates have qualified for the award of the certificate.
The results, released Friday by UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo, showcase not only a high pass rate but also a significant expansion in the number of students pursuing and completing advanced secondary education.
The 2025 results bring particularly good news for aspiring degree students. According to the board, if the current minimum entry requirement of two Principal level passes is maintained, a record 113,291 candidates (68.6%) will be eligible for university admission.
This marks a substantial leap from 2024, where 92,273 candidates (65.5%) met the criteria. To accommodate this success, officials estimate that an additional 21,018 university places will be required to absorb the new wave of qualified students.
For those looking toward technical and vocational careers, the outlook is equally bright. A total of 145,129 candidates (87.9%) have qualified for admission to TVET institutions and other tertiary diploma programs by obtaining at least one Principal pass and two Subsidiary passes.
A Growing Academic Landscape
The data reflects a growing appetite for higher education across the country. Key statistics from the 2025 cycle include:
Increased Enrollment: 166,400 students registered for the exams, a 17.2% increase from the previous year.
Expansion of Centers: The number of examination centers grew to 2,452, up from 2,255 in 2024.
UPOLET Success: The Universal Post O-Level Education and Training (UPOLET) program saw its enrollment rise to 42,327 students, now representing over a quarter of the total candidature.
While male candidates still lead in total numbers—making up 56.2% of those who sat for the exams—the board noted the continued presence and performance of female candidates. Out of the 165,172 students who appeared for the exams, 72,374 (43.8%) were female.
Under the UPOLET program specifically, 15,733 female students were registered, accounting for nearly 10% of the total national candidature, highlighting the impact of government support programs in keeping girls in school through the advanced level.
With the vast majority of last year’s candidates now holding the qualifications needed to progress, the focus shifts to the nation’s tertiary institutions. The “significant increase” in entries and passes signals a robust future for Uganda’s professional workforce, provided the education sector can scale to meet the demand for the 21,000+ new university spots.
