EDUCATION (UGNEWSLINE) – A total of 203,809 candidates have today, November 9, 2026, started their Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations, with the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) warning that candidates must not enter examination rooms with smartwatches or any other unauthorised materials.
The examinations have opened with Mathematics for science candidates and History for arts candidates at 3,039 examination centres across the country.
According to UNEB, this year’s candidature represents a 22.4 per cent increase from the 166,400 candidates who registered for the examinations in 2025.
Jennifer Kalule Musamba, UNEB’s Principal Public Relations Officer, said females account for 48 per cent of the registered candidates, while males make up 52 per cent.
She urged candidates to arrive at their examination centres at least 30 minutes before the examinations begin, adding that those who arrive late should not report more than 15 minutes after the commencement of the examinations.
Kalule also called on invigilators and scouts to report to their duty stations early to inspect the examination environment and thoroughly check candidates before they enter the examination rooms.
“Candidates should not be allowed to enter the examination room with smart watches or any other form of unauthorised material,” Kalule said.
She further reminded heads of examination centres and school directors to comply with the Ministry of Education and Sports’ directive prohibiting schools from denying candidates access to examinations over outstanding school fees.
“Do not stop candidates from accessing the examination room, especially those who have school fees balances,” she said.
Kalule said UNEB would support schools by withholding the results of candidates who still have outstanding school fees at the time of the release of examination results.
“As a board, we commit to supporting the schools by ensuring that by the time of the release of the results, in case the candidates still have outstanding balances, we shall withhold the results of those candidates,” she said.
She emphasised that all candidates who registered through their respective examination centres must be presented to sit the examinations, regardless of their outstanding school fees.
