The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has extended the normal registration deadline for candidates sitting the 2026 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations to June 30, 2026.
Speaking in an official statement, UNEB Executive Director Dan N. Odongo said the extension is intended to accommodate newly accredited examination centres across the country.
“Normal registration has been extended to 30th June, 2026 to accommodate the new centres that have just been accredited,” Odongo announced.
He added that late registration will run from July 1 to July 31, 2026, with surcharges of 100 percent for PLE candidates and 50 percent for UCE and UACE candidates. UNEB warned that no candidate registration will be accepted after July 31.
“There will be no more registration of candidates after July 31st, 2026,” Odongo emphasized, urging schools to complete the exercise early to avoid last-minute congestion on the registration system.
Government to Continue Sponsoring Learners
UNEB confirmed that government-sponsored learners under Universal Primary Education (UPE), Universal Secondary Education (USE), and the Universal Post O-Level Education and Training (UPOLET) programme will continue to have their examination registration fees paid by government.
For privately sponsored candidates, registration fees remain unchanged at Shs34,000 for PLE, Shs164,000 for UCE, and Shs186,000 for UACE.
Strict Registration Guidelines Issued
The examinations body advised head teachers and parents to ensure that candidates’ names are accurately captured according to birth certificates or National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) records before registration.
For UCE candidates, UNEB noted that this year’s learners are the third cohort under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), which requires candidates to register for a minimum of eight and a maximum of nine subjects.
“Continuous Assessment scores for the subjects offered, as well as Project scores shall be a requirement for certification,” Odongo stated.
Only candidates who sat PLE in 2022 or earlier and obtained grades one to four, or their equivalent, will qualify for UCE registration.
UNEB also revealed that this year’s UACE candidates are the first cohort transitioning from the Competency Based Assessment system at lower secondary level. Assessment at advanced level will therefore align with the modified scenario-based curriculum.
Repeaters and Foreign Candidates
The Board clarified that UACE repeaters who sat examinations in 2025 or earlier will not be required to sit a transitional examination because the aligned curriculum framework has not changed.
Candidates with foreign academic results were reminded to first have their results equated by UNEB before registration.
After equivalency verification, they will receive a unique code to register electronically.
UNEB Warns Against Illegal Charges
UNEB issued a stern warning to schools and examination centres against charging unauthorized fees under the guise of “UNEB fees.”
According to Odongo, such offences attract penalties of up to Shs40 million, imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, or both, under the UNEB Act.
“Heads of Centres and School Directors are therefore cautioned against calling any other administrative costs as UNEB fees,” he warned.
The Board also cautioned school administrators against misappropriating registration fees or fraudulently registering privately sponsored learners as government-sponsored candidates.
UNEB warned that institutions involved in such practices risk losing their examination centre status, while teachers implicated could face deregistration.
Verification and SMS Registration Checks
Schools have been instructed to display candidates’ registers on noticeboards at least 60 days before examinations begin.
Candidates and parents are encouraged to verify names, dates of birth, photographs, gender, and subject combinations before signing off registration forms.
To improve transparency, UNEB will also allow parents and guardians to verify registration status via SMS by sending candidates’ full index numbers to 6600.
In his closing remarks, Odongo reminded learners that the use of erasable pens during UNEB examinations remains prohibited.
