Ministry of Education to Unveil 2023 Primary Leaving Examination Results Amid Decline in Candidates”

Kampala, Uganda | The Ministry of Education and Sports, headed by Janet Kataha Museveni, is set to unveil the results of the 2023Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) today at State House, Nakasero, around midday.

The broadcasted event will disclose outcomes from the exams conducted between November 7 and 9 last year. Jennifer Kalule, the spokesperson for the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb), confirmed that the board has briefed the minister, and the results are prepared for release.

Despite a 10% decrease in PLE candidates compared to 2022, with 749,347 candidates across 14,153 examination centers, Uneb clarified that this decline aligns with the typical annual number, excluding 2022’s unusual surge due to the absence of national exams in 2020 amid COVID-19. Of the registered candidates, 69 are inmates from Upper Prison School, Luzira. Females constitute 52%, and males make up 48%. The majority of examination centers (79%) are Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools hosting 501,619 candidates, while the remaining 21% are non-UPE centers with 247,728 candidates. Seventy percent of candidates are funded under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) Program, with the remaining 30% privately sponsored. Among them, 2,580 candidates have Special Needs.

Parents, candidates, and stakeholders can use Short Message Services (SMS) on mobile networks to check results by typing “PLE,” followed by a space, the candidate’s index number, and sending it to 6600. Notably, candidates with outstanding school fees cannot retrieve results through this method. Uneb has blocked their access until respective schools clear their fees, as promised during the examination board’s agreement with schools to allow students with pending balances to sit for exams. These primary examinations are highly anticipated nationwide, as they impact a significant portion of the population with connections to candidates or students taking the exams.