UNEB cautioned schools against imposing unauthorized fees on parents under the label of “UNEB fees.” Odongo warned that schools found guilty risk penalties including fines of up to sh40m or imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both, as stipulated under the UNEB Act.
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has pushed forward the deadline for normal registration of candidates for the 2026 national examinations to June 30, giving schools and learners more time to complete the exercise.
The extension applies to candidates sitting for the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).
According to UNEB Executive Director Dan N. Odongo, the additional time is meant to cater for newly approved examination centres that were recently accredited across the country.
“Normal registration has been extended to June 30, 2026, to accommodate the new centres that have just been accredited,” Odongo said.
UNEB announced that late registration will begin on July 1 and run until July 31, 2026. Candidates registering during this period will attract surcharge penalties, with PLE candidates paying an additional 100 percent, while UCE and UACE candidates will pay 50 percent extra.
The Board stressed that no registration will be accepted after July 31.
Odongo urged schools to complete the registration process early to avoid delays and congestion on the UNEB online system.
Government Sponsorship Maintained
UNEB confirmed that government will continue paying registration fees for learners under the Universal Primary Education (UPE), Universal Secondary Education (USE), and Universal Post O-Level Education and Training (UPOLET) programmes.
Private candidates will pay sh34,000 for PLE, sh164,000 for UCE, and sh186,000 for UACE registration.
Schools Warned on Candidate Details
The examinations body advised school administrators and parents to ensure candidates’ names match official records from birth certificates or the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).
For UCE candidates, UNEB noted that this year’s learners are the third group under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). Candidates are required to register for between eight and nine subjects.
Nabbanja Moves Motion to Expand Cabinet Size in New Government
UNEB added that Continuous Assessment and project scores will remain mandatory for certification under the new curriculum framework.
Only learners who sat PLE in 2022 or earlier and obtained Division One to Four, or the equivalent grades, will qualify for UCE registration.
At UACE level, UNEB said the 2026 candidates are the first group progressing from the competency-based lower secondary curriculum, meaning their assessment will follow the revised scenario-based curriculum structure.
Guidelines for Repeaters and Foreign Students
The Board clarified that UACE repeaters who previously sat exams in 2025 or earlier will not be required to sit transitional examinations since the curriculum framework remains unchanged.
Candidates with foreign qualifications were advised to first seek equivalency verification from UNEB before registering. Once approved, they will be issued a special code to complete online registration.
Warning Against Illegal Charges
UNEB cautioned schools against imposing unauthorized fees on parents under the label of “UNEB fees.”
Odongo warned that schools found guilty risk penalties including fines of up to sh40m or imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both, as stipulated under the UNEB Act.
“Heads of centres and school directors should not label any other administrative costs as UNEB fees,” he warned.
The Board also warned against fraudulent registration practices, including registering privately sponsored learners as government-sponsored candidates. Schools involved risk losing their UNEB centre status, while teachers implicated may face deregistration.
Parents to Verify Registration by SMS
To enhance transparency, UNEB directed schools to display candidates’ registers on noticeboards at least 60 days before examinations commence.
Parents and candidates have been encouraged to verify details such as names, dates of birth, photographs, gender, and subject combinations before signing registration forms.
UNEB also introduced an SMS verification system through which parents can confirm registration details by sending a candidate’s full index number to 6600.
The Board further reminded candidates that the use of erasable pens during examinations remains strictly prohibited.
