Kampala, Uganda — The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has officially released the results for the 2024 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), conducted on November 6th and 7th. According to UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo, the exams were held under the theme “Embracing security and holistic assessment of learners in a dynamic environment,” emphasizing the need for security at all stages of the examination process and focusing on a well-rounded assessment of students’ cognitive, affective, and psychomotor abilities.
A total of 797,444 candidates from 14,883 schools sat for the 2024 PLE, a 6.4% increase from the 749,347 candidates in 2023. Of the candidates, 524,025 (65.7%) were beneficiaries of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program, while 273,419 (34.3%) were from non-UPE schools. The percentage of female candidates exceeded that of male candidates, continuing a trend observed in previous years.
How to Check Your PLE Results
For those eager to access their results, UNEB has made several channels available:
- Via SMS on MTN or Airtel:
- Open your phone’s Messages application.
- Type the word “PLE” followed by a space.
- Enter the candidate’s full index number.
- Send the message to 6600.
The results will be sent directly to the mobile number provided, instantly after they are officially released.
- Through School Portals:
- Schools can download the results from their respective examination centre portals. Heads of schools are advised to access the results directly from the UNEB portal as soon as they are made available.
- Collecting Hard Copies:
- The District, Municipal, and City Inspectors of Schools can collect hard copies of the results from UNEB offices at Ntinda starting Monday, January 27, 2025. Parents and candidates are encouraged to reach out to their respective schools for physical copies.
- Follow-Up on Queries:
- Schools and candidates can address any discrepancies, such as errors in names or dates of birth, to UNEB within two weeks of the results release date. UNEB has called on heads of centres to review the results carefully and submit any inquiries to the board.
Performance Overview
The overall performance in the 2024 PLE has been notably better than previous years, with the percentage of candidates achieving Division 2 and above rising to 91.8%, up from 88.0% in 2023. This reflects a general improvement in student performance. However, a slight drop in the number of candidates attaining Division 1 was observed, which highlights the increasing challenge of application-based questions, particularly in Mathematics, English, and Science.
The performance trends also show gender disparities, with females outperforming males in English, while males performed better in Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.
Special Candidate Groups
UNEB also reported encouraging results from special groups, including candidates with special needs and prison inmates. A total of 3,328 special needs candidates registered for the exam, marking a 25.5% increase from the previous year. The Uganda Prison Service also supported the education of inmates, with notable performances from candidates at Luzira Upper Prison and Mbarara Main Prison.
Dan Odongo, UNEB Executive Director, expressed gratitude to all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, the teaching community, and parents, for their support in ensuring the smooth conduct of the exams. He urged heads of centres to pay close attention to the results and to promptly address any issues with UNEB.
