Today 14 March 2025, Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has officially released the results for the 2024 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (2024 UACE Results) examinations, marking a year of significant growth in candidature, improved gender performance trends, and a steady increase in students enrolling for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
How many students are receiving their 2024 UACE Results?
Professor Celestino Obua, the UNEB Chairperson, reported an exponential increase in the number of candidates sitting for the UACE exams. The number of candidates rose from 110,566 in 2023 to nearly 142,000 in 2024, representing a 28.4% increase (31,430 more candidates).
“This is a very significant increase in candidature compared to previous years. The number of candidates who did not report to take the examination has proportionately reduced, a trend we have noticed now for three years running,” Prof. Obua noted.
ED Dan Odongo, the UNEB Executive Director, further broke down the 2024 UACE Results figures, highlighting that a total of 141,996 candidates registered for the 2024 UACE examinations, with 61,957 (43.6%) being female and 80,039 (56.4%) male.
Males in the 2024 UACE Results accounted for 53.1% (16,695) of the increased candidature, possibly due to changes in the admission criteria for primary school teacher training, which encouraged more students to opt for the UACE pathway instead.
Additionally, the number of UACE examination centers increased from 2,101 in 2023 to 2,255 in 2024, representing an increase of 154 centers (7.3%) to accommodate the rising student population.
How many students chose STEM according to 2024 UACE Results?
While there has been a positive increase in the number of students taking Mathematics and Science subjects at UACE, the majority of students still prefer Humanities.
“The upward trend in the numbers of candidates offering STEM subjects has continued, although the numbers are still well below those offering Humanities,” Prof. Obua stated.
He emphasized the crucial role of STEM subjects in Uganda’s technological and industrial progress and stressed the need for deliberate efforts to increase Mathematics and Science enrollment to provide a strong base for tertiary education and national development.
One of the key solutions being implemented is the improvement of science teaching and learning materials, ensuring students have the necessary resources to excel in STEM fields.
2024 UACE Results for STEM vs Humanities Subjects
Despite improvements in the number of students enrolling in STEM subjects, their overall performance remains lower compared to Humanities.
According to UNEB statistics:
- Mathematics saw the highest increase in enrollment, rising from 31,729 candidates in 2019 to 58,495 in 2024.
- Physics enrollment nearly doubled, from 11,270 in 2019 to 23,679 in 2024.
- Chemistry candidates increased from 16,772 in 2019 to 29,283 in 2024, while Biology rose from 14,496 in 2019 to 24,853 in 2024.
However, despite these gains, fewer than half of UACE candidates pursue science subjects, and the transition rate from UCE to UACE in sciences remains low due to poor performance at the O-Level stage.
This gap has led to calls for improving science education at lower levels to ensure students are better prepared for advanced studies.
Females Outshined Males in 2024 UACE Results
The 2024 UACE results once again confirmed a trend observed in previous years—female candidates performed better than their male counterparts overall.
According to 2024 UACE Results UNEB data:
- 43.7% of female candidates attained the highest pass level (3P), compared to 34.6% of males.
- 71.2% of female candidates secured at least a 2P pass, while only 61.1% of males achieved the same.
- The failure rate among male candidates was higher, with 1.5% (1,194 candidates) failing, compared to 0.7% (438 candidates) among females.
- Males were also more likely to score at the lower pass levels, with 14.5% obtaining only a subsidiary pass (1S), compared to 10.1% of females.
ED Dan Odongo acknowledged this pattern, stating:
“Just as we have observed over the years, female candidates, although fewer in number than the male candidates, have performed proportionally better than their male counterparts. The percentage passes at the upper levels (3P and 2P) are higher, while the percentage passes at the lower levels and failure rate among female candidates are lower than for the males.”
In which subjects did Males perform better than Females according to 2024 UACE Results?
While female candidates performed better in Humanities and General Paper, male students continued to dominate in Mathematics and most Science subjects.
Key performance comparisons include:
- General Paper: 83.7% of female candidates attained an A-E pass, compared to 80.5% of males.
- History: 93.3% of females passed (A-E) versus 90.2% of males.
- Entrepreneurship Education: 68.4% of females passed compared to 62.1% of males.
- Physics: Female candidates had a 58.2% pass rate, slightly higher than 57.0% for males.
However, in Mathematics and other sciences, males outperformed females:
- Mathematics: 48.3% of male candidates passed (A-E), compared to 47.7% of females.
- Chemistry: Males had a 42.1% pass rate, while females had only 36.3%.
- Biology: Male candidates achieved a 59.4% pass rate, compared to 57.9% for females.
Despite female students excelling in humanities, their participation in STEM subjects remains significantly lower.
Table 8 in the report highlights female entries in science subjects over the last five years:
- Mathematics: Female candidates increased from 8,942 in 2019 to 19,863 in 2024.
- Physics: Female entries grew from 2,058 in 2019 to 5,836 in 2024, but remain the lowest.
- Chemistry: Female candidates rose from 5,150 in 2019 to 10,533 in 2024.
- Biology: The number increased from 4,880 in 2019 to 9,619 in 2024.
Challenges in Performance and Exam Malpractice | 2024 UACE Results
While performance improved in Economics, Literature in English, Physics, and Biology, significant declines were recorded in Entrepreneurship Education, Christian Religious Education, Geography, Mathematics, Agriculture, and Chemistry.
Humanities subjects continued to face challenges in question interpretation and critical thinking skills. In History, for example, many candidates struggled with analyzing historical perspectives and lacked knowledge of the National Constitution, a key reference material in one of the papers.
On a positive note, the 2024 UACE examinations recorded the lowest number of malpractice cases compared to the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) and UCE exams. As a result, only a few results were withheld.
UNEB has already completed hearings for withheld PLE cases. Candidates with insufficient evidence of malpractice had their results released, while those found guilty had their results canceled under Section 38(1) of the UNEB Act, Cap 259.
What do the 2024 UACE Results show us about Ugandan education?
The 2024 UACE results reflect positive trends in increasing student enrollment, female academic excellence, and growing interest in STEM subjects. However, challenges such as low female participation in science, declining performance in key subjects, and the need for better teaching materials remain.
Education stakeholders must continue working towards equity in STEM participation, improved instruction methods, and mentorship programs, ensuring all students, regardless of gender, have the resources and confidence to excel in all fields.
