Atleast 730,233 candidates passed the 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has announced
According to UNEB, 388,293 candidates scored Division Two, making it the most common grade. This was followed by 165,226 candidates in Division Three, while 91,990 candidates attained Division One. A further 84,724 candidates passed in Division Four.
Overall performance showed improvement compared to the previous year. UNEB reported that 7,503 more candidates passed PLE in 2025 than in 2024, while the number of candidates achieving Division One increased by 7,689.
According to UNEB gender analysis survey 380,264 girls passed the examinations than boys, who numbered 349,969. However, boys outperformed girls proportionally.
48,220 boys (12.54%) attained Division One, compared to 43,770 girls (10.35%).
Meanwhile In Division Two, 186,638 boys (48.54%) passed, compared to 47.69% of girls.
According to the new results ,failure rates were higher among girls, with 42,580 (10.07%) ungraded, compared to 34,500 boys (8.97%).
Last year 817,883 candidates from 15,388 examination centres registered for the 2025 PLE, up from 797,444 candidates in 2024, representing a 2.6 percent increase in registration. Of these, 522,036 candidates (63.8%) were from Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools, while 295,847 candidates (36.2%) were from non-UPE schools.
UNEB Executive Director Dan N. Odongo said examination malpractice has escalated from covert collusion to open confrontation revealing that some school directors and headteachers allegedly bribed or threatened invigilators with physical harm to allow teachers to assist pupils inside examination rooms.
He said UNEB’s Security Committee will act as a tribunal to accord affected candidates a fair hearing before a final decision is made on whether the withheld results will be cancelled or released.
However, Odongo commended Kyenjojo, Kabarole and Bundibugyo districts for notable improvements in examination integrity. He singled out Kyenjojo, which registered zero cases of malpractice in 2025 following strict disciplinary action taken against errant officials the previous year.
