KAMPALA – The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has reported a significant increase in student registrations for science subjects in the 2024 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations, according to results released today. This trend marks a notable shift in student preferences, though overall numbers remain below half of the total candidature.
UNEB Executive Secretary, Dan Odongo, announced the results, highlighting the growing interest in science disciplines. “As reported last year, the number of candidates registering and appearing for mathematics and sciences… are gradually increasing,” Odongo stated, presenting data showing a consistent upward trend over the past five years.
Mathematics has seen the most substantial increase, with registrations nearly doubling since 2019. Physics, chemistry, and biology have also experienced significant growth in candidate numbers. “We expect these numbers to continue creeping upwards when more facilities are made available to enable more candidates for more students to register for sciences,” Odongo added.
Despite the positive trend, Odongo acknowledged that the overall numbers remain well below half of the total UACE candidature. He also noted that the low pass rates in science subjects at the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) level likely contribute to the limited transition to UACE science courses.
“The low pass rates in sciences at UCE level probably explains the low numbers transitioning to UACE level for those subjects,” Odongo explained.
The 2024 UACE results also revealed a record-breaking overall registration of 141,996 candidates, a 28.4% increase compared to 2023. Female candidates continued to outperform males in humanities subjects, while showing mixed performance in science disciplines. The overall pass rate stood at 98.8%, with a slight proportional drop in higher-level passes.
UNEB officials expressed concerns about the need for increased university places to accommodate the growing number of qualified candidates. They also emphasized the importance of improving science education at the UCE level to encourage more students to pursue science pathways in UACE.
The results also included data on special needs candidates and inmates, with 437 special needs candidates registered and all 48 inmate candidates from Uganda Government Upper Prisons qualifying for the UACE certificate.
The rising interest in science subjects among UACE candidates reflects a potential shift in educational priorities and underscores the need for continued investment in science education infrastructure and resources in Uganda.
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