Kampala, Uganda | NOW THEN DIGITAL — In the 2023 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) held between November 8 and November 9, a total of 648,662 candidates passed across four grades.
Earlier Mama @JanetMuseveni remarks during the release of #PLE2023 results at State House Nakasero. pic.twitter.com/2mZWX5OTFV
— Uganda National Examinations Board (@UNEB_UG) January 25, 2024
86,582 candidates achieved Division 1, 336,507 Division 2, 156,290 Division 3, and 69,283 Division 4. 88,269 candidates failed, and 12,323 didn’t sit for the exams.
During the official results release at State Lodge Nakasero, the executive director of the Uganda National Examination Board (Uneb) noted that more candidates passed in Division 3 and above compared to 2022.
Performance was similar to the previous year. Candidates who couldn’t attain at least Division 4 received a U (Ungraded) and aren’t eligible for Senior 1 admission.
Boys outperformed girls in Division 1, with 47,452 boys compared to 39,130 girls. However, more girls passed in Division 2, with 171,601 compared to 164,906 boys.
Girls surpassed boys in Divisions 3 and 4 but also had the highest number of failures.
The high number of candidates in Division U (88,269) is concerning, as they might contribute to school drop-out rates.
Some districts, like Kibuku, Madi Okollo, Dokolo, Kween, and Namisindwa, had significantly higher failure rates than the national average, indicating a need for investigation and intervention.
Science and Social Studies were the top-performing subjects, contributing 9.8% and 9.4% of Distinction 2, respectively, compared to 7.8% and 5.3% for English and Mathematics.
Performance in English, Integrated Science, and Mathematics was slightly better at grade 8 and above, with Social Studies comparable to 2022.
Females outperformed males in English, while males performed better in Social Studies & Religious Education, Integrated Science, and Mathematics, consistent with previous years.
