Female candidates have outperformed their male counterparts in the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations, achieving stronger grades in several subjects and recording lower overall failure rates.
Prof. Celestino Obua, Chairperson of the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), commended the performance of female candidates, noting that it reflects years of deliberate investment in the education of the girl child through scholarships, retention programs, and community campaigns aimed at keeping girls in school.
Prof. Obua made the remarks during the official release of the results at State House, Nakasero, on Friday, describing the performance as a sign of steady progress in narrowing long-standing gender gaps in education.
Presenting the statement of results, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo reported that female candidates outperformed males at the principal pass level (grades A to E) in most humanities subjects.
However, he noted that male candidates dominated at the highest grade of A in Mathematics and the sciences.
The 2025 UACE exams saw a total of 165,172 candidates, with 92,798 males and 72,374 females.
Additionally, 540 candidates were persons with special needs, and 70 were inmates from Uganda Government Upper Prison, Luzira.
Of the total candidates, 68,906 obtained three principal passes, 44,385 earned two principal passes, 31,838 secured one principal pass, 18,152 achieved one subsidiary pass, and 1,891 failed.
The exams of 351 candidates were withheld pending investigations into examination malpractice, specifically in science practicals.
Despite the strong overall performance by girls, subject selection patterns remain uneven.
Female candidates continue to concentrate more on humanities and arts subjects such as History, Literature in English, Religious Studies, Geography, and languages, where they consistently excel.
A total of 113,291 candidates who scored three or two principal passes will be eligible for university education.
Meanwhile, at least 145,129 candidates with one principal pass or two subsidiary passes will qualify for diploma-level studies in tertiary institutions.
At the event, Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni congratulated female candidates on their achievement, highlighting the continued improvement in girls’ academic performance.
She emphasized that the results reflect sustained efforts by government, schools, families, and development partners to support girls in school and foster their educational progress.
By Muggaga Kiggwe
13th Mar 2026
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