By Wamala Sipirian
Published: September 23, 2026
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has released the official timetable for the 2026 national examinations, with 1,627,885 candidates registered for the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo unveiled the timetable at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
The examination cycle will begin on October 8, when UCE candidates will report for briefing. Written UCE examinations will begin the following week.
PLE candidates will report to their schools for briefing on October 30, before sitting their examinations in early November. UACE candidates will be briefed on November 6, with their written examinations scheduled to begin the following week.
2026 PLE timetable
According to the timetable provided by UNEB, PLE candidates will sit their examinations over two days.
The papers are scheduled as follows:
| Date | Time | Paper |
|---|---|---|
| November 3 | 9:00 a.m. | Mathematics |
| November 3 | 2:00 p.m. | Social Studies and Religious Education |
| November 4 | 9:00 a.m. | Integrated Science |
| November 4 | 2:00 p.m. | English |
Candidates are expected to attend a briefing conducted by their headteachers before the examinations.
UNEB said candidates with special educational needs will receive an additional 45 minutes for each examination paper.
The Board also warned candidates and schools to rely only on the official timetable. It said an unofficial timetable had circulated online before the official version was released.
Heads of examination centres can access the timetable through their school portals. UNEB will also distribute hard copies to schools alongside examination stationery, while the timetable will be published through the Board’s official website and social media platforms.
UNEB issues examination guidelines
UNEB has reminded candidates to arrive at their examination centres at least 30 minutes before each paper begins.
Candidates must be present before examination papers are opened and are expected to remain in the examination room until their scripts have been collected and sealed, unless they receive permission from the chief invigilator.
The Board said candidates must not enter examination rooms with mobile phones, calculators, notes, books or other written materials.
Candidates are also expected to check that examination envelopes are intact before they are opened and to ensure that their identification numbers and registered names are correctly entered.
UNEB instructed candidates not to write the name of their school on examination scripts. Where required, they should use the school identification number.
The Board also warned candidates about late arrival. Those who arrive late must provide a satisfactory explanation before they can be admitted. Candidates who are admitted after the scheduled start time will not receive additional time, while those arriving more than 15 minutes late will not be admitted.
Examination papers, whether used or unused, must not be taken out of the examination room.
More than 1.6 million candidates registered
UNEB said 1,627,885 candidates had been registered for the three national examinations by the close of business on September 22.
The number represents an increase of 211,437 candidates, or 14.9 percent, compared with 2025.
Female candidates account for 52 percent of the total registration, according to UNEB.
About 52 percent of all registered candidates are sponsored under the government’s universal education programmes.
The 2026 registration also includes 6,090 learners with special educational needs.
New curriculum cohorts
The 2026 UCE examinations will include the third cohort of learners being assessed under the Competency-Based Curriculum.
Odongo said the UACE candidates will also be significant because they are the first group to reach the advanced-level national examination stage after taking their first examinations under the new curriculum in 2024.
“For UCE, this is the third cohort of learners whom we are assessing under the Competency-Based Curriculum. The UACE candidates, these are the pioneers who took the first exam under the new curriculum in 2024,” Odongo said.
UNEB has directed schools to ensure that candidates receive copies of the official examination timetable and comply with the examination regulations.
The Board warned that allowing unregistered candidates to sit examinations or breaching examination rules could result in the cancellation of candidates’ results.
Editorial note: The supplied source contains an inconsistency in the PLE section, referring to the October 30 briefing as occurring in 2025 and describing November 3 as Monday. The article above uses the dates and timetable information provided in the source without repeating those conflicting weekday/year references.
Sources
- Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), statements and timetable information provided in the supplied source material.
- Dan Odongo, UNEB Executive Director, remarks at the Uganda Media Centre on September 23, 2026.