UACE 2026: who may register

The 1 June 2026 notice, read with the 30 June press statement, closed all 2026 registration on 31 July 2026. Normal registration had already ended at midnight on 30 June. Confirm any later sitting on the live UNEB portal.

To qualify, a candidate had to meet both the academic rule and the time rule:

• Obtained the Uganda Certificate of Education in 2024 or earlier, or hold an equivalent qualification.
• Achieved grades 1, 2, 3, or 4 under the previous UCE curriculum, or achieved Result 1 under the competency-based curriculum. The Board's notice specifies Result 1 as the entry benchmark without defining it further.
• Completed an Advanced Level course of study for at least two years.

To learn more about the wider examination system in Uganda, consult our guide on what to know about UNEB.

Candidates sitting the 2026 UACE examination are the pioneer cohort of the competency-based curriculum introduced at lower secondary level. As outlined in the UNEB notice of 1 June 2026 and the Board statement of 23 September 2026, candidates are assessed under an aligned curriculum that emphasizes scenario-based tasks.

According to the 23 September 2026 timetable statement released via UPPC, candidate briefing takes place on Friday 7 November 2026, and examinations conclude on Friday 5 December 2026. Confirm these examination dates on the live portal before booking or making travel arrangements.

At lower secondary, the assessment structure incorporates school-based continuous assessment alongside final scores, as explained in our overview of UCE 2026 registration. The June 2026 UACE notice does not repeat that 20 percent and 80 percent continuous assessment split for the Advanced Level examination.

Students who sat for UACE in 2025 or earlier and decided to repeat can do so under the aligned curriculum. According to UNEB and the National Curriculum Development Centre in the 1 June 2026 notice, the content framework of the aligned curriculum has not changed.

Because the underlying content framework remains consistent, repeat candidates can sit the examination without requiring a transitional or special paper. UNEB confirmed that it will not run a transitional examination for UACE of the type conducted for UCE candidates.

For additional details on examination rules and candidate guidelines, visit what to know about UNEB.