Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) has withheld results of 64 candidates from the 2016 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations released today.
The withheld exams are from 11 centers. The centers affected include Science Foundation with 27 candidates, 11 candidates from Alliance SS Ibanda, 10 from Ezra Memorial SS, five from Rubona SS and five from Iganga Parents SS, among others.
Six other schools, whose identities were concealed by Uneb, had one case of withheld results each.
According to Uneb, students whose results were withheld were involved in examination malpractice in the form of external assistance, collusion among candidates and smuggling of unauthorised material into the examination room.
The malpractices were mainly reported in science subjects especially Physics, Chemistry and Subsidiary Mathematics, according to Dan Nokrach Odong, the executive secretary of the Uneb.
Odong however reiterates that the affected candidates will be accorded a fair hearing by the board before a final verdict is issued.
The number of withheld results has reduced from 279 cases that were recorded in 2015. More candidates obtained three principle passes from last year’s exams compared to 2015.
A copy of the results availed by Uneb indicates that 39,797 candidates out of the 102,858 candidates who sat for the UACE in 2016, obtained three principle passes.
This is in comparison to the 29,754 candidates who obtained the 3 principle passes in 2015 from a candidate roll of 99,847 students. At least 27,831 candidates obtained two principle passes, 21,031 obtained 1 principle pass and 12,836 candidates secured subsidiary passes.
This implies that 67,628 students, representing 65.8 percent of the total number of candidates, qualify to join university for degree courses based on the minimum requirement on two principle pass level for admission.
In cases where 1principle pass and two subsidiary passes levels are considered for admission to other tertiary institutions, a total of 88,659 candidates (86.2 percent) will quality for admission compared to 82,573 (82.7 percent) in 2015.
According to the Uneb 1,363 candidates failed the 2016 UACE exams. This is lower than the 2,197 candidates who failed the exam in 2015.