Uganda's CBC Pioneer Cohort Sits for A-Level Exams

More than 203,000 candidates have started sitting the 2026 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations. This milestone marks the completion of A-Level education for the pioneer cohort of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) registered 203,809 candidates, a 22.4% increase from 2025. The candidates are distributed across 3,039 examination centres nationwide.

The registered candidates comprise 106,361 males (52%) and 97,448 females (48%). According to the examination timetable, science students began with Principal Mathematics Paper One, while arts students sat History Paper One. This cohort completed lower secondary education under the Competency-Based Curriculum and joined Senior One in 2020 as the new curriculum was being introduced.

The journey of this cohort has been marked by significant challenges. They experienced prolonged school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic shortly after joining secondary school. They later navigated the transition to the new lower secondary curriculum and its early implementation challenges. The candidates studied under an abridged A-Level curriculum as they awaited a fully revised syllabus.

Isaac Mutyaba, a secondary school teacher, noted that the candidates endured multiple disruptions that distinguished them from previous groups. "This cohort has faced a lot of challenges in education," he said. They started Senior One in 2020 as the Competency-Based Curriculum was being rolled out, only for the COVID-19 pandemic to shut schools.

UNEB spokesperson Jennifer Kalule appealed to school directors and headteachers not to prevent candidates with outstanding school fees from sitting the examinations. "We urge school directors and headteachers not to lock out school fees defaulters from sitting the examinations," she said. Schools should report candidates with outstanding fees to UNEB to enable the board to withhold their results.

The full A-Level curriculum overhaul is still pending, but UNEB has aligned this year's examinations with the competency-based approach. This follows guidance from the National Curriculum Development Centre. The candidates sat their Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations in 2024 under the competency-based assessment model.

The examinations are a significant milestone for the pioneer cohort of the CBC. The candidates have shown resilience in the face of challenges. The outcome of the examinations will be released after they are completed, and candidates with outstanding school fees will have their results withheld.

Key points

• The 2026 UACE examinations have seen a 22.4% increase in registered candidates compared to 2025.
• The pioneer cohort of the Competency-Based Curriculum has faced significant challenges, including prolonged school closures and curriculum transitions.
• UNEB has urged school directors not to prevent candidates with outstanding school fees from sitting the examinations.