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UACE 2025: Science Subjects Record Improved Performance and Rising Enrollment
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) results released by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) show a notable improvement in performance in science subjects, alongside a steady rise in student enrolment in science disciplines.
While releasing the results at State House Nakasero on Friday, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said performance in subjects such as Mathematics, Chemistry, Agriculture, and Biology has improved compared to previous years, reversing a trend in which sciences had lagged behind humanities.
Data presented by UNEB shows strong progress at the principal pass level (A-E) across several science subjects. Biology highlighted the trend, with 64.4 per cent of the 35,660 candidates attaining principal passes, compared to 57.7 per cent of 24,853 candidates in 2024.
Chemistry also recorded a significant improvement. 56.3 per cent of the 37,134 registered candidates achieved principal passes, compared to 40 per cent of 29,283 candidates in the previous year.
Presenting the results, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said 113,291 candidates, representing 68.6 per cent, attained the minimum requirement of two Principal passes for admission to degree programmes. This marks an increase from 92,273 candidates (65.5 per cent) recorded in 2024.
State Minister for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, described the improvement as encouraging, noting that it reflects progress in the government’s push toward Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education to promote innovation and job creation.
UNEB data further indicates that the number of candidates registering for science subjects continues to rise annually in many parts of the country. Mathematics remains the most popular elective, with 70,132 candidates, second only to the compulsory General Paper. However, physics registered fluctuations and a slight decline in performance this year.
Education and Sports Minister Janet Museveni welcomed the growing interest in science and mathematics, saying the trend should be sustained.
“While I fully recognise the invaluable role of the humanities in shaping societal morals, inculcating business values, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit, and promoting cultural awareness and nationalism, STEM subjects remain the bedrock for industrial development,” she said.
The improvement in science performance comes amid intensified government efforts to strengthen science education in schools. Key interventions include upgrading science laboratories, supplying laboratory equipment and low-cost practical kits, improving laboratory facilities, and strengthening support for science teachers.
Despite the gains, UNEB noted that several challenges continue to affect performance in science subjects. Odongo explained that limited practical exposure remains a major obstacle for many candidates.
Some of the challenges observed include misinterpretation of experimental procedures leading to incorrect data; difficulty in analysing results, inability to present information graphically, particularly due to the use of non-uniform scales on X and Y axes; making deductions from observations; and writing correct chemical equations.
He added that many learners also struggle to relate scientific concepts to real-life situations, while in some cases, teachers skip certain topics, particularly in areas such as physical chemistry, which further affects performance.
Results released by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) show that 98.9 per cent of candidates obtained the UACE certificate. Under current regulations, a candidate needs at least a Subsidiary pass in a Principal subject to qualify for the certificate.
Presenting the results, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said 113,291 candidates, representing 68.6 per cent, attained the minimum requirement of two Principal passes for admission to degree programmes. This marks an increase from 92,273 candidates (65.5 per cent) recorded in 2024.
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