The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has issued a comprehensive set of guidelines for the registration of candidates for the 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE). The announcement, dated March 28, 2025, outlines key dates, fees, and procedures to ensure a smooth registration process for schools and candidates across the country.
Key Registration Dates and Fees
The normal registration period for the 2025 PLE began on April 1 and will conclude on May 31, 2025. During this period, the registration fee per candidate is set at UGX 34,000 (thirty-four thousand shillings). Schools and candidates are encouraged to complete their registrations within this window to avoid additional charges.
For those unable to meet the initial deadline, a late registration period has been scheduled from June 1 to July 30, 2025. However, late registration will incur a 100% surcharge, doubling the fee to UGX 68,000 per candidate. UNEB has emphasized the importance of adhering to the normal registration timeline to avoid these extra costs.
Payment and Invoicing Procedures
The government will continue to cover PLE registration fees for candidates under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program. Examination centers are required to remit funds for non-UPE candidates directly to UNEB’s accounts at Centenary or Stanbic Bank after generating an invoice through the UNEB e-Registration Portal. This invoice will be issued once registration data is uploaded to the school portal.
A single bill will be generated for each submitted batch of candidates, covering registration fees for private candidates, as well as amendment fees where applicable. UNEB has clarified that each invoice must be paid individually as soon as data is uploaded, and UPE candidates should be registered promptly to avoid surcharges. Importantly, schools are not responsible for paying registration fees for UPE candidates, as these are covered by the government.
Additional Guidelines for Schools and Candidates
UNEB has outlined several measures to ensure compliance and accuracy during the registration process:
- Settling Outstanding Obligations: Schools must clear all outstanding fees with UNEB before the start of the 2025 PLE registration. No results will be issued to schools with unpaid balances.
- Non-UPE Candidates: Centers found to have registered non-UPE candidates as UPE candidates will face penalties under the Ministry of Education and Sports guidelines. Such centers will be charged registration, surcharge, and amendment fees, with further punitive measures to be determined by UNEB.
- Registration of Candidates: Headteachers are required to register candidates using the provided forms (Appendix 1) and seek permission from the UNEB Executive Director for any transfers. The practice of transferring candidates and registering them in other districts is deemed illegal.
- Special Needs Candidates: Schools with special needs candidates must provide detailed documentation, including a photograph, medical report, and a sketch map of the school’s location, to facilitate verification. This information must also be captured on the UNEB portal.
- Data Submission: District Inspectors of Schools (DIS), Municipal Inspectors of Schools (MIS), and City Inspectors of Schools (CIS) are required to submit a summary of registered candidates to UNEB. A hard and soft copy of this summary, along with sitting center details, must be sent to Room 25 at UNEB’s Ntinda office or emailed to eRegPrimary@uneb.ac.ug.
- Proper Documentation: DIS/MIS/CIS must provide all necessary documents, including declaration forms, lists of entries, and evidence of payment for non-UPE registration fees. Headteachers are solely responsible for registering candidates, and DIS/MIS/CIS should only play a supervisory role.
General Information for Stakeholders
UNEB has also provided additional information to guide schools and candidates:
- Secondary School Selection: Candidates’ choices for secondary and technical institutions will continue to be guided by the Selection Codes in the 2017 Information Guides, distributed by the Ministry of Education and Sports. Schools failing to follow these guidelines risk candidates not being admitted to their preferred secondary schools.
- Signatures: It is a criminal offense for anyone to sign on behalf of a candidate, and neither teachers nor candidates signing for others are permitted during registration.
- Centre Numbers: The validation of PLE examination center numbers concluded Phase I in March 2025, with Phase II set to begin in April 2025. All applications for center validation must be submitted online via esservices.uneb.ac.ug.
- Identity Cards: All candidates sitting for the PLE must be provided with identity cards, which should be retained for future reference.
- Random Numbers for Scripts: UNEB will continue using random numbers for PLE scripts in 2025, meaning candidates will not write their school name or EMIS number on their scripts, only the assigned random number.
Contact Information
For further inquiries, UNEB has provided the following contact details:
- Ntinda Office: +256-417-773100, 414-286635/6/7, 2893971
- Kyambogo Office: +256-417-773256, 414-286173
- Email: uneb@uneb.ac.ug, unebsecretariat@gmail.com
- Website: www.uneb.ac.ug
The guidelines were signed by Dan N. Odongo, Executive Director of UNEB, and copies were sent to the Hon. Minister of Education and Sports, the Hon. Minister of State for Education (Primary), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Chairperson of UNEB, the Director of Basic & Secondary Education, the Commissioner of Basic Education, Local Council V Chairpersons, and the Secretary for Education.
UNEB urges all stakeholders to adhere to these guidelines to ensure a seamless registration process for the 2025 PLE.
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