For many years, secondary schools in Uganda based Senior Five admissions on aggregate scores, with the best possible score being aggregate 8 in the top eight subjects at the O’level.
The highest-performing students were given priority in securing spots at prestigious schools.
However, following the release of the 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examination results, a new selection approach has been introduced.
Under this new system, selection will no longer rely on aggregate scores. Instead, schools will consider letter grades (A, B, C, D, and E) to determine student placement.
Students who achieve grades A and B in their subjects will have the best chance of securing admission to top secondary schools for their preferred subject combinations.
Numerical Weights for Letter Grades
To facilitate this transition, the Ministry of Education and the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) have developed a system for weighing letter grades.
Sources from a closed-door meeting revealed that numerical weights will be assigned to each grade (A, B, C, D, and E) for selection purposes. These weights will help rank students based on performance.
However, the numerical weights will not be fixed; they will vary each year depending on overall student performance.
“We have already established a formula for selections and placements. Letter grades will be the key consideration, but each grade will carry a specific numerical weight,” an anonymous source disclosed.
Dr. Dennis Mugimba, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, confirmed the plan to assign numerical values to letter grades.
“The selection meeting has been concluded, and we will soon communicate the detailed criteria to schools before and during the national selection exercise,” he said in a telephone interview.
Senior Five Selection Dates and Implementation
While releasing the 2024 UCE results, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni, announced that Senior Five selections will take place on February 20-21.
Students who secure placements will report for their first term on March 3, 2024.
Mrs. Museveni also directed the selection committee to ensure that students from the old curriculum who qualify for Senior Five are not excluded from the new selection process.
Interpreting the New Grading System
The new UCE grading system has replaced the previous numerical (1-9) grading with letter grades (A-E).
According to Baden Ssegwaya, an examiner and teacher at Kibuli Secondary School, the equivalence between the old and new grading systems is as follows:
- Grade A: Equivalent to distinction 1 and 2 in the old system.
- Grade B: Equivalent to credit 3 and 4.
- Grade C: Equivalent to credit 5 and 6.
- Grade D: Equivalent to pass 7 and 8.
- Grade E: Equivalent to failure (F9) in the old system.
The UNEB Executive Director, Dan Odongo, emphasized that the new grading system is not directly comparable to the old one. However, he clarified that:
- Grade A is awarded to students who demonstrate exceptional competence and apply knowledge creatively in real-life situations.
- Grade B signifies a high level of competence in applying acquired skills.
- Grade C reflects satisfactory competence.
- Grade D represents basic competence.
- Grade E indicates below-basic competence.
Introduction of Transcripts
The 2024 examination cycle also marks the introduction of student transcripts, which replace the traditional results slips.
These transcripts will provide a detailed breakdown of students’ performance per subject, including their competencies.
Only students who qualify for Senior Five will receive a UNEB certificate, and their transcripts will be marked as “Result 1.”
Candidates with “Result 2” are those who either missed one or more registered papers or did not have coursework scores recorded by their schools.
Those with “Result 3” scored an E grade in all subjects. Students with “Result 2” or “Result 3” do not qualify for Senior Five and will not receive UNEB certificates.
Performance Statistics
In the 2024 UCE examinations, UNEB administered two different sets of exams: one for the pioneer students of the new lower secondary curriculum (introduced in 2020) and another for students from the old curriculum who chose to retake the exams.
A total of 359,417 candidates sat for the exams under the new curriculum. Among them:
- 136,785 students (38.1%) were part of the Universal Secondary Education (USE) program.
- 222,632 students came from non-USE schools.
- 98.05% of candidates under the new curriculum qualified for UCE certificates, receiving a “Result 1” transcript and eligibility for Senior Five.
- Students who received “Result 2” or “Result 3” do not qualify for UCE certificates or Senior Five placement.
For students who sat under the old curriculum, 10,141 candidates participated, with 9,742 qualifying for Senior Five placements.
The introduction of the new grading system and selection criteria marks a significant shift in Uganda’s secondary education system.
With letter grades replacing aggregate scores and the introduction of transcripts, the selection process for Senior Five is now more competency-based.
These changes aim to ensure a fairer and more comprehensive evaluation of students’ abilities, better preparing them for advanced studies.
