UNEB Explains New CBC Grading System Ahead of Release of 2025 UCE results .
Education Minister Janet Museveni receives results at State House Nakasero.
By skika reporter.
The Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) 2025 results for the second cohort of candidates under the New Lower Secondary Competence-Based Curriculum (NLSC-CBC) will be released on February 13, 2026.
According to Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), the grading system follows reforms introduced under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which was rolled out in 2020 by the Ministry of Education and Sports for lower secondary schools.
Shift to Competency-Based Assessment
The introduction of CBC necessitated significant changes in assessment and reporting. New components — Continuous Assessment (CA) and Project Work — were incorporated alongside the traditional End-of-Cycle examination.
While releasing results for the pioneer cohort in 2025, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo explained that the new assessment model focuses on learners’ competencies rather than ranking them in divisions.
“The new assessment comes with a change in the reporting and certification,” Odongo said. “The Board, in close consultations with the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), has come up with a reporting mechanism that presents a learner’s level of achievement in each subject with a letter grade (A, B, C, D or E).”
He noted that the achievement levels were determined through systematic statistical and psychometric processes. Final subject scores combine Continuous Assessment (20 per cent) conducted at school and the End-of-Cycle examination (80 per cent).
Project Work is assessed separately at school and reflected as a stand-alone component on the certificate. According to Odongo, the Project Work score highlights a learner’s creativity and ability to address real-world and contemporary challenges.
Understanding the Letter Grades
Under the CBC system, performance is reported using letter grades that reflect achievement levels rather than divisions.
Grade A – Exceptional: The candidate demonstrates an extraordinary level of competency, applying knowledge and skills innovatively and creatively in real-life situations.
Grade B – Outstanding: The candidate demonstrates a high level of competency in applying acquired knowledge and skills.
Grade C – Satisfactory: The candidate demonstrates an adequate level of competency in real-life application.
Grade D – Basic: The candidate demonstrates a minimum level of competency in applying acquired knowledge and skills.
Grade E – Elementary: The candidate demonstrates below the basic level of competency.
Unlike the previous curriculum, the competency-based system does not rank candidates into Divisions 1, 2, 3 or 4.
Result Categories Explained
Under the new framework, results are classified into three categories:
Result 1: Awarded to candidates who obtain at least a Grade D in one subject. These candidates qualify for the UCE Certificate.
Result 2: Given to candidates who do not meet certification requirements, such as failing to sit for compulsory subjects, not sitting a minimum of eight subjects, or lacking Project Work scores. These candidates do not qualify for the UCE certificate.
Result 3: Issued to candidates who attain Grade E in all subjects taken. These candidates also do not qualify for the UCE certificate.
With the second CBC cohort set to receive their results, UNEB maintains that the revised grading system is designed to reflect learners’ competencies and practical abilities, aligning education outcomes with real-life skills and national development goals.
