KAMPALA, Uganda — The Uganda National Examinations Board has extended the deadline for normal registration of candidates for the 2026 national examinations to June 30, giving schools and newly accredited examination centers more time to complete the process.
UNEB Executive Secretary Dan Odongo announced the extension during a media briefing at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala. The registration applies to candidates for the Primary Leaving Examination, Uganda Certificate of Education and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education.
Odongo said the extension was intended to accommodate newly accredited examination centers joining the registration exercise.
“Registration of the 2026 candidates is under way for PLE, UCE and UACE. Normal registration has been extended to June 30, 2026, to accommodate the new centres that have been accredited,” he said.
UNEB warned that no registration will be accepted after July 31, 2026. Candidates who register late between July 1 and July 31 will attract surcharges, with PLE candidates paying a 100 percent penalty while UCE and UACE candidates will pay a 50 percent surcharge.
The examinations body urged schools and examination centers to complete the registration process early to avoid congestion on the system near the deadline.
Government-sponsored candidates under the Universal Primary Education, Universal Secondary Education and Universal Post O-Level Education and Training programs will continue to have their registration fees fully covered by the state.
Privately sponsored candidates will pay Shs34,000 for PLE, Shs164,000 for UCE and Shs186,000 for UACE.
Odongo also issued a strong warning against unauthorized charges imposed on parents and candidates under the guise of UNEB fees. He said heads of examination centers or school directors found extorting money risk severe penalties under Section 33 of the UNEB Act.
The law provides for a fine of up to 2,000 currency points, equivalent to about Shs40 million, imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both. UNEB may also withdraw the status of an examination center and deregister teachers involved in malpractice.
Parents and members of the public were encouraged to report cases of inflated “UNEB fees” to the nearest police station.
UNEB further warned heads of centers against failing to remit registration fees collected from candidates or omitting learners from the registration system. The board said such actions violate Section 32 of the UNEB Act and carry similar penalties, including compensation and refunds to affected learners or sponsors.
Government aided schools were also cautioned against registering privately sponsored learners as government-sponsored candidates. Offenders risk repaying twice the amount fraudulently obtained.
Odongo emphasized the need for accurate candidate information during registration, saying details should match records on birth certificates or data from the National Identification and Registration Authority to maintain the integrity of the examinations process.
Parents can verify a candidate’s registration status by sending an SMS to 6606.
The extension follows a trend of UNEB adjusting registration timelines in recent years to allow wider participation while maintaining strict compliance measures. Last year, the board registered about 1.4 million candidates for national examinations across the country.
