The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has officially released the timetable for the 2026 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), setting the stage for over 900,000 candidates to sit their final papers this academic year. The examinations will be held under the theme: "Advancing Excellence in Assessment and Certification through secure, credible, inclusive and innovative processes".
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| UNEB Releases 2026 PLE Timetable: Briefing Set for October 30, Exams Begin November 3 |
Briefing Date: Friday, October 30, 2026
All PLE candidates will report for a mandatory briefing session on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 9:00 AM. The two-hour session will be conducted by headteachers and is designed to prepare learners for the dos and don'ts during the examinations. UNEB has reminded headteachers and teachers that candidates should not receive further teaching after this briefing session.
Examination Dates and Subject Schedule
The written examinations will run for two days, from Monday, November 3 to Tuesday, November 4, 2026. The subject schedule is as follows
On Monday, November 3, 2026, the morning session at 9:00 AM will be Mathematics, while the afternoon session at 2:00 PM will be Social Studies and Religious Education.
On Tuesday, November 4, 2026, the morning session at 9:00 AM will be Integrated Science, and the afternoon session at 2:00 PM will be English.
This information is confirmed by UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo, who stated that candidates will sit Mathematics at 9 AM on Monday, followed by Social Studies and Religious Education at 2 PM. They will then return on Tuesday for Integrated Science at 9 AM and English at 2 PM.
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| UNEB Releases 2026 PLE Timetable: Briefing Set for October 30, Exams Begin November 3 |
Record Candidature for 2026
UNEB has registered a total of 1,627,885 candidates for the 2026 national examinations (PLE, UCE, and UACE), an increase of 14.9% compared to last year's 1,416,448 candidates. At the PLE level specifically, candidature has risen by 12.4%, from 818,885 in 2025 to 920,796 this year. Of the total candidates across all levels, 52% are female while 48% are male, and 6,090 are learners with Special Needs Education (SNE).
Key Guidelines for Candidates
- UNEB has issued several guidelines that candidates must follow during the examinations:
- Candidates must arrive at their examination centres at least 30 minutes before each paper starts.
- Calculators and mobile phones are not permitted in examination rooms.
- Candidates cannot enter with notes, books, or other written materials.
- Latecomers who arrive more than 15 minutes late will not be admitted, and those allowed in will not receive extra time.
- Candidates must not write the name of their school on examination papers; they should only use their school identification number where required.
