Kampala, (UG): The 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results released Tuesday have sparked mixed reactions as candidates, parents, and teachers struggle to interpret the new grading system introduced by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB).
The revised system, introduced for learners assessed under the New Lower Secondary Curriculum (NLSC), this year replaced the traditional aggregates (D1 to F9), with letter grades this time around ranging from A to E, leaving many grappling the results.
This significant shift from aggregates and divisions to grades has caused uncertainty among parents, guardians, and candidates.
Ms Harriet Nalwanga, a concerned parent, admitted to having difficulty understanding her child’s performance. “Even when my child would bring a report card home, I found it hard to interpret. So, I am not surprised that I don’t understand these results, but we will adapt,” she said.
“The challenge will come when selecting subject combinations at A’ Level,” Nalwanga added.
Samson Okware, another parent, advised his fellows to remain calm, reassuring them that the system will become more familiar over time. “This kind of grading system is not as complicated as they think,” he noted.
However, the Minister of Education and Sports, First Lady Hon. Janet Museveni, who presided over the release of the 2024 UCE results at State Hosue Nakasero, acknowledged public concerns about the new grading system but emphasized the importance of embracing the reforms.
“I call on the country to accept this change, which is for the better. For a long time, we have been accustomed to aggregates and divisions that ranked schools. This unhealthy competition often led to unethical practices. I am happy that the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) and UNEB have introduced an approach that eliminates ranking candidates based on divisions,” she said.
Mrs. Museveni highlighted that the new curriculum focuses on developing competencies in cognitive (intellectual), psychomotor (practical skills), and affective (emotional and social) learning domains. She emphasized that learners under this curriculum gain the ability for self-directed learning.
The minister also directed the selection committee to ensure that students who sat for the UCE examination under the old curriculum and qualified for post-UCE placement are not left out.
“For those learners who did not take advantage of this last opportunity under the previous curriculum, I encourage them to explore other education and training opportunities, particularly through the vocational pathway. You do not have to drop out of formal education,” she stated.
The New Grading System Explained
UNEB Chairperson, Mr Celestino Obua explained that under the new grading system, the reporting of achievement levels has shifted from the previous stanine system (1 to 9, including Distinctions, Credits, Pass, and Fail) used in the content-based curriculum. The new system now uses letter grades: A, B, C, D, and E.
He stressed that the transcript, which used to be the result slip and certificate, will now reflect this change in content presentation.
Under the new UNEB grading system, UCE candidates are assessed as follows:
- A – Exceptional Achievement – equivalent to D1, D2
- B – Outstanding Performance – equivalent to C3, C4
- C – Satisfactory Performance – equivalent to C5, C6
- D – Basic Understanding – equivalent to P7, P8
- E – Elementary Understanding – equivalent to F9
In 2020, the Ministry of Education rolled out the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) for the lower secondary school level. This introduced the need for assessment reforms, incorporating new components such as Continuous Assessment (CA) and Project Work, in addition to the existing End-of-Cycle examination.
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