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How UNEB Exams are Marked

Have you ever wondered what happens to your exam paper after you submit it? For candidates in Uganda, the process involves a rigorous, multi-stage operation managed by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB). From collection to final grading, the marking process is designed to ensure fairness, accuracy, and consistency for all students.

When are UNEB exams marked?

The UNEB marking process begins shortly after the conclusion of national examinations, such as the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE). Scripts are securely transported from examination centers to designated marking centers across the country. Teams of examiners are then assembled and undergo training to ensure a uniform and objective system for assessment.

The journey of an exam script

The process involves several key steps to ensure each paper is handled with the utmost care and integrity:

  1. Collection and sorting: After an exam is completed, all scripts are collected and sorted according to subject and paper. These are then transported under strict security to marking centers.

  2. Coordination of examiners: Before marking begins, examiners for each subject meet to coordinate. This includes reviewing practice scripts to confirm that all examiners apply the same standards and marking schemes. This is a crucial step to ensure that students are marked consistently, regardless of which examiner assesses their paper.

  3. Secure marking centers: UNEB establishes numerous secure marking centers, often at schools or other institutions, to accommodate the thousands of examiners required. For example, the board might use dozens of centers to mark UCE and UACE papers.

  4. The physical marking: Examiners use a red pen to mark student scripts and follow the agreed-upon marking scheme precisely. Team leaders and other senior examiners use a green pen to cross-check a sample of scripts to ensure accuracy and consistency.

  5. Quality assurance: A multi-layered quality assurance process is in place. After an examiner marks a batch of scripts, they are checked by a team leader. If there is any uncertainty about a script, the team leader is consulted to maintain marking standards.

How is UNEB marking changing?

With the introduction of the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) for the UCE, the marking and grading process has evolved. Previously, students were graded from 1 to 9 under the "stanine system". Under the new curriculum, the assessment now reflects a combination of marks:

The new grading system for UCE uses letter grades from A to E, rather than the old divisions. The new grades reflect the level of competency a student has achieved:

  1. A: Exceptional (80–100%)
  2. B: Outstanding (70–79%)
  3. C: Satisfactory (60–69%)
  4. D: Basic (50–59%)
  5. E: Elementary (0–49%)

The final steps: UNEB Computation and certification

Once all scripts are marked and quality-assured, the marks are entered into a computer system for processing. No school receives special or separate marking; a uniform and objective grading process is applied to every candidate. Finally, the combined continuous assessment and exam scores are used to determine the final grade. After official approval, results are released to the public, followed by the printing and distribution of certificates.


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