By Aaron Okotel
MBALE CITY
Mbale Secondary School has registered 1,104 candidates for the 2026 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations, the highest number in the school’s history.
The candidates are expected to begin their examinations on Monday, November 9, following a briefing held on Friday, November 6, ahead of the national examinations.
The school’s head teacher, Moses Buyala, said the number represents an increase from 904 candidates who sat the examinations in 2025.
Buyala said the school has, for the first time, established three examination centers to accommodate the growing number of candidates.
The centres include Mbale Secondary School Main, which will host 499 candidates, Annex One with 497 candidates, and Annex Two with 108 candidates.
He attributed the increasing enrolment to growing public confidence in the school, saying the institution was committed to preparing learners for university and other higher education opportunities.
“We are proud to contribute to the impact we are creating in our community, ensuring that learners get what they need and move on to the next step, in this case, the university,” Buyala said.
This year’s candidates are the first Senior Six learners to sit UACE examinations under the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC), which Buyala said presents a new experience for both learners and the school.
He noted that, unlike the previous curriculum where candidates could attain a maximum of 20 points, the new curriculum provides for a maximum of 17 points.
During the briefing, he cautioned candidates against examination malpractice, particularly falling victim to fraudsters selling fake examination papers.
He warned that advances in technology and artificial intelligence had made it easier for fraudsters to produce fake papers and deceive unsuspecting candidates.
“We normally prepare our students. The main message was to avoid malpractice and not be tempted to solicit fake examination papers out there,” Buyala said.
