UCE: Why UNEB adjusted time for History Paper

What the report says

The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has explained why it increased the time allowed for the History and Political Education paper in the ongoing Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) exams. The board had notified schools by circular that the paper would run 15 minutes longer than originally planned, moving from 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes.

According to UNEB spokesperson Jennifer Kalule-Musamba, the change came after pre-testing exam items in different parts of the country showed that learners and teachers felt the original time was too tight. She said the matter had been discussed by the UNEB board before it approved the extra time. The timetable had already been printed by then, but the question papers had not, allowing the revised duration to be reflected on the final papers.

The report also noted that UNEB’s pre-test process is used to check practical issues such as timing before exams are administered. Separately, the article said the second day of the UCE exams was largely smooth. It highlighted an incident at Light Secondary School in Soroti, where a candidate gave birth during the morning English paper and was able to continue with later examinations after a safe delivery. The board said candidates had completed four papers so far, with Geography and Biology scheduled for the following day.