WHERE WE ARE

Ugandan schools from the nursery level through the secondary level follow a school calendar which begins in early February and ends in late November. The school year is comprised of three terms:

Term 1 - Early February to early May
Term 2 - Late May to late August
Term 3 - Mid September to late November

Vocational, technical, nursing, and teacher training program calendars vary. Some follow the February to December model but many have two semesters that begin in late July or August and end the following June. University level programs operate on the two semester schedule.

The Ugandan school systems requires 3 national exams for all students.

* Primary Leaving Exam, (PLE) is administered at the end of primary 7.
* Uganda Certificate of Education exam (UCE) is administered at the end of secondary 4.
* Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education exam (UACE) is given at the end of secondary 6.

Pupils who pass their PLE can progress to secondary school. This has two stages; the first four years, senior one (S1) to senior four (S4), constitute the O-level period.

Students who pass their O-level exams may progress to A-levels or the Higher School Certificate (HSC). This lasts for two years, senior 5 (S5) and senior 6 (S6).

Students who pass their A-levels may choose to progress to university, where they can study for degrees, or to other tertiary institutions that award diplomas and certificates.

Students that do not pass PLE, O or A level exams may enroll in vocational or technical trade programs to receive certificates that can lead to viable employment.

The PLE, UCE and UACE annual national exams are all administered between October and December. For the term that a student takes one of these exams, they will not receive a progress report for that term but instead will receive their exam results.