Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1600 EAT on Wednesday 16 Septemebr 2026

Examination malpractice is resurfacing among nursing, midwifery and allied health trainees, just years after authorities had reduced reported cases to a handful.

The Uganda Health Professions Assessment Board (UHPAB) said Tuesday that it had withheld the results of 79 continuing students over suspected examination malpractice, while 130 suspected cases were recorded among finalists in the June 2026 examination series.

The figures mark a reversal of earlier progress in curbing examination cheating.

Only three candidates were flagged in the December 2024 examination series, compared with 13 cases recorded in 2019, when the problem first emerged under the now-defunct Uganda Nurses and Midwives Examination Board.

At the time, malpractice included forged logbooks, possession of unauthorised materials and assistance from outsiders during examinations.

Releasing the latest results, the acting permanent secretary at the Ministry of Education, Doreen Ankunda, described examination malpractice as a persistent problem in the education sector that requires greater seriousness in health training.

“Malpractice in health training should not be tolerated. These professionals will be trusted with people’s lives. There is no excuse,” Ankunda said.

Acting Education Minister John Chrysostom Muyingo backed the position, saying candidates implicated in examination malpractice cannot be allowed to join the health workforce on the strength of compromised results.

In 2023, the board expelled a final-year nursing trainee for forging a logbook and refusing to admit the offence after the forgery was discovered. The board described the conduct as inexcusable.

Tougher Rules

UHPAB Executive Secretary Helen Mukakarisa Kataratambi said new regulations had given the board explicit powers to withhold, cancel or nullify examination results linked to malpractice.

She said the board’s powers had previously been limited because UHPAB was a recently established merger and had not yet developed its own regulations.

“Candidates should be aware that we don’t sympathise with those involved in the vice,” Kataratambi said, adding that the board would continue tightening invigilation and investigations to protect the integrity of examinations used to determine entry into the health workforce.

Diploma Students Struggle

Beyond examination malpractice, the latest results showed mixed performance among health trainees.

Of the 75,577 continuing students who sat the examinations, 57,399 (75.9 per cent) passed, while 17,829 (23.6 per cent) failed to attain the required pass mark and will have to retake the affected papers in the next examination series.

Among finalists, certificate candidates performed better. Of the 8,969 who sat the examinations, 88 per cent passed, while 984 were ungraded and will be required to retake failed papers in December.

Note: The continuing students’ figures do not add up to the total number who sat the examinations. The pass and fail figures total 75,228, leaving 349 candidates unaccounted for. You may want to confirm the figures before publication.

Officials said certificate candidates had performed better than in the June 2025 examination series, while diploma candidates recorded weaker results.

Of the 5,117 diploma candidates who sat the examinations, 4,344 (84.9 per cent) passed, while 702 (13.7 per cent) failed.

Muyingo described the performance as weak and directed training institutions to strengthen competency assessments during practicum placements to identify and address learning gaps early.

Note: The figures provided account for 5,046 candidates, leaving 71 unaccounted for. Confirm the figures before publication.

Diploma students have consistently performed below expected levels over the years. The latest results also revealed a sharp decline in distinctions, with only 7.41 per cent of candidates attaining the top grade, down from 29.4 per cent in the previous year.

Kataratambi attributed the weaker performance partly to the challenges many diploma students face outside the classroom.

“They pay their own tuition fees and therefore juggle work and school. Most of them are married and sometimes have to attend to family matters. These and other factors contribute to the unsatisfactory performance,” she said.

The statement of results showed stronger performance in the Certificate in Nursing, Certificate in Medical Laboratory Techniques, Diploma in Nursing Extension and Diploma in Midwifery programmes.

Conclusion

The latest UHPAB examination results point to renewed concerns over examination malpractice and persistent challenges in diploma-level performance. While certificate candidates recorded relatively stronger results, officials have called for stricter examination supervision and improved competency assessments during practicum placements. The board has also pledged to strengthen investigations and enforce regulations to protect the integrity of health training examinations. These measures are aimed at improving academic standards and ensuring that graduates entering the health workforce meet the required professional competencies.

-Observer

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