Academic year 2026

The Ugandan school year, plotted.

Three terms, the national exam weeks they bracket, the public holidays that interrupt them, and the visiting days that punctuate them. Confirmed against the Ministry of Education calendar.

Download as PDF Jump to exam weeks

The three terms

Open. Long. Exam.

Dates below are the Ministry-published standard. Individual schools may adjust by up to five working days, check your school's circular each January.

Feb – April

Term 1

11 weeks

Opens: Mon 02 Feb 2026
Closes: Fri 17 April 2026

The settling-in term. New entrants arrive, sports kits get assembled, the first set of class tests run by week 6.

May – Aug

Term 2

14 weeks

Opens: Mon 18 May 2026
Closes: Fri 28 August 2026

The longest term, mocks for candidate classes, inter-house galas, and the bulk of the academic year happen here.

Sep – Dec

Term 3

11 weeks

Opens: Mon 21 Sep 2026
Closes: Fri 04 December 2026

Exam term. National papers run through October and November; non-candidate classes finish a fortnight earlier in most schools.

The exam windows

When the national papers actually sit.

UNEB releases the per-paper timetable in August. These are the confirmed windows for the four exam streams a Ugandan family will encounter.

PLE, Primary Leaving Examination
Mon 02 – Wed 04 November 2026
Four papers across three days: English, Mathematics, Integrated Science, Social Studies + Religion.
UCE, Uganda Certificate of Education
Mon 19 Oct – Fri 13 November 2026
New competency-based syllabus. Practicals run alongside theory; check your school for the per-subject schedule.
UACE, Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education
Mon 16 Nov – Fri 11 December 2026
A-Level principals plus subsidiary. Subject combinations dictate the sit window, keep the timetable on the fridge.
Cambridge IGCSE / A-Level (May & November series)
May – June · Oct – November 2026
International schools sit two series per year. Cambridge release dates vary by paper, your school will issue a personal timetable.

In-term holidays

Public holidays that fall inside school weeks.

Day schools close. Boarding schools usually run a modified programme, chapel, clean-up, and a long break in the afternoon. Worth confirming before you plan a weekend visit.

NRM Liberation Day
Thu 26 Mar
Falls inside Term 1
International Workers' Day
Fri 01 May
School holiday, no impact (between terms)
Martyrs' Day
Tue 03 Jun
Falls inside Term 2
National Heroes' Day
Wed 09 Jun
Falls inside Term 2
Independence Day
Mon 09 Oct
Falls inside Term 3, many schools mark it on campus
Christmas Day
Fri 25 Dec
After Term 3 close

Visiting days

One Saturday per term. Don't miss it.

Most boarding schools open the gates for one Saturday per term, usually around the middle of the term. The dates below are the typical industry windows; your school confirms its exact day in the Term 1 circular.

Term 1

Sat 21 March 2026

Most boarding schools, a Saturday near the middle of term.

Term 2

Sat 04 July 2026

Combined with sports day at many schools.

Term 3

Sat 24 October 2026

Final visit before exams begin in earnest.