By Damali Mukhaye
The Makerere University Academic Registrar has announced that the Pre-Entry Examination for admission to the Bachelor of Laws programme for the 2026/2027 academic year will be conducted on Saturday, 18 April 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
According to a circular issued by the Academic Registrar, Prof Buyinza Mukadasi, all applicants seeking admission to the highly competitive law programme must sit and pass the pre-entry examination as part of the selection process. The assessment is designed to evaluate key competencies such as comprehension, reasoning, analytical thinking, and writing skills.
The university explained that the pre-entry examination is necessary due to the large number of applicants who meet the minimum academic requirements for the Bachelor of Laws programme. As a result, the test serves as an additional mechanism to identify the most suitable candidates. Notably, there is no publicly fixed pass mark, as admission depends on a candidate’s overall performance relative to others and the number of available slots in a given academic year.
To qualify to sit the examination, applicants must meet Makerere University’s minimum admission requirements. These include possession of an ‘O’ Level Certificate (UCE) or its equivalent with at least five passes, as well as an ‘A’ Level Certificate (UACE) or equivalent with a minimum of 13 points for male applicants and 12 points for female applicants, regardless of subject combination.
Candidates who completed ‘A’ Level before 2013 are required to have slightly higher scores, with a minimum of 15 points for males and 14 points for females. Diploma holders must possess at least a Second Class or Credit Diploma from a recognised institution and are required to submit certified copies of their academic transcripts as part of the application process.
For mature age applicants, eligibility is contingent upon passing the Makerere University Mature Age Entry Examination for the Bachelor of Laws conducted on either 14 December 2024 or 13 December 2025. Meanwhile, degree holders must have graduated from a chartered university in any discipline and must submit certified academic transcripts. The university emphasised that provisional results will not be accepted under any circumstances. However, degree holders are not eligible for government sponsorship.
Prof Mukadasi further noted that all applicants interested in government sponsorship must have applied for the Bachelor of Laws programme under the government scheme. In contrast, ‘A’ Level and direct entry applicants seeking private sponsorship for the day (LAW) and afternoon (LAA) programmes will be required to reapply once the official admission advert is released in April 2026.
The application deadlines have already passed for certain categories. Diploma holders seeking government sponsorship, as well as degree and diploma holders applying for private sponsorship, were required to submit their applications by 13 March 2026.
Applicants are required to complete the entire process online through the university’s admissions portal. This includes uploading scanned certified copies of academic documents in PDF format, providing valid identification, and submitting a recent coloured passport-size photograph with a white background. Additionally, applicants must register using their official names, verify their accounts via a one-time password (OTP), generate a Payment Reference Number (PRN), and complete payment through authorised banks or mobile money platforms such as Airtel Money and MTN Mobile Money.
The non-refundable application fee has been set at UGX 110,000 for Ugandans, East Africans, and refugees, and USD 75 for international applicants.
The university has cautioned applicants against engaging in malpractice, warning that impersonation, submission of falsified documents, or provision of false or incomplete information will result in automatic disqualification, cancellation of results or admission, and possible prosecution. Candidates are also strictly prohibited from bringing smart devices, including mobile phones, calculators, and smartwatches, into the examination venue.
In addition, applicants have been advised to remain vigilant against fraudsters, noting that there is no official coaching for the pre-entry examination. The university urged candidates to rely only on official communication channels and to regularly check their email, mobile phones, and application portals for updates. The pre-entry examination will assess a range of competencies, including comprehension, language use, numerical and logical reasoning, general knowledge, and analytical writing. University officials reiterated that final admission decisions will be based on performance in the examination, subject to the available intake capacity across the different admission categories.