Makerere Introduces Supplementary Exams for Students with Retakes

Makerere University is offering supplementary examinations to final-year students with retakes so that students don’t wait for an additional academic year to complete their degrees.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Barnabus Nawangwe, told journalists on Tuesday that the initiative follows concerns by students over delays in completion of their undergraduate programmes, particularly where a student has only one or two courses left to clear.

Nawangwe said the matter had been presented to the university council, which endorsed the idea of supplementary examinations.

“Council endorsed the issue of supplementary examinations, and we have started giving these supplementary examinations,” Nawangwe said.

Under the arrangement, final-year students who have one or two courses to retake can sit supplementary examinations. When they pass the supplementary, they can then graduate.  Students with retakes have previously had to wait for another full academic year before sitting.

Nawangwe, however, said the broader policy governing supplementary examinations has not yet received full approval from the university council, but endorsed the introduction of the examinations, allowing the university to begin implementing them.

The new arrangement specifically targets students in their final year, meaning it does not necessarily provide the same opportunity to students in earlier years of study.

The introduction of supplementary examinations comes as Makerere continues to position itself as a leading destination for university education in Uganda, attracting students from within the country and abroad.

Proscovia Nakayiki, the Acting Academic Registrar of Makerere University, said that the programme is limited to two courses; any student who has failed more than two papers does not qualify.

She added that a student to sit for the supplementary exams has to pay tuition fees depending on the course one is undertaking.

According to Nakayiki the student has to pay the re-examination fees of 20000 shillings, functional fees including library fees of shillings 26450, registration fees of shillings 132,250, among others.

She noted that fees paid are computed automatically by the system. Nakayiki said that the supplementary exams started on September 7th and will end on September 25th this year.

Meanwhile, Nawangwe revealed that the University is taking steps to improve its performance in global university rankings while expanding efforts to make its research, teaching and other activities more visible to ranking agencies.

He said the university is currently ranks 11th in Africa and 776th in the world in the Webometrics rankings, placing it among the top four per cent of universities globally.

He however, acknowledged that Makerere University had experienced some decline in its Webometrics position over the years but has now returned to what he called its established position.

He cautioned against relying on rankings published by media organisations when assessing Makerere’s international standing, saying the Webometrics figures provide a more accurate measure of the university’s position in that ranking system.

He also highlighted improvements in specific Webometrics indicators. Its Impact Rank improved from 1,185th to 1,593rd globally, while its Excellence Rank improved from 1,095th to 715th.

Nawangwe noted that Makerere’s improvement in the Excellence Rank reflected progress of nearly 400 positions.

According to the vice chancellor, the university ranking position could improve further because not all of its activities are currently being captured by international ranking agencies.

“We shall continue working on ensuring that the information about what we do at Makerere University is available to the public and to all these ranking agencies,” he said.

The remarks come as universities worldwide increasingly use global rankings to demonstrate their research influence, academic reputation and international competitiveness. 

Rankings, however, use different methodologies, meaning a university’s position can vary significantly from one ranking system to another.