The National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced the release of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External results, recording an overall pass rate of 71.63%. The results were officially released by the NECO Registrar and Chief Executive, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim-Wushishi, during a press briefing held at the Council’s headquarters in Minna.
Examination Timeline
According to NECO, the 2025 SSCE External examination took place from 26 November to 13 December 2025, while the marking of scripts was conducted between 5 January and 21 January 2026. The Council confirmed that the results were released 52 days after the last written paper.
Candidate Registration and Participation
A total of 96,979 candidates registered for the examination, made up of:
- 51,823 males (53.43%)
- 45,156 females (46.56%)
Out of those registered, 95,160 candidates actually sat for the examination, including:
- 50,785 males (53.36%)
- 44,375 females (46.63%)
Performance in English and Mathematics
In English Language, 93,425 candidates wrote the paper, and 73,167 candidates (78.32%) obtained credit passes and above.
For Mathematics, 93,330 candidates took the exam, with 85,256 candidates (91.35%) achieving credit passes and above.
Five-Credit Pass Rate
NECO highlighted two key performance results:
- 68,166 candidates (71.63%) obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
- 82,082 candidates (86.26%) obtained five credits and above without including both English and Mathematics.
Purpose of the SSCE External Examination
Prof. Ibrahim-Wushishi explained that the SSCE External examination provides another opportunity for candidates seeking admission into universities and other tertiary institutions, both in Nigeria and abroad. The examination covered 16 subjects, and the registrar described the release of the results as part of NECO’s commitment to maintaining credible and reliable examination standards.
Examination Malpractice Cases
NECO reported that 9,016 candidates were involved in examination malpractice cases, compared to 6,160 candidates in 2024, representing a 31.7% increase.
The Council also announced disciplinary actions, including:
- Five supervisors recommended for blacklisting for assisting malpractice:
- Two from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
- One each from Kano, Adamawa, and Ondo States
- Four examination centres recommended for derecognition due to widespread malpractice:
- Two in Niger State
- One each in Yobe and Kano States
How to Check the 2025 NECO SSCE External Results
Candidates can check their results online through the NECO result-checking portal by following these steps:
- Select Exam Year: 2025
- Select Exam Type: SSCE External (NOV/DEC)
- Enter the Token Number and Registration Number
- Click “Check Result” to view the result
Candidates can also visit the official NECO website for more information.
