By The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External, announcing that 72 percent of candidates obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
The results were officially unveiled on Tuesday in Minna by the NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, who confirmed that the examination was successfully conducted nationwide across 16 subjects.
According to him, a total of 96,979 candidates registered for the examination, made up of 51,823 males (53.43 percent) and 45,156 females (46.56 percent). Out of this number, 95,160 candidates eventually sat for the examination, comprising 50,785 males and 44,375 females.
Giving a detailed analysis of performance, Prof. Wushishi disclosed that 93,425 candidates sat for English Language, with 73,167 candidates, representing 78.32 percent, obtaining credit passes and above.
In Mathematics, 93,330 candidates took the examination, and 85,256 candidates, representing an impressive 91.35 percent, scored credit passes and above.
Overall, 68,166 candidates, representing 71.63 percent, obtained five credits and above including English and Mathematics.
Meanwhile, 82,082 candidates, representing 86.26 percent, secured five credits and above regardless of whether they included the two core subjects.
On issues of examination malpractice, the Registrar expressed concern over the rising cases recorded during the exercise.
He revealed that 9,016 candidates were involved in various forms of malpractice, compared to 6,160 cases in 2024—an increase of 31.7 percent.
As part of disciplinary measures, NECO announced the blacklisting of five supervisors for aiding malpractice. The affected supervisors were drawn from the Federal Capital Territory (two), Kano (one), Adamawa (one), and Ondo (one).
In addition, four examination centres—two in Niger State and one each in Yobe and Kano states—have been recommended for derecognition due to involvement in mass cheating.
The 2025 SSCE External examination was conducted from November 26 to December 13, 2025, while marking took place between January 5 and January 21, 2026.
Prof. Wushishi noted that the external examination provides an important opportunity for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions to improve their academic qualifications.
He described the release of the results as another significant achievement in NECO’s mandate to deliver credible assessments and reliable certification for Nigerian students.
The Registrar also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his continued support toward the growth and development of the education sector.
Candidates have been advised to check their results through NECO’s official website using their registration details.
On the issue of outstanding examination fees, Prof. Wushishi disclosed that less than N2 billion is currently owed to NECO by various states across the federation.
