‎NECO releases 2025 SSCE external results, over 80% score five credits

‎The National Examinations Council (NECO) has officially released the results of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External, with more than 80 per cent of candidates recording five credits and above in their results, the council announced on Tuesday.
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‎The announcement was made by NECO’s Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Ibrahim-Wushishi, during a press briefing at the council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State. In a video shared on the council’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, Prof. Wushishi said candidates can check their results online via the official NECO website using their examination registration numbers.
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‎According to the data released, 96,979 candidates registered for the external examination across 16 subjects, with 95,160 candidates eventually sitting for the tests. Of those who took the exam, 93,425 candidates sat for English Language, with 78.32 per cent obtaining credit and above, while 91.35 per cent of the 93,330 candidates who sat for Mathematics achieved a credit or higher.
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‎Overall performance figures show that 68,166 candidates (71.63 per cent) obtained five credits including English and Mathematics, a key benchmark for many tertiary institutions and employers, while 82,082 candidates (86.26 per cent) achieved five credits and above regardless of English and Mathematics.
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‎While applauding the overall performance, Prof. Wushishi expressed concern about a rise in examination malpractice. He said that 9,016 candidates were booked for various offences during the exercise — a 31.7 per cent increase compared with figures from the 2024 external exam.
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‎As part of corrective actions, the council recommended that five supervisors — including two from the Federal Capital Territory and one each from Kano, Adamawa, and Ondo states — be blacklisted for allegedly aiding malpractice. In addition, four examination centres — two in Niger State and one each in Yobe and Kano — were recommended for de-recognition for whole-centre irregularities.
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‎The SSCE External examination is primarily taken by private candidates, including those seeking certification after missing the internal school exams or looking to improve their grades.
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