NECO Releases 2025 SSCE External Results, Records 71.63% Pass Rate
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has officially released the results of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External, recording an overall pass rate of 71.63 per cent.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Professor Dantani Ibrahim-Wushishi, during a press briefing at the council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State.
Examination Timeline and Candidate Statistics
According to the registrar, the SSCE External examination was conducted between November 26 and December 13, 2025, while the marking exercise took place from January 5 to January 21, 2026. He noted that the results were released 52 days after the final written paper, underscoring NECO’s efficiency in result processing.
A total of 96,979 candidates registered for the examination, consisting of 51,823 males (53.43%) and 45,156 females (46.56%). Out of this number, 95,160 candidates eventually sat for the examination, including 50,785 males (53.36%) and 44,375 females (46.63%).
Performance in Key Subjects
Professor Ibrahim-Wushishi revealed that 93,425 candidates sat for English Language, with 73,167 candidates (78.32%) obtaining credit and above.
In Mathematics, 93,330 candidates participated, out of which 85,256 candidates (91.35%) achieved credit and above — a strong performance that highlights improved outcomes in the subject.
He explained that the SSCE External examination provides a vital second chance for candidates seeking admission into universities and other tertiary institutions both within and outside Nigeria. The examination covered 16 subjects, and the registrar described the release of the results as another milestone in NECO’s commitment to conducting credible and reliable assessments.
Examination Malpractice and Sanctions
On the issue of examination malpractice, the NECO boss disclosed that 9,016 candidates were booked for various offences during the examination. This represents an increase from 6,160 candidates in 2024, marking a 31.7 per cent rise.
In addition, five supervisors were recommended for blacklisting for aiding and abetting examination malpractice. Two of the supervisors are from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while one each is from Kano, Adamawa, and Ondo states.
Furthermore, four examination centres were recommended for derecognition due to whole-centre malpractice. Two of the centres are located in Niger State, while Yobe and Kano states account for one centre each.
