The National Examinations Council (NECO) has officially released the results of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External, popularly known as the GCE, 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 Result Release
According to the NECO Registrar, the 2025 SSCE External examination was conducted between 26 November and 13 December 2025. The marking exercise took place from 5 January to 21 January 2026, while the results were released 52 days after the final written paper.
Registration and Candidate Participation Statistics
NECO recorded a total of 96,979 registrations for the 2025 SSCE External examination:
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51,823 males (53.43%)
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45,156 females (46.56%)
Out of the registered candidates, 95,160 candidates eventually sat for the examination:
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50,785 males (53.36%)
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44,375 females (46.63%)
Performance in English Language and Mathematics
NECO also released detailed performance figures for core subjects:
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English Language:
A total of 93,425 candidates sat for the paper, out of which 73,167 candidates (78.32%) obtained credit and above. -
Mathematics:
93,330 candidates wrote the Mathematics paper, with 85,256 candidates (91.35%) achieving credit and above.
Five-Credit Results Breakdown
Two major performance benchmarks were highlighted by NECO:
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68,166 candidates (71.63%) obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics
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82,082 candidates (86.26%) obtained five credits and above, irrespective of English and Mathematics
Purpose of the SSCE External Examination
Professor Ibrahim-Wushishi explained that the SSCE External examination provides candidates with another opportunity to secure admission into universities and other tertiary institutions, both within and outside Nigeria.
He noted that the examination covered 16 subjects, describing the successful release of results as another milestone in NECO’s commitment to credible, transparent, and reliable assessments.
Examination Malpractice and Sanctions
On examination malpractice, NECO disclosed that 9,016 candidates were booked for various offences during the 2025 SSCE External examination. This represents a 31.7 per cent increase compared to the 6,160 cases recorded in 2024.
The Council also announced the following disciplinary actions:
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Five supervisors recommended for blacklisting for aiding and abetting malpractice:
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Two from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
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One each from Kano, Adamawa, and Ondo states
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Four examination centres recommended for derecognition due to whole-centre malpractice:
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Two centres in Niger State
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One each in Yobe and Kano states
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How to Check the 2025 NECO SSCE External Result
Candidates can check their results online using their examination registration details by following these steps:
Step 1 – Visit the NECO result-checking portal @https://results.neco.gov.ng
Step 2 – Select Exam Year: 2025
Step 3 – Select Exam Type: SSCE External (Nov/Dec)
Step 4 – Enter your Token Number and Registration Number
Step 5 – Click “Check Result” to view your result
For additional information and official updates, candidates are advised to visit the NECO official website.
