By John Umeh
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has officially released the results of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) for external candidates, recording a strong performance nationwide as more than four out of every five candidates secured at least five credit passes.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by NECO’s Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Wushishi, during a briefing at the council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State.
In a video message shared on NECO’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, Professor Wushishi confirmed that the results are now available and advised candidates to check their performance online using their examination details.
“I am pleased to announce that the 2025 SSCE External examination results have been released. Candidates can access their results on the NECO portal using their registration numbers,” he stated.
According to NECO’s data, a total of 96,979 candidates registered for the examination across 16 subjects. Of this number, 95,160 candidates eventually sat for the exams, comprising 51,823 males (53.43 per cent) and 45,156 females (46.56 per cent).
Performance figures showed strong outcomes in core subjects. In English Language, 73,167 out of 93,425 candidates achieved credit passes or better, representing 78.32 per cent. Mathematics recorded an even higher success rate, with 85,256 of the 93,330 candidates who sat for the subject earning credits and above—equivalent to 91.35 per cent.
Overall results revealed that 68,166 candidates, or 71.63 per cent, obtained a minimum of five credits including both English Language and Mathematics. When English and Mathematics were excluded from the calculation, 82,082 candidates—representing 86.26 per cent—still achieved five credits or more.
On examination integrity, Professor Wushishi disclosed a rise in reported malpractice cases. A total of 9,016 candidates were flagged for various forms of misconduct, marking a 31.7 per cent increase compared to the 6,160 cases recorded in 2024.
He also revealed that NECO has recommended disciplinary action against five supervisors accused of facilitating examination malpractice. The affected supervisors were drawn from the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, Adamawa, and Ondo states.
In addition, four examination centres—two located in Niger State and one each in Yobe and Kano—have been recommended for withdrawal of recognition after investigations uncovered evidence of large-scale malpractice.
The SSCE External examination is designed mainly for private candidates who are outside the conventional school system, including individuals seeking to improve previous results or obtain certification after missing the internal examination.
NECO conducts the external examination annually to expand access to secondary school certification and provide alternative pathways for academic advancement.
