NECO releases 2025 SSCE External (GCE) results: pass rate, key figures and how to check
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External results, with an overall pass rate of 71.63 per cent.
NECO's Registrar and Chief Executive, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim-Wushishi, announced the release on Wednesday at a press briefing at the Council's headquarters in Minna.
Exam timeline and when results came out
Prof. Ibrahim-Wushishi said the examination ran from 26 November to 13 December 2025; marking took place from 5 January to 21 January 2026. He added that NECO released the results 52 days after the final Written paper.
Candidates who registered and those who sat
NECO recorded 96,979 registrations for the 2025 SSCE External examination:
- 51,823 males (53.43 per cent)
- 45,156 females (46.56 per cent)
Out of that figure, 95,160 candidates sat for the exam:
- 50,785 males (53.36 per cent)
- 44,375 females (46.63 per cent)
English and Mathematics performance figures
For English Language, 93,425 candidates sat for the paper. NECO reported that 73,167 candidates (78.32 per cent) earned credit and above.
For Mathematics, 93,330 candidates took the paper. NECO said 85,256 candidates (91.35 per cent) earned credit and above.
Five-credit results breakdown
NECO reported two headline outcomes:
- 68,166 candidates (71.63 per cent) earned five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics
- 82,082 candidates (86.26 per cent) earned five credits and above, without the English-and-Maths condition
What the SSCE External exam is for
Prof. Ibrahim-Wushishi explained that the SSCE External exam gives candidates another chance for admission into universities and other tertiary schools, within and outside Nigeria. He said the exam covered 16 subjects; he described the release as a milestone in NECO's push for credible and reliable assessments.
Malpractice cases and sanctions reported by NECO
On malpractice, NECO said 9,016 candidates were booked for offences during the examination. The registrar compared this with 6,160 candidates in 2024, calling it a 31.7 per cent rise.
NECO also reported these steps:
- Five supervisors were recommended for blacklisting for aiding and abetting malpractice
- Two from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
- One each from Kano, Adamawa and Ondo states
- Four exam centres were recommended for derecognition over whole-centre malpractice
- Two in Niger State
- One each in Yobe and Kano states
How candidates can check the 2025 NECO SSCE External result
NECO directed candidates to check results online using their examination registration numbers.
Candidates can use the NECO result checking portal and follow these steps:
- Select the exam year: 2025
- Select the exam type: SSCE EXTERNAL (NOV/DEC)
- Enter the Token Number and registration number in the required fields
- Click "check result" to view the result
For general NECO information, candidates can also visit the NECO official website.
