NECO Releases 2025 SSCE External (GCE) Results as 71.63% Secure Five Credits Including English, Mathematics
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has officially released the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External results, revealing that 71.63 per cent of candidates achieved five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by NECO’s Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Ibrahim-Wushishi, during a press briefing at the Council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State.
Exam Timeline: When the Tests Were Written and Marked
According to the Registrar, the 2025 SSCE External (GCE) examination was conducted between 26 November and 13 December 2025. The marking exercise followed shortly after, running from 5 January to 21 January 2026.
Professor Ibrahim-Wushishi disclosed that the results were released 52 days after the last written paper, underscoring NECO’s commitment to timely result processing.
Number of Candidates Who Registered and Sat for the Exam
NECO recorded a total of 96,979 registrations for the 2025 SSCE External examination, broken down as follows:
- 51,823 males (53.43%)
- 45,156 females (46.56%)
Out of the registered candidates, 95,160 candidates actually sat for the examination:
- 50,785 males (53.36%)
- 44,375 females (46.63%)
English Language and Mathematics Performance
Performance in the two core subjects—English Language and Mathematics—showed strong outcomes.
- English Language:
- Candidates who sat: 93,425
- Candidates with credit and above: 73,167 (78.32%)
- Mathematics:
- Candidates who sat: 93,330
- Candidates with credit and above: 85,256 (91.35%)
Five-Credit Results Breakdown
NECO highlighted two major achievement benchmarks from the results:
- 68,166 candidates (71.63%) obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics
- 82,082 candidates (86.26%) obtained five credits and above, regardless of English and Mathematics
Purpose of the SSCE External Examination
Professor Ibrahim-Wushishi explained that the SSCE External examination provides an alternative pathway for candidates seeking admission into universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and other tertiary institutions, both within and outside Nigeria.
He added that the examination covered 16 subjects and described the release of the results as a significant milestone in NECO’s ongoing efforts to deliver credible, transparent, and reliable assessments.
Malpractice Cases: NECO Reports a Sharp Rise
NECO reported that 9,016 candidates were booked for various forms of examination malpractice during the 2025 SSCE External exam. This represents a 31.7 per cent increase compared to the 6,160 candidates recorded in 2024.
As part of disciplinary measures:
- 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 examination centres were recommended for derecognition due to whole-centre malpractice:
- Two centres in Niger State
- One centre each in Yobe and Kano states
How to Check the 2025 NECO SSCE External Result
NECO has directed candidates to check their results online using their registration number and result-checking token.
Steps to check your result:
- Visit the NECO result checking portal
- Select Exam Year: 2025
- Select Exam Type: SSCE EXTERNAL (NOV/DEC)
- Enter your Token Number and Registration Number
- Click “Check Result” to view your result
For additional updates and official information, candidates are advised to visit the NECO official website.
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