The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External, recording a pass rate of 71.63 per cent.

The Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim-Wushishi, announced this on Wednesday at a news conference at the council’s headquarters in Minna.

He said the examination was conducted between November 26 and December 13, 2025, while the marking exercise took place from January 5 to January 21, 2026, with results released 52 days after the final paper.

According to him, 96,979 candidates registered for the examination, while 95,160 candidates eventually sat for it. Of those who sat, 50,785 were males and 44,375 were females.

Ibrahim-Wushishi disclosed that 93,425 candidates sat for English Language, with 73,167 candidates (78.32 per cent) obtaining credit and above. In Mathematics, 93,330 candidates sat for the paper, out of which 85,256 candidates (91.35 per cent) scored credit and above.

He said 68,166 candidates, representing 71.63 per cent, obtained five credits and above including English Language and Mathematics, while 82,082 candidates (86.26 per cent) achieved five credits and above regardless of the two core subjects.

The registrar explained that the SSCE External examination provides an alternative opportunity for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria and abroad, noting that the examination covered 16 subjects.

On examination malpractice, Ibrahim-Wushishi said 9,016 candidates were booked for various offences, representing a 31.7 per cent increase from the 6,160 cases recorded in 2024. He added that five supervisors were recommended for blacklisting, while four examination centres were proposed for de-recognition over whole-centre malpractice.

He advised candidates to check their results on NECO’s website and also announced the release of the 2026 Automated Staff Posting Calendar, noting that staff postings would now be randomised and accessible online.