NECO Releases 2025 SSCE Internal Results as Over 818,000 Candidates Secure Five Credits Including Maths and English, Malpractice Cases Drop by 61.58%

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has officially released the results of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE Internal), 54 days after the conclusion of the last written paper.

The announcement was made on Wednesday in Minna, Niger State, by the Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, who described the 2025 results as a major milestone, not only for candidates but also for the education sector as a whole.

Out of the 1,358,339 candidates who sat for the June/July examination, 818,492 candidates, representing 60.26 per cent, secured five credits and above including Mathematics and English, while 1,144,496 candidates, representing 84.26 per cent, obtained five credits and above irrespective of the two core subjects.

According to Wushishi:

“1. Number of candidates that registered for the examination is 1,367,210, representing 685,514 Males and 681,696 Females.

“2. Number of candidates that sat is 1,358,339 representing 680,292 Males and 678,047 females.

“3. Number of candidates with five Credits and above, including Mathematics and English is 818,492 representing 60.26%.

“4. Number of candidates with five Credits and above, irrespective of Mathematics and English is 1,144,496 representing 84.26%.”

The 2025 SSCE Internal was conducted from Monday, June 16 to Friday, July 25, 2025.

The registrar revealed that 1,622 candidates with special needs participated in the examination. These included 586 males and 355 females with hearing impairments, and 111 males and 80 females with visual impairments.

He also reported challenges in Lamorde Local Government Area of Adamawa State, where a communal clash disrupted the examination between July 7 and July 25. This affected eight schools, involving 13 subjects and 29 papers. NECO, he said, is already working with the state government to reschedule examinations for the affected candidates.

One of the highlights of the 2025 results was a sharp drop in examination malpractice. The registrar noted that:

“The number of candidates involved in various forms of malpractice was 3,878, as against 10,094 in 2024, which shows a reduction of 61.58 per cent.”

However, he disclosed that 38 schools across 13 states were implicated in mass cheating and would face sanctions. Additionally, nine supervisors from Rivers, Niger, FCT, Kano, and Osun were recommended for blacklisting due to offenses such as aiding and abetting malpractice, poor supervision, lateness, and unruly conduct.

Performance Breakdown by States

In terms of state performance:

1. Kano State led with 68,159 candidates (5.020%) who scored five credits and above, including English and Mathematics.

2. Lagos followed with 67,007 candidates (4.930%), while Oyo State ranked third with 48,742 candidates.

3. The least performing centre was Gabon, where no candidate secured five credits and above, including English and Mathematics.

Wushishi also announced that NECO has begun implementing a reviewed curriculum and will henceforth conduct SSCE on only 38 subjects, a move aimed at reducing waiting time for results.

Furthermore, NECO has intensified its transition from the traditional Paper-Pencil Test (PPT) model to a Computer-Based Test (CBT) model. Both public and private schools across the country participated in the first phase of this transition, marking a new era in Nigeria’s examination system.