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…804,948 candidates met the five-credit benchmark including English and Mathematics, while examination malpractice fell by 64.74 per cent, according to NECO.
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal, with 804,948 candidates recording at least five credits including English Language and Mathematics.
The figure represents 58.67 per cent of the 1,371,992 candidates who sat for the examination.
NECO Registrar and Chief Executive, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, announced the results on Thursday at the council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State. The results were released 63 days after the final paper of the examination was written.
The 2026 SSCE Internal examination was conducted between June 15 and July 23, 2026.
1.37 Million Candidates Registered
Wushishi said 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination, while 1,371,992 eventually sat for it.
The registered candidates comprised 682,352 males and 695,696 females, according to NECO.
The examination was conducted across Nigeria and in selected foreign countries, including Benin Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Niger Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Saudi Arabia.
The number of candidates who sat for the examination means 6,056 of those who registered did not eventually participate.
NECO said the nationwide marking exercise was conducted from August 17 to September 4 before the results were released.
84.70% Secured Five Credits And Above
Beyond the benchmark that includes English Language and Mathematics, NECO reported a considerably higher figure for candidates who obtained at least five credits irrespective of their performance in the two subjects.
The council said 1,162,118 candidates, representing 84.70 per cent, obtained five credits and above without the requirement that English Language and Mathematics must be among the credited subjects.
The distinction is important because the 58.67 per cent figure specifically measures candidates who obtained the five-credit benchmark while including both English Language and Mathematics.
The result therefore presents two different measures of performance from the same examination.
The 804,948 candidates represent those who met the five-credit threshold with the two core subjects included, while the 1,162,118 figure covers candidates who obtained five credits regardless of their grades in English Language and Mathematics.
Pass Rate Declines From 2025
The 2026 result also shows a decline in the proportion of candidates who achieved five credits including English Language and Mathematics compared with the previous year.
According to TheCable, 818,492 candidates, representing 60.26 per cent, achieved the same benchmark in 2025.
The 2026 figure of 804,948 candidates, or 58.67 per cent, therefore represents a 2.64 percentage-point decline from the previous year.
The figures, however, should not be interpreted as a general assessment of all Nigerian secondary school students because they relate specifically to candidates who sat for the 2026 NECO SSCE Internal examination.
Examination Malpractice Falls
NECO also reported a substantial reduction in examination malpractice.
Wushishi said 1,406 candidates were involved in various forms of examination malpractice during the 2026 examination, compared with 3,878 candidates recorded in 2025.
According to the registrar, the figures represent a 64.74 per cent reduction in reported examination malpractice.
The council attributed the reduction to improved examination processes, stronger monitoring and cooperation with security agencies and other stakeholders.
However, there is a discrepancy in one report published by PUNCH, which put the 2026 malpractice figure at 1,496 rather than 1,406. Other reports, including Voice of Nigeria, Channels Television, THISDAY and TheCable, reported 1,406. For this report, the 1,406 figure is used because it is consistent across multiple reports of Wushishi’s announcement.
Security Agencies Commended
The NECO registrar commended security agencies for their role during the examination.
He specifically acknowledged the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) for their presence and support.
According to Wushishi, the agencies contributed to maintaining discipline, deterring examination malpractice and protecting the integrity of the examination process.
He also thanked other stakeholders involved in the examination, including the Federal Government, Ministry of Education, NECO Governing Board, National Assembly, state governments and educational institutions.
NECO Registrar Thanks Tinubu
Wushishi also expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu following his reappointment for a second tenure as NECO registrar.
He similarly thanked the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, for his confidence in his leadership.
The registrar assured candidates, parents, schools and other stakeholders that NECO would continue to focus on maintaining the credibility and integrity of its examinations.
He said the council would continue working to improve examination processes and uphold standards in the conduct and assessment of candidates.
Candidates Can Check Results Online
Candidates who participated in the 2026 SSCE Internal examination can now access their results through NECO’s official result-checking portal.
The official portal requires candidates to select the examination year and examination type before entering their token and registration number.
Candidates should use the official NECO results platform when checking their results rather than relying on unofficial websites or third-party platforms.
The release brings the 2026 SSCE Internal examination cycle to the results stage after the examination, marking and processing exercises.
For the candidates, the results will be important for subsequent academic applications and other processes requiring evidence of secondary school examination performance.
NECO said it remains committed to its mandate of conducting credible examinations and protecting the integrity of the assessment process.
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