1,367,210 candidates attempt NECO CBT examination across Nigeria

About 1,367,210 candidates are sitting for the 2025 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination across the country, using dual mode of Computer Based Testing (CBT) and Paper, Pencil Testing (PPT).

Out of the 1,367,210 candidates, 685,551 are male while over 681,300 are female.

Kano State is listed among the highest number of registered candidates with more than 137,000 enrolment, while Kebbi had the least, just above 5,000.

NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi reeled out the figures, while monitoring the conduct of the examination at a pilot CBT centre, SASCON International School, Maitama, Abuja on Tuesday.

The examination marks the first time NECO is exploring the use of CBT to conduct the O-level examination in selected centres in Nigeria.

Recall that the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa recently mandated NECO and WAEC to begin the conduct of their examinations, using Computer Based Testing(CBT) mode by 2026.

To this end, NECO deployed some already established schools in the FCT in its pilot phase.

Asked to explain how feasible CBT is to conducting examination at the post- basic level, Wushishi said, “NECO is ready as a professional body to conduct examinations using any medium.

“We may have challenges of infrastructure, that is obvious, but then that will not bring us down not to do it.

“There are facilities that will give us the opportunity to conduct CBT and we are good to go for that. We are all aware that there are certain difficult terrains across the countries where we will not be able to meet up with that, except there are exceptional infrastructures to give us the opportunity to do that.

“But by and large, we are very, very much ready to do that as a professional body. Provisional infrastructures, we are calling for government at the state level to speed up making provision for CBT infrastructures in their states.

“We highly support the process. Because we believe the process will reduce a lot of issues that has to do with examination malpractice and improve the quality of the examination and consequently, the results and certificates.

“We are very happy that the results and certificates are recognized globally and we need to also do more in order to reach out across the world on our certificates and results. So NECO is fully ready as far as that is concerned.

“For this year, a total of 1,367,210 candidates registered for SSCE, the highest figure so far. Of these, 685,551 are male and over 681,300 are female. Kano State had the highest number of registered candidates with more than 137,000, while Kebbi had the least, just above 5,000.

“The lowest number of candidates was the Nigerian International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which registered eight students”.

1,367,210 candidates attempt NECO CBT examination across Nigeria