NECO releases its best external exams result in at least eight years

The National Examinations Council (NECO) released the results for the 2023 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) for external candidates Monday, with the highest pass rate recorded in at least eight years.

The 2023 results show a 67.4 percent pass rate, surpassing the previous high of 66.5 percent recorded in 2020. The pass rate is measured by candidates who scored credits in at least five subjects including Mathematics and English Language.

Pluboard tally shows the worst performance during the eight years was in 2019 when only 48.7 percent met the benchmark. The council said exams malpractice also fell but remained a problem.

WhatsApp answers for candidates

The registrar and chief executive of the exams body, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, said 74,342 candidates sat for the examinations with female candidates making 47.71 percent.

The registrar said 84.11 percent of the candidates got five credits and above, regardless of whether they got credit in English Language and Mathematics.

The number of candidates booked for malpractice was 8,518, as against 11,419 in 2022, which showed a decline in the number of malpractice cases by 25.4 percent.

Two supervisors, one each in Oyo and Lagos states, were blacklisted for poor supervision, inability to control the candidates, and for aiding malpractice.

Mr Wushishi also said that a centre in Borno state was blacklisted for sharing answers in WhatsApp messages to candidates.

He said candidates can access their results on the NECO official website, using their examination registration number.