The National Examinations Council has released the 2020 Senior School Certificate Examination results, adding that 26,277 out of the 39,503 candidates who sat for the exam obtained five credits and above including in English Language and Mathematics.

The board’s Registrar, Prof Godswill Obioma, announced in a statement issued by the exam body’s Head, Information and Public Relations Division, Azeez Sani, on Thursday at the council headquarters in Minna, Niger State.

It was stated that 41,459 candidates registered while 39,503 sat for the examination.

According to the statement,  6,465 cases of examination malpractices were recorded in 2020 as against 17,004 cases in 2019.

Sani quoted Obioma as attributing the reduction in cases to the result of deepening monitoring of the examination by members of the governing board, management, and senior staff of the council.

The statement read: “The National Examinations Council has released the results of the 2020 Senior School Certificate Examination for External Candidates.

“Announcing the results at the Council Headquarters in Minna on Thursday, the Registrar/Chief Executive, Prof. Godswill Obioma disclosed that a total of 41,459 candidates registered for the examination, out of which 39,503 actually sat.

“Obioma explained that a total of 26,277 candidates obtained five credits and above including English Language and Mathematics while 34,014 candidates also obtained five credits and above irrespective of English Language and Mathematics.

“The Registrar who reiterated the council’s zero tolerance for examination malpractice, noted that appropriate standards and excellence were maintained right from the planning stage to the release of results.

“Obioma disclosed that 6,465 cases of examination malpractice were recorded in the 2020 SSCE External as against 17,004 cases in 2019.

“He noted that the reduction in the level of malpractice was as a result of deepened monitoring of the examination by members of the Governing Board, Management and Senior Staff of the Council.

“The Registrar explained that in line with the Council’s zero tolerance for examination malpractice, four supervisors who were found culpable of aiding and abetting malpractice have been blacklisted and would no longer be engaged in the conduct of NECO examinations.

“One examination centre in Ogun State has been derecognized for intimidation and several attempts to induce NECO officials as well as aiding and abetting examination malpractice.”

Obioma noted that the results of 256,000 candidates who missed some papers during the 2020 SSCE (Internal) due to the #ENDSARS protests in some states and who sat for those papers during the 2020 SSCE (External) are being released alongside those of the external candidates.