To
transit from one level of the educational system to the next, pupils
have to undergo selection or achievement examinations to determine
their suitability for the level they are transiting into. NECO plays
a dominant role in conducting the various transiting examinations,
which are as follows:
SENIOR
SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION (INTERNAL)
This
is the examination taken by candidates in their last stage of Secondary
Education. The SSCE is in two categories. One is for candidates in
the third and final year of their secondary education and it is called
SSCE Internal. The Second is SSCE External and is for candidates not
in the School system.
The
SSCE internal has forty subjects. the minimum number of subjects a
candidate can sit for is eight while the maximum is nine. all Senior
Secondary schools in the Federation present Candidates for the SSCE
because the results are used for
A. Admissions into Tertiary Institutions
B. Employment purposes
C. Qualification to stand for elective offices.
The grading System is as follows:
A1 - Excellent
B2 - Very Good
B3 - Good
C4 - Credit
C5 - Credit
C6 - Credit
D7 - Pass
D8 - Pass
F9 - Fail
SENIOR
SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION (EXTERNAL)
Another
core component of the mandate of the Council as espoused in the Enabling
law is the conduct of the Senior School Certificate Examination for
External Candidates.
JUNIOR
SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
To
transit from the ninth year of the basic education class to the senior
secondary, the JSCE is conducted for candidates in their third year
of the Junior Secondary School. While each state of the federation
and the FCT conducts the JSCE for its candidates, NECO conducts the
JSCE for Federal Unity Colleges, Armed Forces Secondary Schools and
other Federal establishments operating Secondary schools. Private
Secondary schools also take part in the NECO JSCE provided they are
permitted by their State Ministries of Education.
Twenty
two subjects are administered at the JSCE level. A candidate is expected
to sit for a minimum of ten subjects and a maximum of thirteen. A
candidate is deemed to have passed the JSCE if he/she has passes in
six subjects including English and Mathematics.
The
grading system is as follows:
A - Distinction
C - Credit
P - Pass
F - Fail.
NATIONAL
COMMON ENTRANCE EXAMINATION
This
examination is administered to pupils in their 6th year of basic education.
The purpose of this examination is to select the best candidates from
every state of the federation and the federal Capital territory (FCT)
for admission into federal Unity colleges. These Colleges are essentially,
Secondary schools owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Their
objective is to foster unity amongst the children of NIGERIA.
Two
are held annually. Result of the first examination determines candidates
that qualify for a second examination based on cut-off marks for each
state. The result of the second examination qualifies candidates for
admission based on merit, equal state quota and environment considerations.
GIFTED
EXAMINATION TO FEDERAL ACADEMY SULEJA
The
gifted children education programme is designed to identify exceptionally
talented children at the sixth grade level of the basic education,
bring them together in the same environment at the Secondary school
level where they can express their talent without being slowed down
by the less gifted.
To
achieve this objective, a special secondary school called Federal
Government Academy was established in Suleja, Close to Abuja.
Selection
into the Federal Government Academy is by a special examination administered
to identified talented children in basic six in all the states of
the Federation and the FCT.
Result
of the examination is used to select candidates primarily by merit,
and to a lesser extent, by equal state quota.