The National Examination Council (NECO) has officially commenced the sale of application forms for its November/December 2023 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External. This examination is specifically tailored for individuals who are not currently enrolled in a secondary school system—commonly referred to as private candidates. This comprehensive guide aims to furnish prospective candidates with crucial information, ranging from the registration process to the examination centres.
Registration Announcement for the 2023 SSCE External
Prospective candidates keen on enrolling for the November/December 2023 SSCE External are hereby notified that the registration window is now open. Don’t miss this opportunity to earn your Senior School Certificate.
Locations for NECO GCE Examination Centres
The locations for the examination centres are conveniently categorised into neighbourhoods within each state. After candidates upload their registration details online, they will be automatically designated an examination centre within the neighbourhood they initially selected.
Subject Offerings in NECO GCE SSCE External
The SSCE External offers an extensive range of twenty-nine subjects for candidates to choose from. The subjects encompass various academic disciplines such as:
- English Language
- Financial Accounting
- Agricultural Science
- Arabic Language
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK)
- Civic Education
- Commerce
- Economics
- French
- Further Mathematics
- Geography
- Government
- Hausa
- Health Education
- History
- Igbo
- Islamic Studies
- Literature in English
- Mathematics
- Marketing
- Physical Education
- Physics
- Salesmanship
- Stenography
- Storekeeping
- Technical Drawing
- Yoruba
It’s worth mentioning that Nigerian Languages (Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba) also include components of literature.
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Guidelines for NECO GCE Form Application
Application Fee Structure
The following is a breakdown of the fee structure for the registration process:
- Main Registration Fee: ₦17,800.00
- Four-Figure Table: ₦500.00 per copy
- Waterproof Certificate Jacket/Folder: ₦2,000.00 per candidate
- Additional charges for stamp duty, service, and Remita are also applicable.
Payment Methods
Candidates or registration points, such as cyber cafes, are required to visit NECO’s official website, create and activate an account, and then proceed to pay through one of the following five payment options:
- ATM Card
- Internet Banking
- USSD
- Wallet
- Bank Branch
Important Note: The use of scratch cards for NECO transactions has been discontinued.
Registration Timeline
The registration period extends from 11 September, 2023 to 13 November, 2023. Late registration from 14 November to 19 November will incur an additional fee of ₦2,000.00. A walk-in registration fee is set at ₦28,000.00 per candidate.
How to Register
- Mode of Registration: Candidates can register both offline and online for the examination.
- Online Registration Steps:
- Visit the Council’s website SSCE External Link
- Create an account and purchase the registration quota.
- Proceed to a reputable cybercafé to complete the registration and capture biometric data.
- Registration Timeline: Candidates are advised to register within the stipulated period as announced on the Council’s website.
Requirements for Registration
- Photograph:
- A passport-sized photograph is required for registration.
- The photograph should not be more than six months old and must have a white background.
- A system camera can also be used to take the passport-sized photograph during the registration process, if needed.
Important Notes on Biometric Data
- Offline Registration: Biometric fingerprints will be captured during the offline registration process for each candidate.
- Examination Verification:
- Biometric verification will take place during the conduct of the examination.
- Candidates found to have mismatched fingerprints during verification will be considered as impersonators and will face sanctions according to existing laws.
Special Provisions for Visually Impaired Candidates
Candidates with visual impairments are also eligible for registration and should specify the nature of their disability during the bio-data entry in the offline application.
NECO GCE Attestation Photocards and Timetable
Upon successful registration, candidates must acquire:
- A timetable for the examination.
- At least one clear copy of the NECO Photocard, required for admission into the Examination Hall.
The Referee’s Attestation section of the Photocard must be signed and stamped by an authorised individual from the following categories:
- School Principal of a recognised Senior Secondary School
- Ordained Clergyman or Chief Imam
- Commissioned Officer of the Nigerian Armed Forces or Police, not below the rank of Captain
- Senior Civil Servant, not below GL. 14
- Legal Practitioner with a minimum of ten years of experience
It should be noted that candidates are no longer mandated to submit their attestation photo cards at NECO state offices for stamping.
NECO GCE General Information
- Non-Refundable Registration Fee: Once the registration fee is paid, it is non-refundable.
- Walk-In Candidates: Walk-in candidates can register up to six hours before the subject they intend to sit for.
- Fixed Examination Centre: After uploading, the choice of examination centre cannot be edited.
- Registration Instructions: Both candidates and cybercafé operators should carefully follow the SSCE External link on www.neco.gov.ng for guidance on the registration procedure.
- Reputable Cyber Cafés: The use of reputable cyber cafes is strongly recommended. The Council will not be responsible for registration errors. Candidates should cross-check all offline entries made on their behalf before allowing the data to be uploaded online. Note: corrections can only be made once after online upload.
- One-Time Correction: Candidates have a one-time correction opportunity valid for two weeks after uploading.
- A complete name change is not permitted.
- Only one of these two—Name (Surname, First name, or Middle name) or Passport—can be corrected in addition to other registration details.
- Study Materials: Candidates should review the Rules & Regulations as well as the Syllabus before the examination.
- Photograph Requirements: The photograph uploaded during registration will be embossed on the certificates.
- Centre Viability: Candidates will be informed about the viability of their centres at least one day before the examination date.
- Prohibited Items: Smoking and bringing electronic communication gadgets (e.g., programmable calculators, mobile phones, iPads, tablets, smart wristwatches/glasses/pens, etc.) into the examination hall are strictly prohibited.
- Dress Code: Candidates should dress in casual clothing (mufti), and no one will be permitted entry into the examination hall with weapons.
- Multiple Registrations: Multiple registrations are not allowed. Candidates who register more than once will have their entire results cancelled.
- Late Entry: No candidate will be allowed into the examination hall after the examination has commenced.
