NECO Temporarily Shuts Down Exam Portals for Scheduled Maintenance, Disrupts Student Access

NECO has temporarily shut down exam portals for scheduled maintenance and disrupted student access.

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced the temporary shutdown of all its examination portals due to scheduled maintenance activities.

The notice, published on NECO’s official website, affects candidates and institutions seeking to access examination-related services such as result checking, admission processing, and document verification.

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“All our examination portals will be temporarily unavailable due to scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience,” the statement read.

Student Access Disrupted Nationwide

Before the official announcement, a Nairametrics check revealed that users had already experienced extended downtime on the NECO website. For over a week, students attempting to check their results or process vital admission documents faced access issues.

The disruption has been especially troublesome for Nigerian students seeking university admission abroad, as many have struggled to verify their NECO results on time, leading to missed international deadlines for document submission and confirmation.

NECO has not disclosed the expected duration of the maintenance or a date for full portal restoration. The Council urged users to remain patient as technical upgrades are underway.

What You Should Know About NECO

NECO is Nigeria’s statutory body for administering the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and other academic assessments, overseeing both internal (June/July) and external (November/December) examinations.

In May 2025, NECO conducted the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3) students, with 179,201 candidates sitting for exams across 12 core subjects.

Meanwhile, registration for the 2025 SSCE External exams began on July 7 and will run until September 18, 2025. The exam, open only to candidates who sat for internal SSCE within the last five years, will be held between September 29 and December 19, 2025.

Key highlights of the registration process include:

• Registration fee: ₦40,000

• Mandatory photo card (signed and stamped) for exam entry

• Online registration via NECO’s official portal

• Introduction of Computer-Based Test (CBT) options

• Special provisions for candidates with disabilities

As NECO works on restoring full portal access, students and institutions are advised to monitor official channels for updates and avoid unofficial result-checking platforms.