The NECO registration process is done online or offline. To enroll for the NECO examination, visit the registration portals – https://ssceexternal.neco.gov.ng/ – for external candidates and https://ssceinternal.neco.gov.ng/ – for internal candidates.
We have simplified the NECO registration process below for a more precise understanding, considering the registration requirements, the NECO application fee, the registration dates, and the deadline/late entry. Candidates who wish to write the NECO examination should consider the information on the registration process very important.
The National Examination Council (NECO) is an examination body that handles senior secondary school certificate examinations in Nigeria. Before a secondary school student is qualified to seek admission into any tertiary institution, such a student must have clear SSCE-required subjects.
General Requirements for NECO Examination Registration
Some basic requirements must be considered before venturing into the NECO registration process. These requirements will aid the successful registration of a student for the exam. In most cases, some schools outline them, but for clarity’s sake, below are some of the requirements:
- The candidate must be a student of a recognized secondary school or must be enrolled at the senior secondary level of a school.
- You must have a working email address and a log-in password
- You must know the date of birth
- Have at least 4 passport photographs, even though the council uses face recognition, but keep the passports if necessary.
- Have a registered mobile number
- Ensure that your full name is correctly spelled
- Your home address is important
- Your local government area and your state of origin are important
- Know all the subjects you will write
- A Maiden / Guardian name is required
Subject Requirements for NECO Registration
NECO has over 76 subjects in its examination coverage, and they are subdivided into four categories, including sciences and mathematics, humanities, trade/entrepreneurship, and business studies. NECO candidates are only allowed to write a minimum of eight subjects and a maximum of nine subjects.
NECO Registration Process
The registration process for the NECO examination can be categorized into online and offline registration. The online registration is carried out on the portal. However, the main aim is to have a successful registration as the two methods are structured for easy registration of candidates.
How to Register NECO using the Offline Method
Offline registration for the National Examination Council is primarily for school candidates and those who desire to register by going through a school. The steps for offline registration are outlined below:
- Go to the secondary school you wish to write the exam at
- Enroll as a full student and go through the SS2 mock examination
- Pay the required amount for the exam at the school and get the registration form
- Correctly fill out the form with the required personal information
- Return to the form and ensure you have attached your passport
- The school will schedule a time for biometric capturing and then wait for your exam number
What is the NECO Registration Portal?
The NECO registration portal is an online website designed to register qualified candidates who wish to write the NECO examination. The portal is open for both internal and external candidate registration, as long as any of the two categories of candidates meet the requirements for the examination. They can go through the steps that will be outlined to get registered.
Internal Candidate Registration Using the NECO Portal
The first step to this registration is the payment of the registration fee before going through the registration. Remember, the internal candidate is one that is at the final level of a recognized secondary school. Here are the procedures required to register an internal candidate for the council examination:
- Visit the NECO portal or click here to be redirected
- Input your centre number, email address or phone number, and your password, then click on the login button
- At this point, you are on the registration dashboard
- Carefully and correctly fill in the required information in the provided spaces and click on submit
- The next stage is biometric capturing. The candidate will scan a recent passport photograph and upload the fingerprint thumbprinting.
After correctly going through the above steps, wait for the examination number.
External or Private Candidate Registration Steps using the NECO Portal
External candidates are those that are not students of any secondary school in Nigeria but wish to be a part of the NECO examination. They are also mandated to pay the registration fee first before going through the registration process. After paying the registration fee, here is the registration procedure for an external candidate using the NECO portal:
- Go to the NECO portal or click here to access the external candidate NECO webpage
- Go through the account registration process by inputting your full name, mobile number, email, and password
- Click on the register
- Go to your email and verify or confirm the registration
- Return to the page and log in using your email and password
- On the next page is the registration form, which must be filled correctly.
- Go over to biometrics; you will be required to upload your recent passport and then the fingerprint upload.
On completing the above steps, the external candidate can now wait for his examination number.
How to Verify and Validate NECO Registration
Internal candidates can verify and validate their registration through the outlined steps below:
- Log in to the NECO official website or click here
- Input your school number and the registration number
- Scroll to search
- This will take you to the page to validate and verify your registration
How Much is NECO Registration?
The total cost of registering for the NECO exam is highly dependent on the candidate’s category. The internal candidate cannot have the same total cost of registration as the external candidate. The council has a registration fee of N12,000 for both internal and external candidates. The fee should be paid through a bank draft for external candidates. Internal candidates can pay through the school.
Click here to see other charges associated with NECO exam registration in Nigeria.
When is NECO Registration Ending?
The registration process for the council ends mainly around the middle of June. That is why candidates are advised to ensure they are done with the registration process before June.
When is NECO Starting?
NECO commences its registration process for June/July exam mid-march every year, except if there is a tangible reason for a change. Candidates are advised to constantly check the portal from the middle of March to June on the commencement of its registration. This is because there is no date set aside by the council for yearly registration.