NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL (NECO)

KM 8, BIDA ROAD, MINNA, NIGER STATE

Email: [email protected] Website: www.neco.gov.ng

To: All States Ministries of Education, FCT Education Secretariat,

All Principals/Commandants.

REGISTRATION GUIDELINES FOR THE 2023 SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION

(SSCE) INTERNAL
Find below the comprehensive procedure and guidelines for the 2023 SSCE Internal registration. You are
requested to painstakingly read through, understand and comply with the requirements therein. Do not hesitate
to ask questions or seek an explanation on any aspect of the registration procedure which you may not have
clearly understood. Please note that you are expected to read and clearly understand this registration
procedure and guidelines before embarking on the registration exercise.

1. ELIGIBILITY FOR REGISTRATION:

Principals/Commandants of schools are hereby informed that only candidates in their final year of
Senior Secondary School i.e. (SSS3) are eligible for registration. For the avoidance of doubt, the 2023
SSCE Internal is meant for only school-based candidates in Nigeria and overseas. It is not meant
for private candidates. Principals/Commandants of schools and States Ministries of Education should
endeavor to enforce the eligibility condition.

2. REGISTRATION PROCEDURE:
The 2023 SSCE (I) registration will be both OFFLINE and ONLINE.

2.1 CLAIMING OF SCHOOL’S ONLINE PORTAL

The 2023 SSCE (I) registration requires ALL schools to claim afresh their online portal using School’s
official email address and phone number (a school without an official email address is
mandated to create one as personal or cybercafé emails are NOT allowed). This is to enable the
Council to have a comprehensive database. The School’s online portal claim will be the first task before
the commencement of the offline/online registration. Therefore, Schools are required to input their
information correctly.
After the submission of details, a default password will be sent to the school’s official email address
provided which should be used to login into the portal.
2.2 OFFLINE REGISTRATION
Schools are to install the 2023 SSCE Internal offline application by downloading it from the Council’s
website: www.neco.gov.ng. Using the application, Schools are to make all entries of their
candidates’ bio-data and biometrics. The user manual on the step-by-step registration procedure can
also be downloaded from the Council’s website. Ensure that all prospective Candidates are registered
offline, such that as they pay, they could be uploaded online progressively. PLEASE NOTE THAT A
CANDIDATE IS ONLY REGISTERED IF HIS/HER OFFLINE ENTRIES ARE UPLOADED ONLINE
TO OBTAIN A REGISTRATION NUMBER. ONLINE UPLOAD IS ONLY POSSIBLE UPON
PAYMENT OF REGISTRATION FEES.

2.3 BIOMETRIC DATA CAPTURING

Biometric data capturing is a process by which candidates’ fingerprints (10 fingers) are captured during
offline registration. It is a vital part of the offline registration because without it, candidates’ data cannot
be uploaded online. FUTRONIC (FS80H) should be used for the data capturing. Schools are to ensure
that candidates crosscheck their bio-data (Name, Date of Birth, Sex, Subjects, etc.) on the preview
page during the biometric capturing to correct any error detected by the candidate(s).
The Council should be notified of any physically challenged candidate(s) whose fingerprints
cannot be captured during the offline registration process.
Schools should NOTE that:
➢ Duplication of registration will not be entertained since no two biometric data are the same.
➢ No person(s)/candidate(s) should be allowed to capture their fingerprints on behalf of the
rightful candidate(s) as any candidate whose biometric data does not match the data uploaded
during the verification exercise will be deemed to be impersonating.

2.4 VISUALLY IMPAIRED CANDIDATES

Visually impaired candidates are to be registered like everyone. However, the nature of their disability
is to be indicated correctly when making entries of their bio-data in the offline application during
registration. Visually impaired candidates are of two categories:
➢ Low Vision
➢ Complete Blindness

2.5 OFFLINE VALIDATION

After successful offline registration, schools are to do the offline bio-data validation before uploading
registration data online. Candidates are to check and make all corrections of Name, Picture, Date of
Birth, Sex, Subjects etc., before uploading the registration data online. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE
COUNCIL IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY REGISTRATION ERROR COMMITTED BY SCHOOLS. ALL
REGISTRATION ERRORS MUST BE CORRECTED DURING THE VALIDATION PROCESS
BEFORE UPLOADING THE REGISTRATION ONLINE.

2.6 PROCEDURE FOR OFFLINE VALIDATION

Upon completion of the offline registration, schools are to print the offline photocards of all the
candidates from the offline application and issue them to each candidate to confirm that his/her
Picture, Name, State, Local Government Area (LGA), Date of Birth, Sex and the Subjects he/she
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 wishes to sit for are all correct. Where errors are discovered, candidates should correct such errors on
the photocard and sign in the appropriate column. Where there are no errors, Candidates should just
sign the appropriate column. All signed photocards are to be returned to the person doing the
registration to enter all corrections in the offline application. NOTE THAT ALL CORRECTIONS MUST
BE DONE OFFLINE AND DUPLICATION OF REGISTRATION WILL NOT BE ENTERTAINED.
After effecting all corrections, the validation list should be printed for Candidates to append their
signatures against their respective names. The signed offline validation list is one of the documents to
be returned to respective NECO State Offices along with other Validation Documents.
Please note that any school that requests for the correction of Name (only error in the spelling of
Name will be entertained), Picture, Date of Birth, Sex, or Subject(s) after online upload is deemed to
have indulged in “NON-VALIDATION”. The penalty fee for non-validation is Seven Thousand Naira
(N7,000.00) only per candidate irrespective of the nature of the non-validation. SCHOOLS SHOULD
ENSURE THAT THE CORRECT PICTURES OF CANDIDATES ARE USED DURING
REGISTRATION AS CHANGE OF CANDIDATE’S PICTURE AFTER THE RELEASE OF RESULTS
WILL NOT BE ENTERTAINED.

2.7 SCHOOL ACTIVATION FOR PAYMENT

Each School must be activated by the NECO State Coordinator of each respective State and FCT
before payment and upload could be possible. Schools are to return the Validation Documents to their
respective State Coordinators, who would thereafter, activate the School for payment of the required
candidates to conclude the registration.
The validation Documents to be returned to NECO State Offices before activation are:
i. Validation List duly signed by the candidates
ii. Candidates’ signed Photocards
iii. Entry Schedule duly endorsed by the State Ministry of Education where applicable
iv. Subject Analysis
Schools are to note that Centre Activation commences on 23rd January, 2023.

2.8 PAYMENT PROCEDURE AND UPLOAD

All payments should strictly be made through the school’s online NECO portal. Upon successful
payment, registration quota is allocated according to the amount paid into the NECO TSA. After the
quota is allocated, schools can select the individual candidates to upload (if the payment is not for all
candidates) by checking the selection boxes against each candidate’s name or clicking the “check all
“box to select the entire candidates, if the payment is for all the candidates. Note that when paying
in installments, initial payment should be made for at least 20 candidates to avoid being
surcharged for unviable centre fee.
The payment receipt is sent to the school’s email address or can also be printed from the transaction
history in the school profile. Immediately after completion of the registration, schools should print the
final validation list and give all candidates to sign against their respective names. The payment receipt
and the signed final validation list that carries candidates’ registration numbers should be
endorsed by the School Principal/Commandant before submission to NECO State Office. The final
photocards that bear the candidates’ registration numbers are to be used for admission of candidates
into the examination hall(s), as well as for candidates’ biometric verification exercise during the
examination.
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3. DETAILS OF EXAMINATION FEES AND OTHER MATERIALS
Details of the Examination fees and other registration materials are as follows:
a. Registration fee for the 2023 SSCE Internal is N17,800.00 only per candidate
b. Photo album is N1,700.00 per pair
c. Four-figure table is N500.00 per copy
d. Waterproof Certificate Jacket/Folder is N2,000.00 per candidate
e. Syllabus is N1,500.00 per copy
f. Unviable Centre fee is N50,000.00
g. Late Registration attracts a Penalty of additional N2,000.00 per candidate
h. Note that Stamp Duty, Service and Remita charges apply

4. MINIMUM NUMBER OF CANDIDATES

The minimum number of candidates to be registered by a school is 20 (twenty).
Any school registering less than twenty candidates is deemed unviable and as such shall pay unviable
centre fee of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) only, if they wish to write the examination in their school.

5. E-PHOTO ALBUMS
The electronic photo albums will be generated by the Council. A pair of purchased e-photo album
will be endorsed and a copy sent to your school.
Each e-photo album has provision for 171 candidates. A pair of e-photo album costs One Thousand
Seven Hundred Naira (N1,700) only.

6. SYLLABUS AND FOUR FIGURE TABLE

The syllabus for NECO SSCE is available at the cost of One Thousand Five Hundred Naira (N1,500)
only per copy and each school is advised to have at least four (4) copies. Furthermore, each candidate
is to obtain a copy of NECO four-figure tables at the cost of Five Hundred Naira (N500.00) only.

7. 3RD YEAR CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT SCORES (CA3)

The period for CA3 entries by schools is from 12th July – 15th September, 2023. Schools should
ensure that they use the offline application to make entries for CA3 within the stipulated period, as late
upload would attract a penalty fee of Twenty-five Thousand Naira (N25,000) only.

8. ONLINE CENTRE DISPUTE

The online centre dispute is the procedure for changing the schools’ official login detail for those that
could not access their portal on the NECO website due to one reason or the other. All dispute requests
should be officially channeled through the various State Offices. This is to authenticate the request
and stop unauthorized parties from gaining access to the school’s portal without their consent.
However, Schools are advised to always keep a proper record of their login details to avoid being
surcharged.

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9. REGISTRATION PERIOD AND CLOSING DATE
a. Registration period is between Monday 19th December, 2022 and Monday 30th May, 2023.
b. The website will be closed at 12:00 midnight on 30th May, 2023.
c. The last date for the return of the printed payment receipt and endorsed final validation list is
Friday 17th June, 2023.

10. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT DATES AGAIN

a. Commencement of registration by schools is from Monday 19th December, 2022.
b. Last date for registration by schools is 30th May, 2023.
c. Last date for submission of printed payment receipt and endorsed final validation list is 30th
May, 2023.
d. Last date for upload of CA3 online is 15th September, 2023.

Thank you.

PROFESSOR DANTANI IBRAHIM WUSHISHI

Registrar/Chief Executive