The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) has released the results for the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), noting a fractional improvement in performance compared to the previous year.

A total of 129,260 candidates from 1,987 schools were registered for the exams. However, 5,550 candidates were absent for all subjects, and a further 1,673 had their entire results withheld. This left 122,037 candidates who sat for at least one subject and had their grades released.

The 2025 pass rate for Senior Secondary School (SSS) placement is the second-highest on record, only surpassed by the 2023 results.

94% of the 122,037 candidates (114,709 students) obtained the minimum requirement of five passes, inclusive of Language Arts or Mathematics. This is a slight increase from 93% in 2024.

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For the fifth consecutive year, more females (62,971) sat the exam than males (59,066).

The pass rate for individual papers was 90.1%, the highest ever recorded. Only one subject had a pass rate below 70%, while four subjects had pass rates exceeding 95%.

The ranking of candidates is based on aggregate scores (the sum of grades from the four core subjects and the two best elective/optional subjects) and the average grade (the sum of all subject grades divided by the number of subjects taken).

Top Candidate: Mariam Yenie Bangura from Providence International High School in Freetown achieved the best aggregate score of 7. She was closely followed by Aminatta B.C.C. of St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Makeni and seven other candidates from Providence International, all with an aggregate of 8.

The top two candidates were female, and 10 out of the top 16 candidates were girls.

Schools were categorized by the number of candidates, with top performers in each category being:

Category A (1-25 candidates): Comboy Lebanese Secondary School, Koinadugu.

Category B (26-60 candidates): Just Cell In Charge Chesterton Academy of SL GSS, Waterloo.

Category C (61-150 candidates): Christian Reformed Church GSSS, Kambia.

Category D (151-300 candidates): St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Makeni.

Category E (301-500 candidates): The Experimental School, Kenema.

Category F (500+ candidates): Methodist High School, Freetown.

A record 915 schools saw 100% of their candidates qualify for SSS, with a further 481 schools achieving a pass rate of 95% or higher.

The Ministry acknowledged two primary concerns:

High Absenteeism: The 5,550 candidates absent for all subjects is a significant issue. The Ministry stated that “action has been started” to ensure a reduction in absences for the 2026 exams.

Underperforming Districts: While district performance did not vary drastically, the Ministry noted that underperforming districts remain a concern. Together with other education leaders, the MBSSE will conduct visits to these districts to “map a way forward.”

The Ministry congratulated all successful candidates and teachers for the high achievement. It urged all stakeholders to move quickly to ensure that SS1 classes commence before the end of November 2025.

The Ministry of Basic And Senior Secondary School Education (MBSSE), and the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) also pledged to provide extra support to underperforming schools to improve future results.