NABTEB enrolment drops 47.7%, records 75% pass rate in 2026 examination

The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has announced that enrolment for its 2026 National Common Entrance Examination into Technical Colleges dropped by 47.74% compared to the previous year, even as more than three-quarters of candidates who sat for the examination scored at least 50%.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, Dr. Aminu Mohammed, disclosed this on Tuesday while announcing the results of the nationwide examination conducted on June 13.

NABTEB is Nigeria’s examination body responsible for conducting technical and vocational examinations, including the National Common Entrance Examination into Technical Colleges.

The board was established to promote technical and vocational education by assessing candidates’ competencies and awarding nationally recognised technical and business certificates to equip learners with practical skills for employment and entrepreneurship.

What they are saying

Mohammed attributed attention to a sharp decline in enrolment for the 2026 entrance examination, revealing that only 15,290 candidates registered, down from 29,260 candidates recorded in 2025. He said the reduction of 13,970 candidates represents a 47.74% decrease in enrolment year-on-year.

Despite the decline in registration, he said 13,848 candidates, representing 90.57 per cent of those who registered, sat for the examination, while 1,442 candidates were absent.

Speaking on the performance of candidates, Mohammed said most candidates achieved the minimum benchmark.

•  “Out of the 13,848 candidates who sat for the examination, 10,426 candidates representing 75.29% scored 50% and above, while 5,708 candidates, 41.22 per cent scored 70 per cent and above.”

He added that a quarter of the candidates fell below the pass mark, while a handful attained exceptional scores.

• “3,422 candidates (24.71%) scored below 50%, while 31 candidates (0.22 %) attained the highest rank with scores of 96% and above.”

More insights

According to the registrar, candidates registered for 28 different trades grouped under five broad clusters—Mechanical, Electrical, Construction, Creative and Culinary, and Agricultural Technology.

• Among the various programmes, Electrical Installation and Maintenance Practice attracted the highest number of candidates with 3,870 enrolments. It was followed by Computer Hardware and GSM Repairs/Maintenance, which recorded 2,857 candidates.
• Other highly subscribed trades included Catering Craft Practice with 1,780 candidates, Bricklaying, Blocklaying and Concreting with 1,553 candidates, Automobile Mechanics with 1,156 candidates, and Fashion Design and Garment Making, which attracted 940 candidates.
• At the lower end of the enrolment scale, Tiling and Cladding recorded just one candidate, while Social Media Content Creation and Management attracted two candidates. Fish Farming Activities had three candidates, Motorcycle and Tricycle Repairs recorded five, Creative Media had six, Automobile CNG Conversion attracted nine candidates, while Leather Works recorded 18 candidates.

Mohammed also announced that registration for the supplementary National Common Entrance Examination would commence before the end of July to give more prospective candidates an opportunity to gain admission into technical colleges.

What you should know

As part of its statutory responsibilities, NABTEB administers technical and vocational examinations across Nigeria, including the National Common Entrance Examination into Technical Colleges, to promote skills acquisition and competency-based education for the labour market. The board also conducts examinations leading to the award of National Business Certificates and other technical qualifications.

• In the 2025 June/July National Business Certificate (NBC) and National Technical Certificate (NTC) examinations, the board registered 92,875 candidates across 1,892 examination centres nationwide. Of that figure, 89,621 results were successfully processed and graded, representing 96.5% of total enrolment.
• The examination body also recorded growth in participation that year, with candidate enrolment increasing by 37.08 per cent and the number of examination centres expanding by 10.77 per cent compared to 2024.
• Performance in Mathematics also improved, with 81,172 candidates obtaining a pass grade, translating to a 94.6 per cent success rate, up from 91.39 per cent recorded in the previous year.

NABTEB further reported a decline in examination malpractice, recording 516 malpractice cases involving 435 candidates in 2025, compared to 524 cases involving 349 candidates in 2024. The board attributed the improvement to strengthened monitoring and examination integrity measures.