We can explain SSCE External meaning by describing the categories of examinations that the National Examinations Council (NECO) organizes.
SSCE External Meaning
The National Examinations Council (NECO) is a Nigerian examination body in charge of conducting the following examinations.
1. Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)
This examination is for final year students of senior secondary schools in Nigeria.
2. Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE)
BECE is the examination which final year Junior Secondary School students in Nigeria sit for at the end of three years of junior secondary school education.
3. National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE)
The National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) is specifically for final year Primary School pupils who wish to gain admission into any of the Federal Government Colleges, also known as Unity Schools, in the country.
SSCE Internal and External
In executing its mandate of conducting examinations for final year senior secondary school students, called the Senior School Certificate Examination, NECO administers the examination in two parts.
NECO SSCE Internal
The first part is the NECO SSCE Internal. NECO SSCE Internal is for candidates, that is, students who are final year senior secondary school students of a recognized and accredited secondary school in Nigeria.
SSCE External Meaning
SSCE External simply means and refers to the examination conducted by NECO for candidates who are not in the school system. These candidates are not presently students of a secondary school. They may even be public servants but they need to re-sit a paper which they failed or it could be someone who did not have opportunity to attend the regular school but has been tutored on secondary school level subjects.
WAEC also has this category for its SSCE but they refer to theirs as SSCE for Private Candidates.
Summary
In summary, NECO has an examination for final year senior secondary school students which it calls SSCE Internal (for school candidates) and another one (based on the same syllabus) for private candidates which is referred to as SSCE External.
Therefore, SSCE External is the examination NECO conducts for interested people who are no longer in secondary school, for the purpose of obtaining a secondary school certificate.
Postscript
You may which to check the answers to other questions related to this topic, such as, SSCE full meaning, SSCE certificate meaning, and When Did SSCE Start in Nigeria?
If you are preparing to write the Senior School Certificate Examination, either with NECO or WAEC, you will find the SSCE English Past Questions and Answers useful in helping you to get ready for the examination.
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