Presbyterian Boys Senior High School (PRESEC), Legon, clinched a record ninth title at the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) after a dominant display at the 2026 grand finale in Accra yesterday.
They had coined the tagline “The Gr8t ADO9”, mimicking Adonai, a name that bears reverence to God’s greatness as the supreme deity of the universe.
In the end, they delivered in emphatic form, obtaining 40 points across the five rounds, as Accra Academy finished in second place with 33 points, and St Augustine’s College finished in third place with 27 points.
PRESEC’s most recent title came in 2023 when they overcame competition from Achimota School and Opoku Ware School to claim their eighth title and a historic second back-to-back win at the quiz championship.
Prizes
PRESEC received a total of GH¢80,000 sponsored by GES for the title-winning effort.
The prize will be split into GH¢40,000 to the school, GH¢20,000 to the contestants, and GH¢20,000 to the teachers.
Accra Academy took home a package of GH¢64,000 for the second-place effort, to be shared as GH¢30,000 to the school, GH¢17,000 to the contestants and another GH¢17,000 to the teachers.
St Augustine's College received GH¢50,000 to be split as GH¢20,000 to the school, GH¢15,000 to the contestants and another GH¢15,000 to the teachers.
At the GOIL Super Bonanza Round, PRESEC acquired GH¢2,000 for two riddles.
Yesterday’s final marked PRESEC’s 13th appearance in the finale, extending their record as the most successful school in the history of the competition.
For Accra Academy, the near miss was their closest attempt at the title as they made their first appearance in the final only this year.
St Augustine’s College, winners of the 2007 and 2019 editions, were a promising team at the start, falling short ultimately as the contest grew into the crucial stretch.
The grand finale got off to a competitive start as St Augustine’s College and Accra Academy shared the lead with 11 points each, with PRESEC amassing nine points at the close of the first round.
At the close of the second round, St Augustine’s and PRESEC were tied on 17 points each, with Accra Academy behind on 14 points.
PRESEC began to take control of affairs from the third round as it obtained four more points in the “Problem of the Day” segment, with the other schools failing to earn a single point in that round.
By the end of the fourth round, PRESEC had a comfortable lead with 34 points, as Accra Academy and St Augustine’s had 30 points and 27 points respectively.
PRESEC made six more points to finish the competition with 40 points, with Accra Academy making a modest step to 33 points in second place, while St Augustine’s settled for third place with 27 points.
Maths, science interest
Ahead of the final, the Ghana Education Service (GES) commended the NSMQ for inspiring generations of young people to develop interest in science and mathematics.
It said the 33-year-old competition had gone beyond a mere quiz to become a major platform for encouraging students to think critically and creatively, as well as develop problem-solving skills.
At the closing ceremony of the 2026 edition of the competition in Accra yesterday, the Deputy Director-General in charge of Management Services at the GES, Prof. Smile Gavua Dzisi, said the NSMQ had demonstrated over the years that academic excellence was built on discipline, determination, knowledge and hard work.
Prof. Dzisi said the confidence, commitment and intellectual curiosity displayed by students throughout the competition showed that Ghana’s schools were home to young people capable of tackling complex challenges.
Promoting STEM
Prof. Dzisi said the success of the NSMQ came at a time when the Ministry of Education and the GES were placing renewed emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as critical to the country’s development.
She said Ghana needed young people who could go beyond memorising scientific facts and mathematical formulas to think critically, solve problems, innovate and apply their knowledge to real-life challenges.
She cited the STEM Blocks Programme for basic schools, launched by President John Dramani Mahama, as one of the initiatives aimed at exposing children to practical science and technology learning at an early age.
The programme, she said, would give learners opportunities to explore, experiment, build and test ideas while developing solutions to problems.
Welcome address
In her welcome address, the Managing Director of PrimeTime, Nana Akua A. Mensa Bonsu, whose company has organised the quiz over the years, said the 2026 competition differed from previous editions in terms of the timing of the regional qualifiers.
She said following a review of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) calendar by the Ghana Education Service (GES) in consultation with the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), the regional qualifiers were rescheduled to begin after the WASSCE.
The arrangement, she said, was to allow students to give their full attention to the examination before turning to the NSMQ.
Ms Mensa Bonsu said despite the resultant delays and challenges, the competition retained its excitement, producing strong performances, close contests and surprise packages from across the country.
“Whether champion or challenger, you are all proven ambassadors of excellence,” she said.
The championship involved 174 schools — 27 seeded schools, 107 winners of the regional qualifiers and 36 top runners-up.
Five private schools, including Our Lady of Grace SHS, which was among the 27 seeded schools, participated.
There were also 10 new entrants, making the 2026 edition the largest in the history of the competition.
20 years of excellence
The quiz mistress, Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann, was honoured for moderating the contest for 20 years.
She first joined the competition in 2006.
Prof. Kaufmann, the Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences and Founding Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Ghana, has guided the competition through two decades.
