ƆDADEƐ BOYS RECLAIM NATIONAL SCIENCE AND MATHS QUIZ CROWN AS ACCRA ACADEMY MAKES HISTORY
Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC-Legon) has been crowned champions of the 2026 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ), reclaiming the national title and extending its record to an unprecedented nine championship victories.
PRESEC-Legon emerged victorious at the grand finale held on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the University of Ghana’s Premier Domes in Legon, defeating Accra Academy and St. Augustine’s College in a closely contested three-school battle.
The official final scores were PRESEC-Legon 40 points, Accra Academy 33 points and St. Augustine’s College 27 points. The results were published by the National Science & Maths Quiz organisers, Primetime Limited.
The victory marked PRESEC-Legon’s return to the top after the school’s previous championship victory in 2023. According to Graphic Online, the 2026 final was the school’s 13th appearance in the grand finale, further extending its record as the most successful school in the history of the competition.
CONGRATULATIONS, PRESEC — AND KEEP AIMING HIGH
PRESEC-Legon deserves congratulations for its historic ninth NSMQ championship. Accra Academy deserves recognition for reaching the grand finale for the first time and finishing second.
St. Augustine’s College deserves recognition for competing strongly and securing a place among the country’s three best-performing schools in the 2026 competition.
But the message to every other school is equally important: Do not be discouraged by this year’s result.
The next NSMQ champion may be a school that did not reach the 2026 final. The next outstanding contestant may currently be sitting in a classroom, waiting for the opportunity to discover his or her ability.
The next great Mathematics or Science student may not yet know how far his or her talent can go. The road to the 2027 competition begins now.
Read more. Practise more. Ask more questions. Work together. Learn from every mistake. Build strong science and mathematics clubs. Encourage teachers and students. And, most importantly, believe that excellence is possible.
A COMEBACK THAT DECIDED THE CHAMPIONSHIP
The final did not begin with PRESEC in the lead.
At the end of the opening round, St. Augustine’s College and Accra Academy were tied on 11 points each, while PRESEC had 9 points.
The second round saw PRESEC and St. Augustine’s College both move to 17 points, while Accra Academy reached 14 points.
The decisive change came during the third round, the Problem of the Day, when PRESEC secured four points while both Accra Academy and St. Augustine’s College failed to score from the available points in that round. PRESEC consequently moved into the lead with 21 points.
Accra Academy responded strongly in the fourth round, moving to 30 points, while St. Augustine’s College reached 27. PRESEC nevertheless maintained its advantage and eventually entered the final round with the championship within reach.
In the fifth and final round, PRESEC added six more points to finish on 40 points, while Accra Academy ended on 33 and St. Augustine’s College on 27. The six-point winning margin was enough to secure the trophy for PRESEC-Legon.
NINE TITLES AND A RECORD THAT CONTINUES TO GROW
The 2026 victory takes PRESEC-Legon’s NSMQ championship tally to nine, making the school the competition’s record holder.
The school previously won the championship in 1995, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2020, 2022 and 2023. Its 2026 victory adds another chapter to a record that has made PRESEC one of the most dominant schools in the history of Ghana’s premier academic quiz competition.
The school’s previous championship in 2023 was also significant because it represented its second back-to-back championship achievement, following consecutive victories in 2008 and 2009.
The school entered the 2026 contest seeking a ninth championship after Mfantsipim School had won the competition in 2024 and 2025. PRESEC’s victory therefore returned the trophy to Legon after a two-year absence.
ACCRA ACADEMY MAKES HISTORY
Although Accra Academy did not lift the trophy, its performance represented a major achievement in the school’s NSMQ history.
The school reached the grand finale for the first time in 2026 and finished as runner-up with 33 points.
Its appearance gave the school an opportunity to compete for the national title alongside two schools with established championship records.
Accra Academy’s journey therefore provides an important lesson for other schools: reaching the national final itself can represent a significant milestone, even when the ultimate trophy does not immediately follow.
The school’s second-place finish also means that it enters the next NSMQ season with valuable experience of competing at the highest stage of the national contest.
AUGUSCO REMAINS A MAJOR FORCE
St. Augustine’s College, popularly known as AUGUSCO, finished third with 27 points. The school entered the final with a strong NSMQ history, having previously won the competition in 2007 and 2019.
AUGUSCO’s performance in the opening stages of the 2026 final showed its competitiveness. The school shared the lead with Accra Academy on 11 points after the first round and remained level with PRESEC at 17 points after Round Two.
Although it ultimately finished third, the school’s presence in the grand finale confirmed its continued status as one of the country’s prominent academic competitors.
174 SCHOOLS, ONE NATIONAL CHAMPION
The 2026 NSMQ journey involved 174 schools, according to Graphic Online.
From the preliminary stages through the knockout rounds and ultimately to the grand finale, schools from across Ghana competed for the opportunity to represent their institutions at the national championship.
The final therefore represented the culmination of a much longer academic journey involving hundreds of schools, students, teachers, coaches, parents and supporters.
For the students who participated but did not reach the final stages, the competition remains an important platform for academic development and exposure.
A MESSAGE TO OTHER SCHOOLS: THE TROPHY IS NOT THE ONLY MEASURE OF SUCCESS
As PRESEC-Legon celebrates its ninth NSMQ championship, the achievements of the other participating schools should not be overlooked. Academic competitions are built on preparation, discipline, teamwork, confidence, problem-solving and the willingness to learn from mistakes.
For schools that did not qualify for the later stages of the 2026 competition, the conclusion of this year’s NSMQ should not be seen as the end of the journey. It should be the beginning of preparation for the next one.
A school that failed to qualify this year can study its performance, identify areas of weakness, strengthen its science and mathematics programmes and begin preparing a new generation of contestants.
A school that reached the quarter-finals can aim for the semi-finals.
A school that reached the semi-finals can target the grand finale.
And a school that reached the final can return next year determined to go one step further.
Accra Academy’s historic first appearance in the grand finale demonstrates that established records can be challenged. PRESEC’s ninth championship demonstrates what sustained preparation and institutional commitment can produce. AUGUSCO’s return to the national final demonstrates that established academic traditions can continue to produce competitive teams.
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