PRESEC, St. Augustine’s College and Accra Academy set for NSMQ grand finale on September 10

The Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC, Legon), St. Augustine's College, and Accra Academy have booked a place in the grand finale of the 2026 National Science & Maths Quiz (NSMQ).

The grand finale is a compelling convergence of NSMQ narratives, involving an underdog, Accra Academy, who are making their maiden appearance; PRESEC Legon, all-time NSMQ champions making their comeback after a two-year absence; and St. Augustine's College, two-time champions and 2025 finalists.

The final is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, at the UG Premier Domes, University of Ghana, Legon, after two weeks of intense academic and intellectual battle involving 174 schools across the country.

The semi-final contests on Thursday, September 3, started with St. Augustine's College, 2025 finalists, Prempeh College, five-time NSMQ champions, and Pope John SHS & Minor Seminary, 2021 champions.

At the end, St. Augustine's College secured their path to the grand finale through a commanding performance against Prempeh College and Pope John SHS & Minor Seminary at the Main Auditorium.

St. Augustine’s College finished with a commanding 52 points, ahead of Prempeh College’s 47 points, and Pope John SHS & Minor Seminary's 28 points, securing a spot in the coveted NSMQ grand finale.

In another encounter, three schools entered the auditorium with distinct narratives – Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School came as all-time champions, Tamale SHS brought experience from their third semi-final appearance, while St. John's School marked a historic debut at the semi-final stage.

PRESEC Legon, the eight-time NSMQ champions, held their nerve through the competition's decisive rounds to finish with 44 points and book their grand finale return, against second place St. John's School, 25 points, while Tamale SHS ended with 16 points.

The hurdle for all three schools was in the third round; Problem of the Day, where none of the three schools could crack a demanding mathematical equation, prompting the Quiz Mistress to invoke the Akan adage, “Wantum annfa kɔtɔ annyɛ nkwan,” highlighting the question's complexity.

However, PRESEC went into the fourth contest and ended strongly with 35 points, 10 ahead of St. John's School's 25, while Tamale SHS remained at 16 points, before finishing the contest with 44 points, while that of their competitors remained unchanged.

Accra Academy's emergence as grand finale qualifiers represented a watershed moment in the school's NSMQ history, as they secured their first-ever place at the championship decider through a dramatic semi-final victory over Achimota School and Bright SHS.

Their contest, the last of three semi final contests on Thursday, peaked in the third round, where all three schools scored a perfect 10/10 during the Problem of the Day, earning their schools a GH₵3,400 Prudential Life NSMQ Star prize.

The fourth round brought dramatic momentum shifts, with Accra Academy extending dominance to 51 points while Bright SHS mounted an impressive comeback to 41 points, overtaking Achimota School who scored 37 points.

Despite recording the lowest score during the semi-final stage, Accra Academy emerged victorious from an intense competition, winning with 54 points against Bright SHS, who placed second with 44 points, narrowly edging Achimota School who had 43 points.

Nana Yaw Adu, a Coordinator with Accra Academy, credited the school's performance to determination, the grace of God and relentless hard work of the quiz team, especially the contestants who have had trials with their competitors prior to their semi final meeting.

Nana Akua A. Mensa-Bonsu, Managing Director of Primetime Ghana Limited, said the 2026 NSMQ had so far been exciting, producing shocks and comebacks as characteristic of the championship.

She encouraged schools to give off their best to make the grand finale a truly worthy and memorable contest, urging finalists to showcase excellence, sportsmanship, and intellectual brilliance on the national stage.

The Managing Director gave the assurance that the team was preparing assiduously, leaving no stone unturned, for the grand finale in Accra on September 10.

They were going with unwavering determination, intense focus, and relentless hard work to ensure that the NSMQ made schools proud, he said.

GNA