Prof. Said Mohamed, the Executive Secretary of NECTA, led the press conference in Dar es Salaam, detailing the breakdown of the results. Although girls constituted the majority of successful candidates, with 527,622 passing compared to 443,254 boys, the pass rate for boys remained higher at 86.18 per cent, while girls recorded a pass rate of 84.43 per cent. Prof. Mohamed noted that this gender disparity in pass rates persists, as boys also led in 2025 with an 82.51 per cent pass rate compared to 81.21 per cent for girls.
The examination was administered over two days, from 9 to 10 September 2026, across Tanzania Mainland. A total of 1,168,649 candidates were registered in 20,019 schools, with girls making up 54.52 per cent (637,182) and boys 45.48 per cent (531,467) of the registered population. The majority of candidates, 92.52 per cent, sat the exam in Kiswahili, while 7.48 per cent opted for English. NECTA also registered 4,867 candidates with special needs, including those with visual, auditory, and intellectual disabilities.
Candidates and parents can now access their results through NECTA’s official website, www.necta.go.tz. In adherence to data protection laws, NECTA stated that results do not display pupils’ names; instead, candidates must use their examination numbers to verify their scores. Those unable to access the results online may collect them from their respective schools, where official copies are also displayed on notice boards. The PSLE serves as the primary gateway for admission into Form One secondary education in Tanzania.
NECTA, established under Parliamentary Act No. 21 of 1973, administers all national primary and secondary examinations in the country. The council warned ahead of the 2026 examinations that the results of any candidate found engaging in malpractice would be cancelled. The 2026 candidate total was slightly lower than the 1,172,279 who sat for the examination in 2025, with results for that cycle having been announced on 5 November 2025.
