NSMQ 2026: Esaase Bontefufuo, Juaben, OLAM and SDA Gomoa battles for two national spots
The race for places at the 2026 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) National Championship has reached a dramatic final stage, with four schools set to battle for the last two available slots after finishing level on 37 points in the regional qualifiers.
The four schools, Esaase Bontefufuo SHTS, Juaben SHS, Our Lady of Mercy SHS and SDA SHS, Gomoa, will face each other in a decisive tie-breaker in Accra on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
The contest has become necessary because the four schools are ranked from 35th to 38th among the top runners-up nationwide, with all four recording exactly 37 points. Only two of them can advance to the National Championship.
With the difference between qualification and elimination now coming down to a single contest, the four schools will have everything to play for as they seek to keep their NSMQ dreams alive.
Why the Tie-Breaker Is Necessary
The 2026 NSMQ regional qualifiers produced a group of strong runners-up who remained in contention for places at the National Championship.
Organisers initially planned to award National Championship places to the 30 highest-ranked runners-up from the regional qualifying contests.
However, with six slots still available, the ranking process produced a tie involving four schools on 37 points.
Because only two additional places remain for the schools involved in this particular tie, the organisers have scheduled a special contest to determine which schools will move forward.
The official NSMQ platform confirmed that the tie-breaker will select the final two top runners-up who will progress to the preliminary stage of the National Championship.
This means that previous regional performances have taken the four schools as far as the ranking system can take them. They must now settle the matter on the quiz stage.
The Four Schools in the Tie-Breaker
The four schools have been ranked between 35th and 38th in the national top runners-up table.
Their positions and scores are:
Rank School Points
35th Esaase Bontefufuo SHTS 37
36th Juaben SHS 37
37th Our Lady of Mercy SHS 37
38th SDA SHS, Gomoa 37
All four schools therefore enter the tie-breaker with the same score from the regional qualifiers.
That makes the contest particularly interesting because none of the four schools has an advantage based on the points that created the tie.
Instead, they now have to produce another strong performance when it matters most.
Esaase Bontefufuo SHTS Looking to Make History
Esaase Bontefufuo SHTS is one of the four schools hoping to secure a place among the nation’s top schools in the 2026 competition.
The school comes from the Ashanti Region and was among the schools that competed in the regional qualifiers.
Its 37-point performance was enough to place it in the group of leading runners-up, but the score was not enough to secure an automatic place because three other schools finished with the same number of points.
The tie-breaker therefore gives Esaase Bontefufuo SHTS another opportunity.
A strong performance could take the school from the edge of elimination to the National Championship.
That opportunity will make the contest particularly important for the students, teachers and supporters connected to the school.
Juaben SHS Also Has Everything to Play For
Juaben SHS is another school facing the pressure of the decisive contest.
The school finished 36th in the ranking of top runners-up after recording 37 points during the regional qualifying process.
However, its ranking does not provide a guaranteed advantage because the three schools immediately around it also scored 37 points.
Juaben SHS therefore knows that the next contest could determine whether its NSMQ journey continues.
The students will need to remain focused because a tie-breaker can create a very different atmosphere from a normal regional contest.
Every question can become important, and small mistakes can make the difference between progressing and going home.
Our Lady of Mercy SHS in the Fight
Our Lady of Mercy SHS is also part of the four-school battle.
The school, which is based in the Greater Accra Region, recorded 37 points to place 37th in the top runners-up ranking.
Like the other three schools, it has already demonstrated that it can compete strongly at the regional level.
The challenge now is to reproduce that performance when the pressure is even greater.
The school’s supporters will be hoping that the team can use the opportunity to secure one of the final National Championship places.
A victory would turn the school’s 37-point regional performance into a successful qualification campaign.
SDA SHS, Gomoa Has One More Chance
SDA SHS, Gomoa completes the four-school line-up.
The school also recorded 37 points and sits 38th in the ranking.
Although it is listed fourth among the tied schools, the ranking does not automatically eliminate the school.
The tie-breaker gives all four teams another opportunity to fight for the two remaining places.
That means SDA SHS, Gomoa can still qualify if it performs strongly enough in the decisive contest.
For the students representing the school, the message is simple: the previous ranking no longer matters as much as what happens when they face their rivals in the tie-breaker.
The Pressure of a Decisive Contest
NSMQ contests are known for testing more than academic knowledge.
Students must be able to think quickly, communicate effectively with their teammates and remain calm when the pressure rises.
A question can sometimes require only a few seconds of careful thinking before an answer must be given.
In a normal contest, teams have several opportunities to recover from mistakes.
A decisive tie-breaker can feel different because the participants know exactly what is at stake.
For the four schools competing on August 12, the goal is clear.
Two will continue their journey towards the National Championship, while the other two will see their 2026 campaign come to an end.
What Qualification Would Mean
Reaching the NSMQ National Championship is a major achievement for any senior high school.
The competition has become one of Ghana’s most recognised academic events and has developed a strong following among students, teachers, parents and education enthusiasts.
The National Championship brings together some of the country’s strongest science and mathematics students.
For schools that are not among the traditional heavyweights of the competition, qualification can also provide an important opportunity to gain national attention.
A strong performance can boost the confidence of students and encourage younger pupils at the school to take science and mathematics more seriously.
It can also give teachers and school authorities an opportunity to showcase the academic work being done in their institutions.
The Road From Regional Qualifiers to Nationals
The regional qualifiers are an important part of the NSMQ qualification process.
Schools compete within their respective regions and zones for opportunities to move closer to the National Championship.
Some schools qualify directly by winning their regional contests, while strong runners-up can also remain in contention through the national ranking system.
This creates another route for schools that narrowly miss out on winning their regional contests.
The four schools involved in the August 12 tie-breaker are examples of how competitive the qualification process can become.
Their regional scores were strong enough to place them among the leading runners-up nationwide, but the identical scores created the need for another contest.
Six Slots Were Still Available
The official NSMQ update explained that six National Championship slots remained to be filled through the top runners-up ranking process.
The organisers had initially planned for 30 of the highest-ranked runners-up to qualify.
However, the final ranking left additional places to be decided.
The four schools tied on 37 points are therefore fighting for two of the remaining opportunities.
The outcome will complete another important part of the qualification process and bring the 2026 National Championship closer.
More Schools Have Already Qualified
While these four schools are fighting for their places, several other schools have already secured qualification through their performances in the regional contests or the top runners-up ranking.
The official NSMQ platform has been publishing updates on the regional qualifiers and the nationwide ranking as the competition progresses.
Among the schools listed high in the top runners-up ranking are Afua Kobi Ampem Girls’ SHS and Asanteman SHS, both of which recorded 50 points, while KNUST SHS recorded 49 points.
Their performances show the high level of competition among schools seeking to reach the national stage.
For the four schools in the tie-breaker, however, previous results will now take a back seat.
Their immediate task is to win the contest in front of them.
Why NSMQ 2026 Is Generating Interest
The National Science and Maths Quiz has grown beyond an ordinary school competition.
It has become a major part of Ghana’s educational culture, attracting large audiences and creating strong rivalries between schools.
The competition also gives students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of science and mathematics in a high-pressure environment.
For many students, appearing on the NSMQ stage is a memorable experience that can remain with them long after they complete senior high school.
The 2026 edition is continuing that tradition, with schools across Ghana competing for the chance to reach the national stage.
A Big Day for the Four Schools
For Esaase Bontefufuo SHTS, Juaben SHS, Our Lady of Mercy SHS and SDA SHS, Gomoa, August 12 represents a major opportunity.
All four schools have already done enough to remain in the national conversation, but only two can take the next step.
The 37-point tie has created one of the most closely contested qualification situations in the 2026 NSMQ cycle.
The teams will need to combine speed, accuracy, teamwork and composure.
They will also need to handle the pressure that comes with knowing that their National Championship hopes are on the line.
The Battle Comes Down to Two Places
The NSMQ 2026 qualification race has reached a point where there is no room for complacency.
Four schools have the same regional qualifying score.
Two National Championship places remain.
One decisive tie-breaker will determine who gets them.
For the students of Esaase Bontefufuo SHTS, Juaben SHS, Our Lady of Mercy SHS and SDA SHS, Gomoa, the contest is more than another quiz.
It is an opportunity to turn a strong regional campaign into a place on Ghana’s biggest academic quiz stage.
The official NSMQ platform has confirmed that the four schools will meet in Accra on Wednesday, August 12, for the decisive contest.
By the end of the battle, two schools will have earned the right to continue dreaming of national glory, while two others will be left wondering how close they came.
For Ghana’s education community, the tie-breaker promises another exciting chapter in the 2026 National Science and Maths Quiz.
