St. Augustine’s College advances to NSMQ 2026 quarter-finals after disputed contest

St. Augustine’s College has advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2026 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) following a controversial One-Eighth-stage contest. The match ended in a walk-off by Anlo SHS and Kumasi High School after they objected to additional marks awarded to St. Augustine’s College.

The dispute originated in Round One regarding the marking of an answer about the meninges. After consulting a specialist, the Quiz Mistress awarded St. Augustine’s College a partial mark, increasing their score from 20 to 21 points. A second one-point adjustment was made following an oversight in the Problem of the Day, further increasing St. Augustine’s advantage.

The 2026 NSMQ One-Eighth stage features 81 schools, including 49 automatic qualifiers, five highest-scoring losing schools from the preliminaries, and 27 seeded schools. The competition is currently moving toward the quarter-finals, which are scheduled to take place from August 30 to September 1.