Tepa SHS is eying another semi-final run after dispatching regional rivals Adu Gyamfi and Suhum SHTS in Contest 44 of the 2026 National Science & Maths Quiz (NSMQ) at the SMS Auditorium.

Tepa took charge from the opening round and maintained its lead through four rounds before a late dip in confidence allowed Suhum SHTS to reduce the deficit. The school opened with 18 points, just two ahead of Suhum’s 16, while Adu Gyamfi SHS started on 11.

The lead grew in Round Two as Tepa added 11 points to move to 29. Suhum reached 20, while Adu Gyamfi managed 12.

Tepa then produced one of its strongest moments in the Problem of the Day, securing seven out of 10 points to take its total to 36. Suhum scored six, with Adu Gyamfi picking up just one.

By Round Four, Tepa had stretched its lead to 16 points, sitting comfortably on 49 points compared to Suhum’s 33 and Adu Gyamfi’s 11.

However, the final round exposed a weakness the team will need to address at the next stage.

Tepa failed to add to its 49 points, while Suhum mounted a late push to finish on 39. Adu Gyamfi added six points to end the contest on 17.

Despite the final-round setback, Tepa’s earlier dominance was enough to secure its place in the One-Eighth Stage.

Coordinator Ebenezer Appiah admitted that the team struggled to maintain its confidence in the final round.

“Yes, we actually had a good start, Round One through to Round Four. Unfortunately, in Round Five, the students found it difficult to come out of their shells. Confidence went down,” he said.

He, however, believes the setback will provide useful lessons as the team prepares for its next challenge.

“We are going to work on the challenges, the little challenges, and then we come out big next time,” he added.

Tepa’s ambitions extend beyond simply surviving the One-Eighth Stage. The school is looking to recreate the success of its memorable 2019 NSMQ campaign, when it reached the national semi-finals after defeating Accra Academy and St. John’s Grammar in the quarter-finals.

Its run ended in the semi-finals against St. Peter’s SHS and Wesley Girls’ High School, but the campaign remains Tepa’s best showing at the national contest.

Now, seven years on, Tepa SHS believes the school has the experience to make another serious push.

“This competition is never new to Tepa Senior High School. We’ve made it to the semi-finals before, and once we have a feel of it, we know how to deal with it,” he said.

“And so we expect more from us this year. We will make it.”

The 2026 National Science and Maths Quiz is produced by Primetime Limited and sponsored by the Ghana Education Service with support from Goil PLC, Prudential Life Insurance, Trustur AI, Jupay Money Transfer, Lumevax, GTP, SpinCITI Laundromat, Didi Jollof, Bel Beverages, Accra College of Medicine, Coronation Insurance, Academic City University and YFM

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