Presby SHS, Bompata, has pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ), knocking out seeded Our Lady of Grace Senior High School (OLAG) to advance to the quarter-finals.

Bompata SHS held its nerve through a fiercely contested One-Eighth-stage encounter at the SMS Auditorium, finishing on 34 points to beat OLAG by six points.

OLAG, the only private school to reach the semi-finals of the NSMQ last year, entered the contest as a seeded school and appeared poised to defend its status.

But Presby SHS, Bompata, had other plans. The contest began with just one point separating the two sides. OLAG scored 17 points in Round One, narrowly ahead of Presby SHS, Bompata’s 16 points, while Kumasi Senior High Technical School managed 10.

Presby SHS, Bompata, responded strongly in Round Two, taking the lead with 20 points as OLAG scored 16 and Kumasi Sec. Tech. added 13.

The Problem of the Day offered little to separate the schools, with Presby SHS, Bompata, scoring 3 out of 10, while both OLAG and Kumasi Sec. Tech. managed 2 out of 10.

Presby SHS, Bompata, extended its advantage in Round Three, posting 23 points against OLAG’s 18 and Kumasi Sec. Tech.’s 15.

The contest then tightened in the subsequent round, with Presby SHS, Bompata, holding 28 points, while OLAG and Kumasi Sec. Tech. were tied at 22.

With the quarter-final place within reach, Presby SHS, Bompata, kept its composure in the closing stages to finish on 34 points.

OLAG could only manage 28 points, while Kumasi Sec. Tech. ended the contest on 22 points.
The result means OLAG loses its seeded status, while Presby SHS, Bompata, seizes the seed.

For OLAG, the defeat brings a stunning end to a campaign that began with the weight of being a seeded school and last year’s semi-final achievement.

For Presby SHS, Bompata, however, the victory is a statement: the school has not only eliminated a seeded opponent but has also now inherited its place among the quarter-finalists.

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, Pepsodent, Trustur AI, Cowbell, Jupay Money Transfer, Lumevax, GTP, SpinCITI Laundromat, Didi Jollof, Bel Beverages, Accra College of Medicine, Coronation Insurance and Academic City University.

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