The Saarah-Mensah Auditorium was filled with anticipation as the Quarter-final Stage of NSMQ 2023 commenced with great optimism. The erudite Quiz Mistress, Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann, took center stage and expertly managed the competition. Schools flocked to the hall in large numbers to support their contestants. Starting the day, three schools, namely Wesley Girls’ High School, Mpraeso SHS, and Bishop Herman College, were competing for a coveted spot in the Semi-final Stage. Each of these schools displayed remarkable academic prowess. However, it was Wesley Girls’ High School that emerged as the victor.

Here comes the Semifinalist – Wesley Girls’ High School

The 30th Anniversary edition of the National Science & Maths Quiz kicked off, on October 6, 2023. As an exciting highlight of the 30th Anniversary celebrations, this year’s NSMQ is being hosted in two distinct regions: KNUST in Kumasi and National Theatre in Accra. This historic occurrence represents the first time the National Championship spans across two regions. KNUST serves as the venue for the Preliminary four stages of the competition, with the Grand Finale scheduled at the National Theatre.

Bishop Herman rewarded for a good attempt at the Riddles

Wesley Girls’ High School, with lots of heat from the Prelims, having been a torn in St. Peters and Louis Rutten’s flesh, continued to shine in this contest. They secured a decisive victory against Mpraeso SHS and Bishop Herman College, reaffirming their continued brilliance in the competition.

Wesley Girls’ superiority over Mpraeso and Bishop Herman in round 1

The early kick-off in the first round saw Prisca and Nana Adjeiwaa representing Wesley Girls’ High School, and they managed to secure the top score by the end of this section. Mpraeso SHS and Wesley Girls’ both answered their first questions correctly, while Bishop Herman College faltered. Wesley Girls’ went on to score the second question as well, leaving Mpraeso and Bishop Herman behind. A question about the gradient of a curve was presented to all schools, but only Wesley Girls’ succeeded in answering it correctly, highlighting the girls’ superiority on stage.

Bonus points were not yet secured by any school, possibly due to the risk of losing a point for an incorrect answer. All schools were playing cautiously at this stage. However, Mpraeso and Wesley Girls’ broke the silence surrounding bonus questions by attempting and answering one correctly. Mpraeso earned 2 bonus points, while Wesley Girls’ missed this opportunity.

The contest for the first round was heavily battled between the first-timers at the Quarterfinals, Mpraeso, and the experienced Wesley Girls’. It’s important to note that even though three schools were in the contest, Bishop Herman College struggled throughout this round.

In a preamble to all schools about temperature, none of the schools provided the correct answer. However, in the second preamble to all schools, Wesley Girls’ was the only school to answer correctly. Bishop Herman College’s performance remained lackluster even in the final set of questions presented by Professor Kaufmann.

Wesley Girls’ emerged as the top scorer in the first round with 20 points, closely followed by the competitive Mpraeso with 18 points. Bishop Herman College, however, were not their element today, securing only four (4) points.

Leading 3 rounds in a roll – the veteran Wesley Girls’

In the second-round proceedings, Prisca was substituted with Zakia, who showcased an impressive performance during her tenure but eventually had to pass the baton to her colleague. Questions were presented to all three schools simultaneously. The first question focused on the gastric gland and the layer of the stomach where it’s found, but none of the schools provided the correct answer.

READ: #NSMQ2023 1st Three Schools Book Semi-Final Spots

Bishop Herman College (BIHECO) began with the second question and answered it correctly. However, it was the ladies from Wesley Girls’ High School who dominated this round. They answered the fourth question, breaking the ice on the stage, and continued to perform exceptionally well.

At the end of the round, Wesley Girls’ High School led with a total of 28 points, showcasing their prowess. Mpraeso SHS maintained an intermediate position with 19 points, while Bishop Herman College struggled, scoring seven (7) points.

The Chemistry question presented by Professor Kaufmann as the problem of the day remained unsolved and uncorrected for 3 out of 10 extra points by Wesley Girls’, further solidifying their lead with an overall score of 31 points at the end of this round. Mpraeso SHS and Bishop Herman College attempted the Chemistry question, resulting in scores of three (03) and one (1) out of 10 points, respectively. This placed Mpraeso in second place with a total of 22 points and Bishop Herman College with eighth (8) points.

‘Wey Gey Hey’ dominates the NSMQ dais with excellence.

To kick off the True-False round, Bishop Herman College had a substitution take place. Bishop Herman managed to secure 2 points, while Mpraeso and Wesley Girls’ each earned one (1) point. Bishop took the lead in the early stages of this round, but Wesley Girls’ and Mpraeso closed the gap as the contest progressed. In the end, victory belonged to Wesley Girls’, as they topped the score sheet with a distinctive 35 points. Mpraeso secured 26 points, and Bishop Herman College had 15 points.

The Fifth Round was not without its usual drama. Bishop Herman College took the lead and earned the Goil Super Bonanza Award. ‘MPASS’ managed to answer 2 riddles, while ‘Wey Gey Hey’ couldn’t match up. As a result, ‘MPASS’ obtained 32 points, while Bishop Herman had to manage with 21 points. ‘Wey Gey Hey’ secured their spot in the Semi-finals after a fierce battle, maintaining their score of 35 points. The ladies performed admirably throughout the contest.

The Round-by-Round Scores for this contest stood as follows:

Round One General Questions (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology)

Wesley Girls’ High School 20

Mpraeso SHS 18

Bishop Herman College 04

READ: #NSMQ2023 1st Three Schools Book Semi-Final Spots

Round Two (Pepsodent Speed Race)

Wesley Girls’ High School 28