What Is the NCAE? Meaning, Purpose, Who Takes It and How to Read the Results
NCAE stands for National Career Assessment Examination, a DepEd career guidance test for junior high school learners. This guide explains where it comes from, who takes it now, what is on the computer-based version, what DepEd does not publish, and how results and percentile ranks work, with every fact traced to the DepEd order or memorandum behind it.
The NCAE is a career guidance test run by the Department of Education. DepEd Order No. 55, s. 2016 says its purpose is to guide learners in their future school and career choices and to give a basis for profiling their aptitude for the senior high school tracks. Today it is computer-based (CB-NCAE): for school year 2026-2027, division memos say it covers Grade 9 and Grade 10 learners. The memos we read do not publish an item count, time limit, area weights or a passing score.
NCAE facts at a glance
| Full name | National Career Assessment Examination: written CB-NCAE for the computer-based version |
|---|---|
| Run by | DepEd: Bureau of Education Assessment; your schools division office sets school dates |
| Who takes it | Grade 9 and 10: SY 2026-2027 per division memos; SY 2025-2026 memo covered all Grade 10 learners |
| Format | Computer-based: on school computers, laptops or tablets through the DepEd learning management system |
| Domains | 2: General Scholastic Aptitude (7 areas) and CORE interest inventories |
| Item count, time, passing score | Not published: none of the memos we read state them |
| Results (2016 order) | Within 3 months: Certificate of Rating for each learner; the 2016 rules may have been superseded |
Checked against the official DepEd (Philippines) page and the sources listed at the end of this page on 2026-10-27.
What is on the computer-based NCAE
DepEd Memorandum No. 108, s. 2025 lists two domains. The plain-language descriptions in the last column are ours, not DepEd's.
| Domain | Area | In plain words (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| General Scholastic Aptitude | Abstract reasoning | Patterns and series |
| General Scholastic Aptitude | Logical reasoning | Drawing conclusions from statements |
| General Scholastic Aptitude | Mechanical reasoning | How gears, levers and forces behave |
| General Scholastic Aptitude | Numerical reasoning | Math in everyday situations |
| General Scholastic Aptitude | Spatial reasoning | Picturing shapes turning and folding |
| General Scholastic Aptitude | Verbal reasoning (English and Filipino) | Words and sentences |
| General Scholastic Aptitude | Perceptual accuracy and response efficiency (PARE) | Spotting differences quickly and accurately |
| CORE (Career and Occupational Roles Explorer) | CORE-A (RIASEC model) and CORE-B (Thurstone model) | Occupational interest inventories: no right or wrong answers |
Source: DepEd Memorandum No. 108, s. 2025 (full-text reproduction)
The 2016 entry criteria for senior high school tracks
DepEd Order No. 55, s. 2016 set these entry rules, which use percentile ranks. The order said it would stay in force until school year 2023-2024 unless amended, and the test has changed since, so treat this as the original rule and ask your school what applies now.
| Track or strand | Rule in the 2016 order |
|---|---|
| STEM | Final grade of at least 85 in both Math and Science in Grade 10, plus a percentile rank of 86 or higher in the STEM subtest |
| Sports; Arts and Design | Percentile rank of at least 51 in the matching subtests, then a skills screening by the accepting school |
| HUMSS, ABM, TVL | No cut-off for grades or subtest scores |
Where the NCAE comes from
DepEd Order No. 55, s. 2016, signed on 30 June 2016, is titled Policy Guidelines on the National Assessment of Student Learning for the K to 12 Basic Education Program. Section 4 says DepEd shall conduct a career assessment for Grade 9 students beginning school year 2016-2017, to guide career guidance at the school level and to build the skills and competencies needed in the world of work.
It lists two objectives: to guide individual learners in their future educational and career choices, and to give a basis for profiling learners' aptitude in the four senior high school tracks (Academic, which includes ABM, STEM and HUMSS; Technical-Vocational-Livelihood; Sports; and Arts and Design).
Who takes it now
DepEd Memorandum No. 108, s. 2025, dated 11 December 2025, gave the computer-based NCAE to all Grade 10 learners in public schools and private schools with government permit or recognition, with a testing window from December 2025 to January 2026.
For school year 2026-2027, division memos citing BEA Advisory No. 018, s. 2026 say the test covers Grade 9 and Grade 10 learners, given during regular classes following posted schedules. One division memo records a technical assessment paused from 24 September to 11 October 2026 and resumed from 12 to 30 October 2026. Your own school announces your dates. We could not read the text of the advisory itself.
How the computer-based test works
Learners sit the test on a school computer, laptop or tablet through the DepEd learning management system. A Bulacan division letter says schools install the Safe Exam Browser on Windows and Mac devices and the Full Exam Kiosk on Android devices. Last year's memo told schools without enough computers or a stable connection to partner with nearby schools, and required a mock test first.
Accommodations exist. The 2025 memo let learners with visual difficulties skip the image-heavy subtests (abstract, mechanical and spatial reasoning, and PARE), and DepEd's order provides for assessing learners with disabilities with accommodations. Tell your teacher early if this applies to you.
What DepEd does not publish
The memos we read do not state how many questions the computer-based test has, how long it takes, how the seven areas are weighted, or a passing score. If a video or PDF gives you those numbers, ask where they came from.
The test has also changed over time. In the 2016 design the general scholastic aptitude score was the average of standard scores in scientific ability, reading comprehension, verbal ability, mathematical ability and logical reasoning ability. Today's memos list seven different areas, so an old reviewer may not match the test you will take. Our NCAE practice sets are original skills practice, not predictions of exact questions.
How to read your results
The 2016 order says each learner receives an individual Certificate of Rating with test scores in the domains and the level of preference in the occupational fields, released not more than three months after the examination. Schools, divisions and regions receive an Institutional Performance Profile, a summary of results by domain, and parents and guardians are invited to an orientation where the guidance counselor explains the results and the in-demand jobs in the region.
A percentile rank of 86 means your score was at or above 86 percent of the comparison group. It is not the percentage of questions you answered correctly, so do not read it like a grade. The memos we read do not say how today's computer-based results are reported, so ask your guidance counselor how your school receives them.
What the results are for
DepEd's order says the results support career advocacy, career guidance and homeroom guidance, and can be used for entry assessment to specific senior high school tracks and strands. Accepting schools may ask for alternative entry requirements: the order's examples include a write-up of a scientific inquiry for STEM, a simple business idea for ABM, an essay on a current social issue for HUMSS, a performance or skills assessment for Arts and Design, and fitness tests for Sports.
Our advice, not DepEd's: treat the NCAE as one input alongside your grades, interests and family situation, and use the result to start a conversation with your guidance counselor.
How to prepare
This plan is ours, not DepEd's. Take the school mock test seriously because it shows you the screen and tools. Spend a few minutes a day on each of the seven reasoning areas rather than cramming one: for example numerical on Monday, verbal on Tuesday, logical and abstract on Wednesday, spatial and mechanical on Thursday, and PARE on Friday, then redo only the questions you missed. Keep a mistake log with a line about why you missed each one. CORE has nothing to study; answer honestly, because it asks what you like.
NCAE FAQ
What does NCAE stand for?
National Career Assessment Examination. The computer-based version is written CB-NCAE.
What is the purpose of the NCAE?
DepEd Order No. 55, s. 2016 gives two objectives: to guide learners' future educational and career choices, and to give a basis for profiling their aptitude for the four senior high school tracks.
Who takes the NCAE this school year?
Division memos for school year 2026-2027 say Grade 9 and Grade 10 learners in public schools and private schools with government permit or recognition. The 2025-2026 memo covered all Grade 10 learners. Your school announces the schedule.
Is there a passing score for the NCAE?
None of the DepEd memos we read publishes a passing score, item count, time limit or area weights. The 2016 order used percentile-rank cut-offs for entry to some tracks, but it may have been superseded.
What is on the NCAE?
Two domains: General Scholastic Aptitude, with seven areas (abstract, logical, mechanical, numerical, spatial and verbal reasoning in English and Filipino, and PARE), and the CORE occupational interest inventories.
Does a percentile rank mean the percent I got correct?
No. A percentile rank of 86 means your score was at or above 86 percent of the comparison group, not that you answered 86 percent of questions correctly.
Related practice and guides
Sources
Exam facts on this page were checked against these official pages on 2026-10-27.
- DepEd Order No. 55, s. 2016, Policy Guidelines on the National Assessment of Student Learning (UNESCO-hosted scan)
- DepEd Memorandum No. 108, s. 2025, Administration of the Computer-Based NCAE for SY 2025-2026 (full-text reproduction)
- SDO Muntinlupa City Memorandum No. 003, s. 2026
- SDO Bulacan Division Letter No. 93, s. 2026 (CB-NCAE SY 2026-2027)
- SDO Dasmarinas City DM No. 704, s. 2026 (CB-NCAE technical assessment and administration)
- SDO Dasmarinas City DM No. 754, s. 2026 (suspension and resumption of the technical assessment)
OpenExamHub is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with the Department of Education or its Bureau of Education Assessment. DepEd's own copies of its order and memorandum were not reachable when we checked, so we read a UNESCO-hosted scan and a full-text reproduction, plus division memos. Rules and schedules change; confirm them with your school or schools division office.