NCAE Reviewer 2026 With Answer Key: 49 Free Practice Questions
Practise the seven aptitude areas that DepEd lists for the computer-based NCAE with 49 original questions, seven per area, and read the reason behind every answer. Then check what DepEd's memos do and do not say about the test.
The NCAE is DepEd's career guidance test. DepEd Memorandum No. 108, s. 2025 lists seven General Scholastic Aptitude areas (abstract, logical, mechanical, numerical, spatial and verbal reasoning in English and Filipino, and perceptual accuracy and response efficiency, or PARE) plus the CORE interest inventories, which have no right or wrong answers. The memos we read publish no item count, time limit, area weights or passing score, so the split in this reviewer is our own and the questions are original, not real exam questions.
NCAE practice test facts at a glance
| Questions here | 49: 7 areas x 7 questions, original editorial practice |
|---|---|
| Aptitude areas | 7: numerical, verbal (English), logical, spatial, abstract, mechanical, PARE |
| CORE interest inventory | Not quizzed: it asks what you like; there is nothing to study |
| Real test length and passing score | Not published: none of the DepEd memos we read state them |
| Our planning target | 37 of 49 (about 75%): our own estimate, not a DepEd number |
| Who takes the real test | Grade 9 and 10: SY 2026-2027 per division memos; on a computer through the DepEd LMS |
Checked against the official DepEd (Philippines) page and the sources listed at the end of this page on 2026-10-27.
NCAE reviewer: 49 questions with answers
These are the 49 questions from our NCAE reviewer video, in the order the video uses: numerical first, PARE last. Pick an answer and press Check Answer to see the explanation; missed questions go to a retry queue. Every question is original, written from Grade 8 to 10 level skills, and none are real NCAE questions.
DepEd publishes no passing score. As a planning goal, 37 or more of 49 is our own estimate, not a DepEd number.
The seven areas in this reviewer
The area names come from DepEd Memorandum No. 108, s. 2025. The split of questions and the descriptions are ours.
| Area | Questions | What it asks (our description) |
|---|---|---|
| Numerical reasoning | 7 | Math in everyday situations |
| Verbal reasoning (English) | 7 | Words, sentences and relationships; English only in this reviewer |
| Logical reasoning | 7 | Drawing conclusions from statements |
| Spatial reasoning | 7 | Picturing shapes turning and folding |
| Abstract reasoning | 7 | Patterns and series |
| Mechanical reasoning | 7 | How gears, levers and forces behave |
| PARE | 7 | Spotting differences quickly and accurately |
Source: DepEd Memorandum No. 108, s. 2025 (full-text reproduction)
More NCAE reviewers
We also publish three subject reviewers of 42 original questions each: science (forces and motion, energy, chemistry, cells and the human body, heredity and ecology, earth and space, scientific method), math (exponents and radicals, algebra, geometry, measurement, statistics, probability and counting, sequences and word problems) and English (vocabulary, analogies, grammar, sentence structure, reading and spelling). They are subject practice for junior high school skills, not a prediction of the NCAE's content, which DepEd does not publish in detail. The videos will be embedded here when they are live.
Is the NCAE still running?
Yes. DepEd Memorandum No. 108, s. 2025 gave the computer-based NCAE to all Grade 10 learners for school year 2025-2026. For 2026-2027, a Bulacan division letter says it goes to qualified Grade 9 and Grade 10 learners in public schools and private schools with government recognition, through the DepEd learning management system. Your school announces your dates.
For the meaning of the test, how results and percentile ranks work, and the entry rules in the 2016 order, read our NCAE guide linked below.
How to use this reviewer
This plan is ours, not DepEd's. Do one area a day for fifteen minutes, read every explanation, and redo only the questions you missed. Keep a short mistake log with the reason each answer was wrong, because that teaches more than doing a hundred new questions. For PARE, slow down just enough to be accurate. Take the school's mock test seriously so the screen and tools are familiar before the real day.
Sample NCAE practice test questions with answers
One question from each content area of the practice set above, with the answer and explanation. Try it before you open the answer.
Numerical Reasoning
A trip costs ₱20 plus ₱8 for every kilometer. What is the fare for 6 km?
- ₱48
- ₱56
- ₱68
- ₱76
Show answer
C. ₱68
The fare has a fixed part and a per-kilometer part. Six kilometers at eight pesos each is forty-eight pesos. Add the fixed twenty pesos and you get sixty-eight pesos. The forty-eight pesos option forgets the fixed charge.
Verbal Reasoning (English)
Choose the word closest in meaning to PRUDENT.
- Reckless
- Selfish
- Noisy
- Cautious
Show answer
D. Cautious
Prudent describes someone who thinks ahead and avoids unnecessary risk. Cautious is the closest match. Reckless is the opposite.
Logical Reasoning
No teacher is lazy. Some lazy people are tall. Which must be true?
- Some tall people are not teachers
- All teachers are tall
- No tall person is a teacher
- Some teachers are tall
Show answer
A. Some tall people are not teachers
Some tall people are lazy, and no teacher is lazy. So those lazy tall people are not teachers, which means some tall people are not teachers. We can't say anything about teachers who are tall, or about all tall people.
Spatial Reasoning
Which solid has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices?
- Triangular prism
- Square pyramid
- Rectangular prism
- Hexagonal pyramid
Show answer
C. Rectangular prism
A rectangular prism (box): 6 faces, 12 edges, 8 corners.
Abstract Reasoning
What number comes next? 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, __
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
Show answer
C. 17
Look at the gaps: one, two, three, four. The gaps grow by one each time, so the next gap is five. Twelve plus five is seventeen.
Mechanical Reasoning
A fishing rod used to lift a fish works mostly as which class of lever?
- Third class
- Second class
- First class
- It is a pulley
Show answer
A. Third class
Your hand (effort) sits between the fulcrum and the load.
NCAE practice test FAQ
How many questions are on the NCAE?
DepEd's memos that we read do not publish an item count or time limit. This reviewer has 49 original questions, seven per area, as our own split.
Are these real NCAE questions?
No. Every question is original editorial practice written from scratch. DepEd does not release the real questions.
What are the seven areas of the NCAE?
Abstract, logical, mechanical, numerical, spatial and verbal reasoning (English and Filipino), and perceptual accuracy and response efficiency (PARE), per DepEd Memorandum No. 108, s. 2025. The CORE interest inventories are a second domain.
What is a good NCAE score?
DepEd publishes no passing score for the computer-based test. The 2016 order used percentile-rank cut-offs for entry to some senior high school tracks, and a percentile rank is not the percent you got right.
Is there a Filipino verbal section in this reviewer?
No. The real test lists verbal reasoning in English and Filipino; this reviewer's verbal questions are in English only.
Related practice and guides
Sources
Exam facts on this page were checked against these official pages on 2026-10-27.
- DepEd Memorandum No. 108, s. 2025, Administration of the Computer-Based NCAE (full-text reproduction)
- DepEd Order No. 55, s. 2016, Policy Guidelines on the National Assessment of Student Learning (UNESCO-hosted scan)
- SDO Bulacan Division Letter No. 93, s. 2026 (CB-NCAE SY 2026-2027)
OpenExamHub is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with the Department of Education or its Bureau of Education Assessment. All practice questions are original, not from a real NCAE. DepEd does not publish the test's length, weights or passing score, so our question split and target score are estimates. Confirm schedules with your school.