1.5 M HS students to take career test

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) is all set to administer the annual National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) to some 1.5 million senior high school students tomorrow.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said the DepEd National Educational Testing and Research Center (NETRC) is ready with the logistical requirements for the nationwide test to be conducted in public and private high schools.

As in previous years, Lapus expressed hope that the results of the NCAE will be given much consideration by graduating high school students and their parents in deciding what path to take after high school.

The NCAE seeks to provide a guide on the scholastic, vocational, and entrepreneurial aptitude and potentials of examinees.

It practically took the place of the National College Entrance Examination that was discontinued in 1994.

The test categories are general scholastic aptitude (GSA), technical-vocational aptitude (TVA), entrepreneurial skills, non-verbal ability and occupational interest, and its components are scientific ability, mathematical ability, reading comprehension, verbal ability, manipulative skills, clerical ability, non-verbal ability, and entrepreneurial skills.

Lapus stressed that the NCAE results are at best recommendatory and are not a requisite for admission to college, with school guidance counselors tasked to discuss the results with their students.

This year’s examinees have reportedly increased by 20 percent, from 1.2 million in 2007 to 1.5 million this year.