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National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) 2017: Requirements, Schedule and Guide to Examinees


National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) 2017
Requirements, Schedule and Guide to Examinees

The Department of Education (DepEd) announced that the nationwide National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) will be on its new schedule on March 1 and 2, 2017.

The DepEd estimates that around 1.8 million Grade 9 students will take the annual career assessment test nationwide.

"The NCAE basically aims to determine the learner's aptitude and occupational interest on any of the Senior High School (SHS) tracks. Occupational interest is the learner's preference in specific vocations and career categories. The two-day exam also aims to guide the conduct of career guidance at the school level and to ensure the development of skills and competencies required for the world of work and career choices," said DepEd.


"This is also to provide the basis for profiling learner's aptitude in the four SHS tracks such as Academic, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood, Sports, and Arts and Design. Under the Academic track are the following strands: Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM); Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS)," DepEd added.

The career assessment covers three domains such as General Scholastic Aptitude (GSA), Occupational Interest Inventory (OII), and Aptitude for SHS tracks.

The GSA refers to the student's scientific ability, reading comprehension, verbal ability, mathematical ability and logical reasoning ability.

The OII pertains to the checklist of occupational interests which provides an assessment of preferences for comprehensive career guidance.

The Aptitude test measures the innate ability of the student to succeed in the SHS tracks.

This year's career assessment is pursuant to DepEd Memorandum No. 16 s. 2017. 

Reminder and Guide to Students

The NCAE examinees should remember the following:
  1. Two Test Booklets (TB): Examinees will answer two test booklets – TB1 with red cover for the NCAE Core areas and TB2 with blue cover for the NCAE Tracks and Technical – Vocational Aptitude. Half of the class will answer TB1 first and the other half, TB2.
  2. Examinees are not allowed to leave the room once the test has started. 
  3. Wait for the room examiner's instructions.  Do not open your Test Booklets until you are told to do so. 
  4. Raise your hands if you have any problem such as missing pages or words that are not printed clearly so the examiner can approach you. 
  5. Questions on the directions or on any test item will not be entertained after the test has started. 
  6. 6. Do not write anything on the Test Booklet. Each will be provided with two double-sided (back-to-back) answer sheets having similar Examinee Number. When answering the Mathematical Ability test, you may use a clean sheet of paper for your computation but this should be submitted to the examiner after the test. 
  7. Use lead pencil in answering the test. 
  8. Select your answer from the given choices and blacken the circle that corresponds to your Answer in the appropriate item number on your Answer Sheet. 
  9. Remember to keep your Answer Sheets clean and free from unnecessary marks. DO NOT fold, crumple, or crease any portion of it, otherwise it may be rejected by the scanning machine. 
  10. You may change your answer by erasing it neatly. Liquid and tape erasers are NOT allowed. 
  11. Work quietly and mind only your own work. Do not use books, dictionaries, rulers, calculators, cell phones, and other electronic devices inside the testing room. 
  12. Refrain from cheating. If you are caught cheating and have been warned twice, but persist on cheating, you will not be allowed to take the test any further. 
  13. You may choose any subtest that you prefer to answer first. You don't necessarily have to follow the sequence of subtest in the board work. However, you are expected to answer all items and follow the time allocation per subtest. 
  14. The total time for the test will be 7 hours and 30 mins. You will be given a 10-minute break in the morning, a 1-hour lunch break and a 10-minute break in the afternoon. 
  15. Work fast enough so you will finish the test within a given time. If you finish the test ahead of time, review your answers.
  16. The room examiner will announce when the given time to finish the test is up.  Put your pencils down when the examiner says STOP. 

Schedules of Examination:
source: deped.gov.ph, DM No. 16 s. 2017