Preparing for the Future: Grade 10 Students Take the NCAE

For the first time since the pandemic, Grade 10 students of MGC New Life Christian Academy (MGCNLCA) took the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) last August 15 to 16 in preparation for the next steps in their academic life.

Mandated by the Department of Education (DepEd), the NCAE is a standardized aptitude test that aims to raise career awareness among the youth and assess students’ abilities in different areas to find their best skills and strengths. 

First administered in 2007, the NCAE replaced the traditional National College Entrance Examination taken by graduating high school students. However, its implementation had to be halted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NCAE tests a variety of skills: reading, science, mathematics, verbal, logical thinking, sports, and technical-vocational-livelihood (TVL). It also evaluates the students’ performances in different strands or tracks, including Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM); Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); and Arts and Design. 

The test ends with an Occupational Interest Inventory (OII) to assess what the examinees want to pursue in their careers. The Patmos students took the NCAE over the course of two days, with each day spanning four hours and 25 minutes.

The results of this test serve as a guide to students in deciding what strand they should take in Senior High School, what course they should take up in college, and what career best suits them.

Patmos B student Nathania Agabin said, “I find the NCAE test relatively [good] and not that hard… Although, I was able to see [what I like] in the occupation interests part of the test.”

“What I hope to see for [the Grade 10 students] is that they would conscientiously use the data available to them to make intelligent choices as far as career exploration is concerned. I pray that they would pursue a career that allows them [to] pursue their passions, utilize their skills and abilities, and give them utmost satisfaction,” remarked Guidance and Testing Center Head Daphne Trina Uang.