New Guidelines and Date of Exam for NCAE 2011

Here's a press release of the "New Guidelines and Date of Exam for NCAE" for the school year (S.Y.) 2011-2012. This document is retrieved from the Department of Education website.

The Department of Education announces the amendments to the administration of the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) including the change of examination date which has been moved from August 31, 2011 to September 28, 2011.
NCAE which used to be given to fourth year high school students is now administered for third year high school students both in public and private secondary schools. Also covered to take the NCAE are fourth year high school students who are applying for scholarship programs offered by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“We deem it better to administer the NCAE to third year high school students to give them sufficient time for comprehensive career guidance before they enter the tertiary level,” said Education Secretary Armin Luistro.
DepEd Order No. 28 s. 2011 stipulates that the fourth year students who will take the NCAE for CHED and TESDA scholarship should belong to the top ten percent (10%) of each secondary high school regardless of school size. Also, they should have a general weighted average of eighty percent (80%) in third year and should come from a family whose gross annual income is not more than P300,000.
A letter of intent signed by the parents of the examinees must be submitted signifying that they are interested to apply for the CHED/TESDA scholarship. NCAE is also open to other interested fourth year students, out-of-school youth and A & E passers.
The results of the NCAE will show the interest and career inclination of the student, whether it is technical-vocational, entrepreneurial, or a full college education course. “This way parents and students will be guided on what career track is best to take after high school graduation, and we want to remind people that the result of the NCAE is not mandatory but recommendatory,” explained Luistro.
The NCAE is an important tool of the government to address job mismatch, cut unemployment rate, and reverse the local “brain drain” phenomenon. Present conditions indicate that a large number of college graduates fail to find appropriate employment suited for the course they finished. This has resulted in unemployment and oversupply of college graduates in white collar jobs while resulting in shortages in skilled manpower.
The NCAE is an assessment of students’ aptitudes and skills and estimates what field or discipline the student can excel in. It is non-discriminatory for people who have aptitude for technical-vocational and entrepreneurial courses.