DepEd Memorandum 069, s. 2025
Administration of the National Assessment for School Heads for Fiscal Year 2025
AUG 11 2025
DepEd MEMORANDUM
No. 069, s. 2025
ADMINISTRATION OF THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT FOR SCHOOL HEADS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025
To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau and Seivice Directors
Regional Directors
Schools Division Superintendents
Public Elementary and Secondary School Heads
All Others Concerned
1. The Department of Education {DepEd) remains steadfast in its commitment to ensure that every school is led by a competent and qualified principal. In line with this goal and as part of ongoing strategic reforms to strengthen leadership development and ensure merit-based assessment, the Nationa1 Qualifying Examination for School Heads {NQESH) has been refocused and renamed the National Assessment for School Heads (NASH).
2. The NASH now serves as a developmental assessment tool to evaluate readiness and identify areas for improvement among aspiring school leaders. It is intended to support their professional growth and prepare them for school leadership roles within the career progression framework.
3. The assessment shall cover conceptual and situational critical thinking questions aligned with the standards set by the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH), as stipulated in DepEd Order (DO) No. 024, s. 2020, or the National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professi.onal Standards for School Headsusing the SOLO (Structure of the Observed Leaming Outcome) taxonomy as an underpinning framework.
4. The administration of the NASH is anchored on and aligned with the following policies:
a. Section 17(c) of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Executive Order No. 174, s. 2022, states that: Teachers holding the position of Master Teacher I, who are aspiring for a career in school administration under the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system, may be promoted or reclassified within the School Administration (SA) Career Line, provided the teacher must have passed the DepEd-administered school head assessment.
b. Section 7.4.3 of DepEd-Department of Budget and Management Joint Circular No. 001, s. 2025, or the Modified Position Classification and Compensation Scheme and System of Career Progression of Teachers and School Heads in the Public Basic Education System, provides that: For School Principal Positions in the SA Career Line, the passing of the school heads assessment or its equivalent shall be required, subject to applicable guidelines set by DepEd.
c. Item No. 27 of DO 021, s. 2024, which amends DO 007, s. 2023 (Guidelines on the Recruitment, Selection, and Appointment in the Department of Education) emphasized that: First appointments to School Principal positions, whether through natural vacancy or reclassification, shall require candidates to pass the DepEd-administered school head assessment. As such, it shall be reiterated that only passers/ eligible of the NQESH, Principal's Test, or other school head assessment(s) that may so be required in the future, shall be eligible for first appointment to School Principal positions.
5. Accordingly, DO 019, s. 2025, titled Amended Qualification Standards for Teachers I-llI, Master Teacher I-N, and School Principal I-N Positions, and the Qualification Standards for Newly Created Teacher N- VII and Master Teacher V Positions, which formally adopts Civil Service Commission (CSC) Resolution No. 2500471 dated May 28, 2025, provides the revised Qualification Standards (QS) for the School Principal I position, as detailed below:
Education | Experience | Training | Eligibility |
Master's degree in Education, or Educational Management, or Educational Leadership; or Master's degree in relevant learning area with at least 9 units in Management | 5 years teaching experience and 1-year relevant experience in any of the following: learning area coordination, subject area supervision, school management and operations, instructional supervision | 32 hours of training in any of or a cumulative of the following: Curriculum, Pedagogy, School Management and Operations, Instructional Leadership acquired within the last 5 years | Republic Act (RA) No. 1080 1, as amended (Teacher) |
6. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, the NASH will be conducted in two batches, as follows
Examination | Date | Target Takers | |
Batch 1 | Mock Examination | August 31, 2025 | Personnel who meet the amended CSC-Approved QS for Principal I, specifically: · Head Teachers · Assistant School Principals · Teachers-in-Charge |
Actual Examination | September 07, 2025 | ||
Batch 2 | Mock Examination | November 30, 2025 | · Head Teachers and Assistant School Principals (regardless of whether they meet the QS for School Principal I) · FY 2021 NQESH Category C takers · FY 2023 NQESH Category B and C takers · Other Personnel who are qualified based on the new CSC-Approved QS |
Actual Examination | December 7, 2025 | ||
7. In line with the efforts of DepEd to achieve the 1:1 Principal-to-School ratio, a nationwide profiling of Head Teachers (HTs), Assistant School Principals (ASPs), and School Heads was conducted in February and March 2025 through the administration of the Profiling of Prospective School Principals survey .. To determine the first batch of participants, the following prioritization parameters were established:
a. Individuals currently holding positions affected by the implementation of the Expanded Career Progression System (e.g., Head Teachers and Assistant Principals) or incumbent school heads (Teacher-in-Charge);
b. Individuals who meet the revised QS for the School Principal 1 position per DO No. 19, s. 2025; and
c. Individuals who have not yet passed the NQESH/Principal's Test.
8. The Batch 1 List of takers, including details and instructions on the evaluation and validation of takers and administration of NASH can be accessed through this link/QR Code: https://bit.ly/DM_FY2025NASH_Enclosures.
9. Other eligible takers of FY 2025 NASH Batch 1, who met all the parameters in Item No. 7 but are not included in the list, may submit the required documents following the same process stated in Item No. 8.
10. All documents will be subjected to the evaluation by the Schools Division Office (SDO)'s Human Resource Management Officer (HRMO) and other authorized personnel assigned by the Schools Division Superintendent based on the set parameters identified in Item No. 7. Should any of the applicants be found to have not met all the set parameters, the SDO shall disapprove their application to take the NASH.
11. Details of FY 2025 NASH Batch 2 shall be provided through a separate official issuance.
12. Official Results shall be released through a DepEd Memorandum, followed by the release of Certificates of Rating (COR) and the Individual Development Report (IDR) through the DepEd Official Email address of the takers.
13. Given that the NASH is designed as a developmental tool, aspiring school heads are strongly encouraged to actively participate in coaching and mentoring sessions with experienced and proficient school principals to support their professional growth and leadership readiness. Through these sessions, candidates will gain valuable insights into how the competencies outlined in the PPSSH are demonstrated in practice. This approach not only enhances their understanding of the role but also provides them with practical guidance and reflection opportunities to prepare effectively for the assessment.
14. It is also important to emphasize that DepEd upholds the credibility and integrity of the assessment process. The Department is not affiliated with any individual or institution offering monetary value in exchange for review of classes or claiming access to the content of the examination. All applicants are warned against engaging with persons or organizations that misrepresent such affiliations. Any attempt to request or gain access to the test content-either directly or indirectly-or to offer bribes (in monetary form or otherwise) to officials at all the governance levels shall be subject to investigation and may result in appropriate administrative action in accordance with DO 49, s. 2006 (Revised Rules of Procedure of the Department of Education in Administrative Cases).
15. In view of the foregoing, and in line with the Department's commitment to uphold the credibility and integrity of the assessment process, all DepEd personnel who will be engaged-whether individually or through affiliation with an external organization/s-in the conduct of review sessions or preparatory classes are directed to submit via email to the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development-Human Resources Development Division (BHROD-HRDD), a copy of their duly approved permit to engage in the private practice of their profession outside official work hours. The submission must clearly indicate the details of the engagement, including the name of the organization, nature of involvement or role, and the specific duration or schedule of the activity. The permit to practice profession outside official work hours complies with the following relevant policies and regulations:
a. Section 18, Rule XIII of CSC Memorandum Circular No. 15, s. 1999 - prohibiting government employees to engage in any private practice of profession without permit by the head of agency;
b. RA 6713 - stipulating that engagement in the private practice of profession by public officials and employees is a ground for administrative action, unless authorized by law or regulation, provided that such practice will not conflict or tend to conflict with official functions; and
c. Section F of DO 001, s. 2023 - outlining the signing authority for granting permission to practice one's profession outside official work hours.
16. For more information, please contact the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development-Human Resources Development Division, 4th Floor, Mabini Building, Department of Education Central Office, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City through email address at bhrod.hrdd@deped.gov.ph.
17. Immediate dissemination of this Memorandum is desired
(SGD) SONNY ANGARA
Secretary
References:
DepEd Order (Nos. 019, s. 2025; 021, s. 2024; 001, s. 2023; 024 s. 2020; and 49, s. 2006
To be indicated in the Perpetual Index
under the following subjects:
ASSESSMENT
BUREAUS AND OFFICES
OFFICIALS
PRINCIPAL
PROGRAMS
PROMOTION
QUALIFICATIONS
RULES AND REGULATIONS
SCHOOL HEADS
SCHOOLS
TEACHER
A full copy of DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025 below:
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