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Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
January 23, 2026 | 6:40pm
Department Of Education head office at Meralco Ave., Pasig City
Wikipedia Creative Commons / Patrick Roque
MANILA, Philippines — Students applying to science high schools in the National Capital Region can qualify for interviews at more than one school under the new unified admission system, the Department of Education clarified Friday, January 23.
The clarification, contained in a January 22 memorandum by DepEd NCR, was issued three days after it released its unified admission guidelines for regional science high schools for school year 2026 to 2027 onwards.
The original guidelines had initially drawn pushback and some confusion over a line of text that said students could submit only one application for all regional science high schools.
The most recent memorandum — an addendum to the earlier guidelines — makes it clear that while students file a single application, they can list up to five preferred schools during the Computer-Based Unified Science High School Admissions Test on March 7.
Their scores will be ranked separately for each school they selected, and they may qualify for interviews at multiple institutions depending on their ranking and available slots, the addendum states.
The unified system replaces the previous process where students applied separately to different science high schools across NCR.
A copy of the January 22 addendum was shared with Philstar.com by DepEd. Manila Science High School also posted on social media a copy of the memorandum.
How the system works
During the exam, students indicate their preferred schools in the Examinee Descriptive Questionnaire. Test scores are then ranked separately for each school alongside other applicants who listed that same school.
"An applicant may qualify for interviews at more than one science high school, depending on their ranking and the availability of slots in the schools they selected," the addendum states.
Under the new system, students apply only once because there is now a unified admissions system and a single admissions test for all regional and legislated science high schools in NCR, according to the addendum.
Students are not required to select five schools — they can choose just one or up to five, depending on their preference. The student's test score will be ranked separately for each of the schools they listed, alongside other applicants who selected the same school.
Depending on the student's ranking and the availability of slots, they may qualify for interviews at one or more schools.
DepEd's explanation under the frequently asked questions section clarifies there is no need to submit multiple applications to different schools. This is because there is only one examination and one application that already cover all participating science high schools in NCR.
Students who qualify but skip interviews without a valid reason forfeit their slot at that school. Those included in the final roster must confirm enrollment within five working days of the April 10 results release, or their slot goes to the next qualified applicant.
Applicants to the science high schools must be Filipino citizens in Grade 6 who are graduating this school year. They need at least 85% in English, Mathematics and Science, and 83% in other subjects for Grade 5 final grades and Grade 6 first and second quarters.
