You May Get Into Your Dream School, Without Taking a Test

COVID-19 has changed a lot of things—how you get to places, when you can drink, and even how you attend mass.

Even students have had to adjust. Classes have gone online and learning is now virtual.

Next up on the list of changes: Entering a university.

As mass gatherings are still prohibited due to COVID-19, several colleges and universities have decided to do without entrance examinations and will instead evaluate admission based on the high school general average of students, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said on May 21.

According to CHED Chair Prospero De Vera, there is no one uniform policy on how entrance tests and examinations will be held during the pandemic. Some higher education institutions will still hold physical, in-person examinations, while others are mixing online and physical examinations, De Vera told senators during the Senate's Committee of the Whole hearing.

Ultimately, it all boils down to how an educational institution conducts the test, and if it has the resources to do so. However, De Vera said majority is choosing to waive traditional admission tests.

"Depende sa conditions on the ground at availability of transport, but majority are waiving the admission test for state universities and colleges," he said.

"Ang marami ay ibe-base na lang admission sa grades ng students at course na inaapplyan nila. May iba na may combination ng physical test at online test. May mga munisipyo na susunduiin sila at dadalhin sila by batch sa eskuwelahan para kumuha ng test," he said.

We know you’re wondering which universities and colleges are waiving the test, but the CHED chief did not mention any institutions or schools.

On the topic of mass promotion: De Vera said schools cannot implement the scheme as he claimed it was a disadvantage for scholars and Latin honors candidates.

"Hindi po kasi puwede 'yung mass promotion kasi it assumes na walang basis to compute grades, but 74 percent of private universities are using the old calendar so they ended their semester in March... They had more than enough basis to keep numeric grades," he said.

Higher education institutions get to decide when they open classes, but De Vera said schools that can’t fully go online with their courses could only begin classes in August.

Last month, CHED asked the National Telecommunications Commission to grant free access to online educational resources as Philippine education turns to a blended learning system to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among students going to school.

The blended learning system makes use of online lessons, television modules, radio lectures, and even printed resources. At this time, where students are stuck at home with families, the Department of Education (DepEd) urged parents to aid in their children’s learning.

Main image from F1Digitals on Pixabay.