The Department of Education (DepEd) periodically administers exit assessments as part of their K to 12 Basic Education Program national assessment framework. Examples of these exit assessments are the National Achievement Tests or NAT for Grades 3, 6, and 10 and Basic Education Exit Assessments or Exit Exams for Grade 12. Recently, DepEd released a memo stating that the National Achievement Test for Grade 12 (NATG12) for School Year (SY) 2022-2023 will be administered this coming January 30 and 31, 2023, via paper-based modality. 

The results of these standardized tests are critical since the findings of these assessments are used to evaluate the current curriculum and identify gaps that can be venues for further improvement. In addition, the results of these government-mandated assessments determine if graduating learners are meeting the learning standards set by the government for the currently implementing curriculum. 

From the students’ perspective, specifically for Grade 12, they can use their exit assessment ratings to diagnose their preparedness for higher education since these tests cover 21st-century skills and the core SHS learning areas of Languages, Humanities, Communication, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, and Philosophy. These subjects are the building blocks of the courses they could take in colleges and universities. 

Identified Needs for Exit Assessments Preparedness

Having a goal in mind to be a reliable partner in assessment preparedness, the Quipper Philippines Content Development team conducted a survey and focus group discussions for both private and public schools to determine the needs related to assessments to aid students, teachers, and schools in preparing for government-mandated exit assessments. 

In totality, Quipper has identified a need for teachers to help prepare ready-made test materials that could accurately measure students’ learning and their preparedness for higher competencies as assessed by these exit exams since preparing these materials on their own is both time and resource-consuming.  Also, there is a demand for test preparation material that will facilitate students to be mentally, psychologically, and emotionally prepared to cope with the stress and pressure of performing well within a time constraint. 

How Quipper can help students to become confident and better test takers for exit exams

Quipper has developed an assessment package that includes the Basic Education Exit Assessment  (BEEA) which can be the school’s dependable materials to support teachers in test-making preparation and also equip students to take these standardized exit exams confidently. 

The package is composed of two kits designed for teachers and students. 

The Teacher Kit

The Teacher Kit is a handbook or manual consisting of three modules (1) Test-taking strategies, (2) Assessments, and (3) Standardized Tests. 

1. The module on Test-taking Strategies is designed to help teachers create their own review classes to help students prepare for standardized tests. It has materials on general and subject-specific test-taking strategies for mental/academic preparation.
2. The module on Assessments is designed not just as a refresher for teachers. More than that, this is a practical go-to kit for teachers who need a quick review of the general whys, whats, and hows of assessments. Also included in this module are the different types of assessments, how to design assessments, and the tools teachers can use for measurement and utilization of results.
3. Lastly, the Teacher Kit contains three sets of tests: a Pretest/Posttest and two sets of Mock tests. The Pretest/Posttest is answerable online, while the Mock Tests are downloadable and printable, with laid-out answer sheets to simulate the actual standardized tests.

Student Kit

The Student Kit consists of (1) review notes, (2) HOTS questions, and (3) practice tests.

1. The Review notes contain the competencies covered, a summary of concepts and targeted key points, as well as sample exam questions and how to understand and answer them using appropriate test-taking strategies. The reviewer also provides space for Vocabulary notes and for important notes to encourage students to take down notes and important techniques that may help them learn better and be more prepared in taking tests.
2. There are also HOTS questions created in each review note to provide opportunities for students to develop their communication and articulation skills. All reviewer notes are downloadable and printable.
3. The Student Kit contains four sets of tests: all Practice tests, two are answerable online, while two are downloadable and printable with answer sheets to simulate the actual tests.

The Exit Assessments Practice tests consist of 13 subjects, namely: 

• Earth and Life Science;
• Physical Science;
• General Mathematics;
• Statistics & Probability;
• Media & Information Literacy;
• Oral Communication;
• Reading and Writing;
• Komunikasyon at Pananaliksik sa Wika at Kulturang Pilipino;
• Pagbasa at Pagsusuri ng Iba’t ibang Teksto Tungo sa Pananaliksik; 
• Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics;
• Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person;
• Personal Development; and
• Humanities, particularly:
  • Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems; 
  • Trends, Networks, and Critical Thinking in the 21st Century;
  • Philippine Politics and Governance;
  • Community Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship; and
  • Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences.

Questions for each practice test range from 195 questions to 210 questions which are adequate for the students to prepare for these subjects for the exit exams. Answer keys are also provided for the students to check their answers after answering the practice questions so they can trace which they answered correctly and which topics they needed to master. 

Overall, Quipper Assessment Package is helpful for your school to prepare for the coming exit assessments because:

• Teachers can use the Teacher Kit as a resource for teaching different strategies and techniques in test-taking. It can also be a reference kit to refresh their knowledge on Assessments and Standardized Tests. The package also contains ready-made sample tests that teachers can use to simulate the actual exam. 
• Students, on the other hand, can use the package to review important concepts and information using the review notes. Also, the package will help students prepare for standardized tests by answering the practice tests and simulating the actual tests to gain confidence and self-esteem. Finally, the strategies and techniques are helpful for students in the holistic preparation for standardized tests.      

Quipper’s Assessment Package is available via Q-link and Q-Learn platforms. If you are a school aiming for your students to become successful exit exam takers, set up a demo with our edtech experts on this link to learn more about how you can use Quipper’s assessment package for your school.