Computing grades in the Philippines can seem complicated, but with a clear understanding of the process, it becomes manageable. This guide will walk you through how grades are calculated in the Philippine education system, covering both basic education (K-12) and higher education. Whether you're a student, parent, or educator, this guide will help you understand the ins and outs of grade computation.
In basic education, grades are expressed as percentages and correspond to the following descriptors:
Colleges and universities may have slightly different scales, but they generally look like this:
Grades in the Philippines are typically made up of three main components: written works, performance tasks, and quarterly assessments. These components help measure different aspects of student learning and performance.
Written works include quizzes, tests, assignments, and written reports. They usually make up 20-40% of the final grade, depending on the subject.
Performance tasks assess practical skills and application of knowledge. These can be projects, experiments, presentations, or other hands-on activities. Performance tasks often account for 40-60% of the final grade.
Quarterly assessments, or periodical exams, measure what students have learned over the term. These exams typically contribute 20-30% to the final grade.
Let's go through a step-by-step example of how to compute grades using a Grade 10 Science class as an illustration.
First, gather all the scores from written works, performance tasks, and quarterly assessments. For example:
Convert each score to a percentage and then compute the average for each component.
Quiz 1 = 20/25 × 100 = 80%
Quiz 2 = 15/20 × 100 = 75%
Assignment = 18/20 × 100 = 90%
Average Written Works = (80% + 75% + 90%) / 3 = 81.67%
Project = 45/50 × 100 = 90%
Lab Report = 40/50 × 100 = 80%
Average Performance Tasks = (90% + 80%) / 2 = 85%
Quarterly Assessment = 80%
Next, apply the weights to each component. Assume the weights are:
Weighted Written Works = 81.67% × 0.30 = 24.50%
Weighted Performance Tasks = 85% × 0.50 = 42.50%
Weighted Quarterly Assessment = 80% × 0.20 = 16.00%
Add the weighted scores to get the final grade:
Final Grade = 24.50% + 42.50% + 16.00% = 83.00%
Finally, convert the percentage to a letter grade based on the DepEd scale:
83.00% falls within the range of 80-84%, which is Satisfactory.