How the NASH Is Scored: The 65-Point Rule
Many takers ask for “the passing score” of the National Assessment for School Heads (NASH). The honest answer is that the NASH has no single passing score. DepEd places each taker in a competency level, based on an overall score and five domain scores, and the number that matters at every step is 65.
This guide explains the scoring method DepEd published for both FY 2025 batches, in DepEd Memorandum (DM) No. 097, s. 2025 and DM No. 044, s. 2026.
The scoring model
Both memos say scores were calculated with the Ordinal Partial Credit Model, using a multi-level approach. An ordinal partial credit model gives credit for answers that are partly right, not just fully right or wrong, and treats the credit levels as ordered steps.
The scoring happens at four levels.
Step 1: item level, 0 to 3 points
Each response is scored on a 0 to 3 scale, where 0 is incorrect and 3 is the most correct answer. In DepEd’s words, this recognizes “partial understanding and higher-quality answers.”
This matters for how you answer. Because an item can earn partial credit, a response can be partly right. The response that best reflects how a capable school head would think earns the most, so aim for the strongest answer, not just an acceptable one. (The memos describe the scale but not the item format, so we do not assume one here.)
Step 2: indicator level, standardized to 1 to 100
The item scores for each PPSSH indicator are totaled. That total is then standardized using z-statistics and converted to a 1 to 100 scale.
A z-score describes how far a result sits above or below the average of all takers. Standardizing means your indicator score reflects how you did compared with everyone else who took that batch, which makes indicators with different numbers of items comparable.
Step 3: domain level, a weighted average of indicators
Each domain score is a weighted average of the z-scores of the indicators in that domain. The weight is 100 divided by the number of indicators, so every indicator in a domain counts equally. The result is again put on a 1 to 100 scale.
Step 4: overall score, a weighted average of domains
The NASH Overall Score is a weighted average of the five domain z-scores, normalized to 1 to 100.
The three competency levels
DepEd then uses the overall score and the domain scores together to place each taker in one of three competency levels. These were the same for both FY 2025 batches:
| Competency level | What you need | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting PPSSH standards in 4 domains | 65 or higher overall and in at least 4 domains | Prospective candidate for an entry-level school principal position, subject to the qualification standards |
| Meeting PPSSH standards in 3 domains | 65 or higher overall and in at least 3 domains | Prospective candidate, but must take a Targeted Development Program (TDP) on at least one improvement area within three months of appointment |
| With Developmental Areas | 65 or higher overall but fewer than 3 domains above 65, or below 65 overall | Must complete Professional Development Interventions (PDI) facilitated by NEAP (Batch 1 also allowed an authorized external service provider) and a Work Application Plan certified by the Schools Division Superintendent before being considered |
Notice what this means in practice:
- 65 overall is necessary but not enough. You also need at least three domains at 65 or above.
- Domain balance matters. A taker with a high overall score but only two strong domains lands in With Developmental Areas.
- Even the top level is not an appointment. “Prospective candidate” means you can be considered, subject to the qualification standards and DepEd’s hiring guidelines. You still go through the regular selection process.
Because scores are standardized
A z-score normally describes a result relative to a group’s average. The memos say the scores were “standardized using z-statistics,” but they do not say which group the scores are compared against, and they publish neither the number of items nor a raw passing mark. So no one outside DepEd can convert the NASH into a fixed “number of correct answers to pass.” Be wary of anyone who claims to know one.
What you receive
After results are released, each taker can open their Individual Certificate of Rating in the DepEd Learning Management System, using the account registered for the assessment. The Individual Development Report, sent to your official DepEd email for Batch 1, summarizes your strengths, areas for improvement and recommended interventions. If you land in the 3-domain level or With Developmental Areas, DM 097 tells you to use your IDR as the guide to the training you must complete.
For the Batch 1 and Batch 2 numbers, see NASH FY 2025 Results: Batch 1 and Batch 2 in Numbers.
What this means for your preparation
- Study all five domains. A gap in one domain can cost you a competency level.
- Practice telling a good answer from the best one, since items award partial credit.
- Do not chase a raw-score target. Aim to understand each PPSSH strand well enough to apply it.
NASH Competency Domains: The Five PPSSH Domains lists the strands in each domain.
Key points
- Each NASH item is scored 0 to 3; indicator, domain and overall scores are standardized and put on a 1 to 100 scale.
- There is no single passing score. Competency levels depend on scoring 65 or higher overall and in at least three or four domains.
- Scores are standardized with z-statistics; DepEd does not publish a raw passing mark.
- Even the top level makes you a prospective candidate, not an appointee.
Sources
- DM No. 097, s. 2025, Results of the National Assessment for School Heads for Fiscal Year 2025 (Batch 1)
- DM No. 044, s. 2026, Results of the National Assessment for School Heads for Fiscal Year 2025 (Batch 2)