DepEd Ranking 2026: Complete Teacher 1 Application Guide

For most new LPTs, the dream is a permanent DepEd Teacher 1 item — security of tenure, Salary Grade benefits, GSIS, and a classroom of your own. The gate to that dream is the DepEd ranking process, and it changed significantly under DepEd Order No. 7, s. 2023.

If your understanding of "ranking" comes from older batchmates — interviews, the English Proficiency Test, a 70-point cutoff — much of that is now outdated. This guide walks you through the current system: the exact points breakdown, the 50-point RQA cutoff, and how to maximize your score at every stage.

Quick answer: Apply to your target Schools Division Office when it issues a Call for Applications (typically around January). You are evaluated over 100 points across six criteria — with demonstration teaching alone worth 35 points. Score at least 50 points and you enter the Registry of Qualified Applicants (RQA), from which schools fill Teacher 1 vacancies. Full breakdown below.

The Governing Rules in 2026

Current Teacher 1 hiring follows three issuances, cited together in division Calls for Applications:

• DepEd Order No. 19, s. 2022 — the Merit Selection Plan
• DepEd Order No. 7, s. 2023 — the criteria, points system, and process
• DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2024 — amendments, including the score carry-over option

Hiring is decentralized: you apply directly to the Schools Division Office (SDO) where you want to teach, not through a central portal. Each division issues its own memorandum with dates and venues.

The Points System: 100 Points, Six Criteria

Under DO 7, s. 2023, Teacher 1 applicants are scored as follows:

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Read that table again, because it tells you where the battle is actually won:

Your paper credentials — education, training, experience, and LET rating combined — are worth only 40 points. The demonstration teaching (35) and Teacher Reflection Form (25) are worth 60 points together. A fresh graduate with zero experience who delivers an excellent demo and reflection can outrank a credential-heavy applicant who performs poorly on the day.

What Changed from the Old System

DO 7, s. 2023 made three changes every applicant should know:

• No more English Proficiency Test (EPT) — removed as a criterion
• No more panel interviews — replaced by the written Teacher Reflection Form
• RQA cutoff reduced from 70 to 50 points — making the registry more attainable, though competition for actual items remains

If you see older guides (or well-meaning friends) mention the EPT, interviews, or a 70-point cutoff, they are describing the pre-2023 system.

The Six Criteria, Explained

1. Education (10 points)

Points are for qualifications exceeding the minimum (a bachelor's degree is the baseline and earns no extra points). Completed master's units, a full master's degree, and doctorate units add points per the increments table. Relevant education only — units must relate to the level you are applying for.

2. Training (10 points)

Training hours in curriculum and instruction or other relevant specialized training beyond the minimum, acquired in the last five years. Keep every seminar certificate — hours are counted.

3. Experience (10 points)

Teaching experience beyond the minimum requirement. Private school teaching counts, which is why many LPTs teach private first while waiting for an item. For SHS applicants, relevant industry or work experience may also be credited.

4. LET/PBET/LEPT Rating (10 points)

Your board rating converts to points via a formula. A higher LET rating means more points — one more reason your board exam preparation mattered beyond just passing.

5. Demonstration Teaching — PPST COI (35 points)

The single biggest criterion. You deliver an actual classroom demonstration observed and scored against the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) Classroom Observable Indicators using official rubrics.

How to prepare:

• Study the PPST indicators — observers score against these specific strands
• Prepare a complete lesson plan with clear objectives, differentiated activities, and assessment
• Practice your demo with a live audience (batchmates, family) at least twice
• Manage time strictly — an unfinished lesson scores poorly
• Show learner-centered techniques: questioning, engagement, positive discipline

6. Teacher Reflection Form — PPST NCOI (25 points)

The written replacement for interviews. You respond to prompts demonstrating your understanding of the Non-Classroom Observable Indicators — professionalism, learner diversity, community linkages — through narratives and reflections scored by rubric.

How to prepare:

• Write authentic, specific narratives — real situations, real actions, real results
• Connect every answer explicitly to PPST strands
• Structure responses clearly (situation → action → outcome → learning)

The Application Requirements

Per DO 7, s. 2023, prepare:

• Letter of intent addressed to the head of office (per the division's memo)
• Personal Data Sheet — CS Form No. 212, Revised 2017, with Work Experience Sheet
• Photocopy of valid PRC License/ID
• Photocopy of Certificate of Rating (LET/PBET/LEPT)
• TOR and Diploma — plus certificates of graduate units/degrees if any
• Certificates of Training
• Certificates of Employment / service records (if with experience)
• Performance ratings (if applicable, for those with prior service)

Check your specific division's Call for Applications for folder format, tabbing, and submission logistics — divisions add their own document-arrangement rules. Our companion DepEd Teacher 1 Requirements checklist covers document preparation in full.

The Process, Step by Step

• Watch for the Call for Applications — divisions typically announce around January for the next school year, via division memoranda and official Facebook pages
• Submit your application to the SDO within the stated window
• Paper evaluation — the HR Merit Promotion and Selection Board evaluates your Education, Training, Experience, and LET rating under the Open Ranking System (you can witness the evaluation — transparency is mandated)
• Demonstration teaching — scheduled by the division; scored against PPST COI rubrics
• Teacher Reflection Form — completed and scored against NCOI rubrics
• Comparative Assessment Result (CAR) and RQA posting — scores are consolidated; applicants with 50 points or above enter the Registry of Qualified Applicants for that school year
• Appointment — as Teacher 1 items open, schools fill them from the RQA

Being in the RQA means you are qualified — appointment happens when an item opens. Some applicants are appointed quickly; others wait within the RQA's validity for that school year.

The Carry-Over Option (DO 21, s. 2024)

If you were in a previous CAR-RQA but not appointed — or even if you did not meet the cutoff — you do not have to redo the entire process. Under DO 21, s. 2024, you may:

• Retain all your scores — indicate this intent in your application letter, or
• Update your credentials — submit only your application letter, PDS, checklist, and the updated documents (new training certificates, new experience, completed graduate units)

Strategic implication: every year you wait, you can add training hours, teaching experience, and graduate units — updating only those criteria while keeping your demo score if it was strong.

Honest Advice for Applicants

Put 70% of your preparation into the demo and reflection. They are 60% of your score and the only criteria you can dramatically improve in weeks rather than years.

Do not despair over thin credentials. The 50-point cutoff plus the 60-point weight on performance means fresh graduates realistically make the RQA with a strong demo.

Ranking is free and merit-based. No recommendation letters earn points, and anyone selling "assistance" or "backer" services is scamming you. The Open Ranking System exists precisely so you can watch your own evaluation.

Teach while you wait. Private school experience earns Experience points for your next update and makes your demo sharper — the wait becomes an investment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What score do I need to make the RQA?

At least 50 points out of 100 under DO 7, s. 2023 — reduced from the previous 70-point cutoff.

Is there still an English Proficiency Test?

No. DO 7, s. 2023 removed the EPT as a criterion, along with panel interviews.

Is the demonstration teaching really worth 35 points?

Yes — it is the single largest criterion, and together with the 25-point Teacher Reflection Form, performance-based measures make up 60 of the 100 points.

Does private school teaching experience count?

Yes, teaching experience beyond the minimum earns Experience points regardless of whether it was public or private.

When do applications open?

Divisions typically issue Calls for Applications around January for the next school year, but timing varies — follow your target SDO's website and official Facebook page.

I was in last year's RQA but not appointed. Do I start over?

No. Under DO 21, s. 2024, you can carry over your scores or update only your changed credentials — state your choice in your application letter.

Do I apply to DepEd Central Office?

No. Hiring is decentralized — apply directly to the Schools Division Office where you want to teach.

Before You Apply

Make sure your license paperwork is complete: What to Do After Passing the LET covers oath, PRC ID, and your options while waiting for an item. And if you are still preparing for the LET itself — your board rating is worth 10 ranking points, so aim high: free gamified LET reviewers at LisensyaPrep.