DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026: Revised Grading System Guidelines & Electronic Class Record Download

The Department of Education (DepEd) has officially released DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026 - Revised Guidelines on Classroom Assessment, Grading System, and Awards and Recognition for the K to 12 Basic Education Program, detailing the comprehensive revisions to the K to 12 Basic Education Program's classroom assessment, grading system, and awards and recognition. Below is an easy-to-understand FAQ guide to help teachers, parents, and learners navigate these changes.

General Information

Q: When will these new DepEd guidelines be implemented?

A: The new guidelines will take effect starting School Year (SY) 2026-2027 in all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide, aligning with the phased rollout of the Revised K to 10 and Strengthened Senior High School Curricula.

Q: Which previous DepEd policies are repealed by this Order?

A: This issuance officially repeals DO No. 8, s. 2015 (Policy Guidelines on Classroom Assessment) and DO No. 36, s. 2016 (Policy Guidelines on Awards and Recognition).

The New Grading System & Zero-Based Grading

Q: How does the grading system differ across Key Stages?

A: DepEd is introducing a Descriptive Grading System (non-numeric) for Key Stage 1 (Kindergarten to Grade 3) to focus on developmental progress. A Numerical Grading System will remain for Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4 (Grades 4-12).

Q: What is the Zero-Based Grading System?

A: Scheduled for full implementation in SY 2027-2028 for Grades 4 to 12, the Zero-Based Grading System means that Term Grades (TGs) will be computed directly from the Initial Grade (IG) without using a transmutation table. This aims to reflect true academic performance and eliminate artificial grade inflation.

Specific Weighted Components per Learning Area

To ensure consistency in grading for Key Stages 2 to 4, the following weighted components are prescribed:

Key Stages 2 & 3 (Grades 4-10)

Learning Area / Subject Group	Written/Oral Works (WWs)	Performance Tasks (PTs)	Examinations (EXs)
English, Filipino, Mathematics, Science, Araling Panlipunan (AP), GMRC / Values Education (VE)	20%	50%	30%
EPP / TLE, and MAPEH	20%	60%	20%

*Note: For the EXs component, Summative Test 1 (ST1) accounts for 30%, Summative Test 2 (ST2) for 30%, and the Term Examination (TE) for 40% of its assigned weight.

Key Stage 4 (Senior High School - Grades 11-12)

Learning Area / Subject Group	WWs	PTs	EXs
SHS Core Subjects, Other SHS Academic Electives	20%	50%	30%
SHS Field Exposure, Arts Apprenticeship, Creative Production and Innovation	15%	70%	15%
SHS Arts, Sports, and Health and Wellness Electives	20%	60%	20%
SHS Research Electives and Design and Innovation	40%	60%	–
SHS TechPro Electives	15%	65%	20%
SHS Work Immersion	20%	80%	–

Adjusted Transmutation Table (For SY 2026-2027 Transition)

To prepare for the shift to zero-based grading, an Adjusted Transmutation Table will be used strictly for SY 2026-2027. Under this temporary table, an Initial Grade (IG) of 70.00 is required to achieve a passing Transmuted Grade of 75.

Initial Grade	Transmuted Grade	Initial Grade	Transmuted Grade
99.50 - 100.00	100	74.72 - 75.89	79
98.32 - 99.49	99	73.54 - 74.71	78
97.14 - 98.31	98	72.36 - 73.53	77
95.96 - 97.13	97	71.18 - 72.35	76
94.78 - 95.95	96	70.00 - 71.17	75
93.60 - 94.77	95	65.34 - 69.99	74
92.42 - 93.59	94	60.67 - 65.33	73
91.24 - 92.41	93	56.01 - 60.66	72
90.06 - 91.23	92	51.34 - 56.00	71
88.88 - 90.05	91	46.67 - 51.33	70
87.70 - 88.87	90	42.01 - 46.66	69
86.52 - 87.69	89	37.34 - 42.00	68
85.34 - 86.51	88	32.68 - 37.33	67
84.16 - 85.33	87	28.01 - 32.67	66
82.98 - 84.15	86	23.35 - 28.00	65
81.80 - 82.97	85	18.68 - 23.34	64
80.62 - 81.79	84	14.01 - 18.67	63
79.44 - 80.61	83	9.35 - 14.00	62
78.26 - 79.43	82	4.68 - 9.34	61
77.08 - 78.25	81	0.00 - 4.67	60
75.90 - 77.07	80

Classroom Assessment & Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Q: Can Formative Assessments be graded?

A: No. Formative assessments (e.g., using the ESRU model) are embedded in daily instruction to monitor progress and adjust teaching. They shall not be used for grade computation.

Q: Are students allowed to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for assessments?

A: DepEd categorizes AI use into Prohibited, Limited, and Guided. For example, AI is strictly prohibited for supervised term examinations but may be used for guided research tasks (KS3-KS4). Teachers must ensure the authenticity of learner outputs.

Awards and Recognition Guidelines

Q: Are Academic Excellence Awards given to Kindergarten to Grade 3 learners?

A: No. To avoid early competition and labeling, no academic awards are conferred in Key Stage 1. Instead, they may receive Character Traits Awards to recognize positive learning behaviors.

Q: What are the criteria for Academic Excellence Awards (Grades 4-12)?

A: Learners must obtain a General Average (GA) of 90 or higher, with no Final Grade (FG) below 80 in any learning area. They must also have no derogatory records or disciplinary cases.

Download Official DepEd Resources

Access the official copies of the DepEd Order and the newly adjusted electronic class records using the links below:

📥 Download DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026 (PDF) 📊 Download Adjusted Electronic Class Record (Excel)