# NASH Batch 2 Mock Exam: Results, Issues and What to Expect

What the FY 2025 NASH Batch 2 mock assessment showed: 23,220 takers finished it, and only 3,891 of 23,547 records passed the ECP part. Lessons for takers.

This is the Markdown copy of [NASH Batch 2 Mock Exam: Results, Issues and What to Expect](https://nash.com.ph/blog/nash-batch-2-mock-assessment-results), an article on the NASH Reviewer Blog by Mark Anthony Llego, published Oct 26, 2026, updated Nov 4, 2026. Topics: Aspiring school heads. NASH Reviewer is an independent practice platform not affiliated with DepEd, BHROD, or NEAP.

The Department of Education (DepEd) reported national figures from the mock assessment for the FY 2025 National Assessment for School Heads (NASH, formerly the NQESH) Batch 2. They show how many takers completed the mock, how they did in each of its four parts, which technical problems came up, and what DepEd did before the actual assessment.

The mock and the actual Batch 2 assessment were both held in May 2026, after two reschedules. The mock was a familiarization quiz on the platform and procedures, not the NASH itself, and it was not part of anyone's NASH result.

## Key points

- **About 24,000 takers sat the mock assessment at 65 sites.** DepEd counted 24,069 declared Batch 2 takers and 24,218 enrollees in the DepEd Learning Management System (LMS). Of these, 23,220 completed the mock and 998 did not.
- **The mock was a 142-item familiarization quiz in four parts.** The parts covered NASH administration, LMS matters, the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH) and the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) System.
- **Takers did well on procedures and the LMS.** Out of 23,547 records, 22,599 passed the administration part and 20,811 passed the LMS part.
- **Takers did less well on the PPSSH and poorly on the ECP.** Only 14,485 records passed the PPSSH part, and only 3,891 passed the ECP part. The ECP rules decide how teachers become and advance as school principals.
- **Most problems were technical setup problems.** DepEd listed Safe Exam Browser (SEB) installation and configuration, user readiness, enrollment and email mismatches, and server access and performance.
- **"Pass" in the mock was an internal tally, not a NASH rating.** DepEd counted a pass as half the items of a part plus one. The mock score did not count toward anyone's NASH result.

## What the NASH mock assessment is for

The mock assessment is a full rehearsal of test day, held about a week before the actual NASH. The Administration Guide for Assessment Facilitators states its purpose. The mock is held "to prepare and check the devices of the candidates, be familiarized on the online platform and process in taking the assessment." In short, it tests three things: your laptop, the platform and the procedure.

For FY 2025 Batch 2, the NASH ran on the DepEd LMS (lms.deped.gov.ph), opened only through the Safe Exam Browser. SEB is a locked-down browser that blocks other programs while the quiz is open. Takers used their own laptops at assessment sites, preferably public secondary schools, with one Assessment Facilitator for each room of 15 takers.

The mock followed the same schedule as the actual day. Under Annex 4 of DM-OUHROD-2025-3318, both ran over two days. On the first day, site personnel had an orientation and prepared the rooms, and the Central and Regional Office monitoring teams checked the site against the requirements. On the second day, takers arrived early, set up their devices, and answered the quiz. For the actual assessment, the monitors then checked whether the issues found during the mock had been fixed.

DM-OUHRODI-2026-0789 (March 16, 2026) moved both the mock and the actual assessment to May 2026. It cited the end of school year (EOSY) preparations of many takers. The same memorandum reminded all takers to log in to the LMS and update their profiles to prevent problems with enrollment.

For a step-by-step account of how the assessment is taken, read the [NASH Safe Exam Browser and DepEd LMS test-day guide](https://nash.com.ph/blog/nash-safe-exam-browser-lms-guide) and the app's guide to [how the NASH is taken online](https://nash.com.ph/nash-online-assessment).

## How many took the NASH Batch 2 mock assessment

DepEd's Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development (BHROD) reported the participation figures after the mock in May 2026. The table gives the national totals.

| Measure | Number |
| --- | ---: |
| Assessment sites | 65 |
| Declared NASH Batch 2 takers | 24,069 |
| Enrollees in the LMS | 24,218 |
| Completed the mock | 23,220 |
| Did not complete the mock | 998 |
| Accomplished the evaluation form | 21,783 |
| Did not complete the evaluation form | 2,435 |

The completed and not-completed counts add up to the 24,218 LMS enrollees. So do the two evaluation form counts. About 95.9% of LMS enrollees completed the mock.

The evaluation form is the last step of the assessment. The NASH LMS User Guide says that after you submit your answers, you must accomplish an Evaluation Form through the link on your screen. In the mock, 2,435 LMS enrollees did not complete it. On the actual day, the facilitator's script asks each taker to report the email confirmation of the form before leaving the room.

The number of LMS enrollees (24,218) is a little higher than the number of declared takers (24,069). DepEd did not explain the difference.

## The four parts of the NASH mock assessment

The mock quiz had 142 items in four parts. DepEd's breakdown gives each part's item numbers, its number of items, and the score DepEd counted as a pass: half the items plus one.

| Part | Item numbers | Number of items | Pass score (half plus one) |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| NASH administration | 1 to 35 | 35 | 18 |
| LMS matters | 36 to 90 | 55 | 28 |
| PPSSH | 91 to 117 | 27 | 14 |
| ECP matters | 118 to 142 | 25 | 13 |

Each pass score is half the number of items plus one, with the half rounded down. For example, half of 35 is 17.5, which becomes 17, plus one gives 18.

Keep three points in mind when you read these numbers:

1. **It was a familiarization quiz.** The four parts asked about the assessment process, the platform, the PPSSH and the ECP. The mock was not a sample of the NASH and did not use NASH items.
2. **It did not count.** The mock score was not part of any taker's NASH rating. The NASH results came from the actual assessment only.
3. **"Pass" was DepEd's internal tally.** The half-plus-one cut-off was the measure DepEd used to summarize the mock. It is not the NASH passing rate and says nothing about how the NASH is scored.

DepEd's figures give the number of items and the pass counts, not the questions themselves, and this post does not describe them.

## NASH mock assessment results by part

DepEd reported the results of each part over 23,547 records, a total that is the same for all four parts. The table shows the national totals.

| Part | Passed | Did not pass | Pass rate |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| NASH administration (items 1 to 35) | 22,599 | 948 | 96.0% |
| LMS matters (items 36 to 90) | 20,811 | 2,736 | 88.4% |
| PPSSH (items 91 to 117) | 14,485 | 9,062 | 61.5% |
| ECP matters (items 118 to 142) | 3,891 | 19,656 | 16.5% |

The 23,547 records are 327 more than the 23,220 takers who completed the mock. DepEd did not explain the gap. Like DepEd's totals, the pass rates above use 23,547 as the base.

### Strong on procedures and the LMS

Nearly all takers knew the rules of the day. In the NASH administration part, 22,599 of 23,547 records reached the pass score of 18. This part covered the assessment process, which the Administration Guide explains step by step.

The LMS part was also strong, with 20,811 records passing. This part was the longest, with 55 items. The result suggests that most takers had read the NASH LMS User Guide or learned the platform during setup.

### Weaker on the PPSSH

The PPSSH part had a much lower pass count. Only 14,485 records reached 14 of 27 items, and 9,062 did not. The PPSSH, issued through DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020, is the standard that the NASH itself is aligned with under [DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/08/11/august-11-2025-dm-069-s-2025-administration-of-the-national-assessment-for-school-heads-for-fiscal-year-2025/). It has five domains and 34 strands.

A familiarization quiz on the PPSSH is not the NASH. Still, the result shows that about four in ten records could not answer half of a short set of PPSSH items correctly. That is a warning sign for an assessment built on the same standard. The app's [PPSSH guide](https://nash.com.ph/ppssh) lists the domains, strands and indicators.

### Very weak on the ECP

The ECP part had the lowest result by far. Only 3,891 of 23,547 records reached 13 of 25 items, and 19,656 did not. Put another way, about five in six records did not pass this part.

The ECP System is the set of rules for advancing from Teacher I to Master Teacher V and for entering and advancing in the School Principal I to IV positions. It is the system that most takers were trying to enter by taking the NASH. Many takers seem to know the test-day procedure well but not the career rules that decide what the NASH result is for. The section [Why the ECP and PPSSH results matter](#why-the-ecp-and-ppssh-results-matter-for-aspiring-school-heads) explains this.

## Issues DepEd found in the mock assessment

DepEd listed four issues under two headings. None of them is about the content of the quiz. All of them are about getting takers onto the platform.

| Area | Issue DepEd reported | What it means for a taker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Safe Exam Browser | Installation and configuration concerns on the SEB | SEB was not installed, was an older version, or did not have the right settings file |
| Safe Exam Browser | User readiness issues on ensuring properly installed SEB | Takers arrived without a working SEB on their laptop |
| Learning Management System | Enrollment and email discrepancies of users | The taker's email in the list did not match the LMS account, so the taker was missing from the NASH course or could not log in |
| Learning Management System | Server access and performance concerns | The LMS was slow or hard to reach at times |

DepEd also noted name problems in takers' accounts. These are names in the DepEd email account or LMS profile that do not match the official list. To change your name details, the NASH LMS User Guide tells you to contact your Division Information Technology Officer (DITO). The DITO coordinates with DepEd's Information and Communications Technology Service (ICTS) on your behalf.

## Ways forward DepEd set after the mock

For each issue, DepEd named a fix and the office in charge. The table summarizes them. All of these actions were set for the days between the mock and the actual assessment.

| Issue | Way forward DepEd set | Office in charge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SEB installation and configuration | Repeated reminders on SEB installation, configuration and LMS account readiness through the BHROD Facebook page and other official channels | BHROD Human Resource Development Division (HRDD) and Central Office ICTS |
| User readiness on SEB | Regional Offices and Information Technology Officers (ITOs) or Technical Officers to make sure all takers install the correct and updated version of SEB and meet all technical requirements before the actual assessment | Regional Office ITOs and Technical Officers |
| Name problems in takers' accounts | Technical help to fix name problems in takers' email accounts | ICTS |
| Enrollment and email mismatches | Regional Offices to submit consolidated, fully validated lists of all NASH takers, with correct email entries and complete details, including takers still missing from the LMS enrollment | BHROD-HRDD, NASH Coordinators and Regional ITOs |
| Server access and performance | A system investigation of Moodle performance issues, clearing of caches, and more server instances as needed | ICTS |

DepEd also set out the tools ITOs used for account problems. For DepEd Google accounts, ITOs could reset multi-factor authentication (MFA) and correct profile names themselves. For DepEd Microsoft accounts, requests for MFA removal, account activation and name correction went to the Central Office through set forms. If you have an account problem, go to your Division ITO; you do not send these requests yourself.

### Validated lists and no new takers

The final list of takers was locked after the mock. DepEd told Regional Offices to remove takers who would not proceed, with proper documentation such as a waiver or letter. It also stated that no new entries would be accepted, because those names had not been evaluated.

### Log in to the LMS before the actual day

DepEd ended the ways forward with one instruction for takers: log in to the LMS before the actual assessment, to prevent problems with your enrollment. DM-OUHRODI-2026-0789 gave the same reminder two months earlier. The NASH LMS User Guide puts it plainly: users must be able to access and log in to the LMS to ensure successful enrollment in the NASH.

## Procedures DepEd confirmed for the actual assessment

After the mock, DepEd set out how takers would open the actual assessment. These are the steps it confirmed.

### Same SEB settings as the mock

The same SEB settings used in the mock applied to the actual assessment. DepEd said the settings should already be configured on each taker's laptop beforehand. If your SEB worked in the mock, you did not need to set it up again.

### The SEB password is typed by the facilitator

The Assessment Facilitator types the SEB password on each taker's laptop. Under DepEd's instructions, the same password given to the Technical Supervisors is used by the facilitators, between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. Facilitators must keep it strictly confidential and must not share it with anyone, particularly the takers. The Administration Guide adds that posting the SEB password anywhere in the room is strictly prohibited.

If your connection drops during the quiz, you relaunch SEB and call the facilitator to type the password again. Your answers are saved, and you choose to continue the quiz. The three hours keep running.

### A separate quiz password is announced at the start

The quiz itself has a second password. DepEd set out the chain. ICTS sends the quiz password to the Central Office monitors early on the morning of the assessment. The monitors give it to the facilitators in the rooms. The facilitators announce it to the takers at the start of the assessment and may write it on the board for easy reference.

DepEd called these two passwords the safeguards for opening the assessment: the SEB password entered by the facilitator, and the quiz password. Takers start at exactly 9:00 a.m. The Administration Guide sets the duration at three hours, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

### Rooms with armchairs: takers face the wall

Some sites used armchairs instead of tables. For these rooms, DepEd suggested a seating plan in which takers face the wall. The purpose is to keep every laptop screen visible to the facilitator.

### Takers without an assessment permit

DepEd also addressed takers who arrive without their assessment permit. The facilitator may verify the taker's identity with an ID and check the name against the official list of takers for the room. Bring a valid ID even if you have your permit.

## Lessons from the mock for the next NASH administration

The next NASH administration may use a different platform, schedule or set of procedures. Its memorandum will say. If it again runs on the DepEd LMS through SEB, the Batch 2 mock points to a clear set of tasks for takers.

### Checklist before the mock assessment

- Confirm that your name and DepEd email address are correct in your application and in the list of takers for your site.
- Log in to lms.deped.gov.ph with your DepEd Google account and update your profile. If you cannot log in, contact your Division ITO.
- If your name is wrong in your DepEd account or LMS profile, ask your Division ITO to correct it well before the mock.
- Check your laptop against the minimums in the NASH LMS User Guide: Windows 10 (version 20H2 or later), Windows 11 or macOS 10.15 or later; 4 GB of memory; 500 MB of free disk space.
- Install SEB from the source your ITO names: Company Portal on a DepEd laptop, the official installer for other Windows laptops, or safeexambrowser.org for a Mac. Use the version your ITO says is correct.
- Get the SEB settings file from your ITO and test that it opens the LMS NASH page.
- Prepare a mobile hotspot or pocket Wi-Fi and a charger. The LMS User Guide asks for a stable connection of at least 5 Mbps.

### Checklist on the mock day

- Treat the mock as the real day: arrive on time, set up at your assigned seat, and follow the facilitator's instructions.
- Note every problem: SEB errors, login problems, a wrong name, a slow connection. Report each one to the facilitator or Technical Officer before you leave.
- Finish the quiz, click "Submit all and finish", and complete the evaluation form. The form is the last step.
- Read the items on the PPSSH and the ECP closely. If you could not answer them, study those topics in the week before the actual assessment.

### Checklist between the mock and the actual assessment

- Follow the BHROD Facebook page and your Regional and Division Office for reminders.
- Fix every problem you noted in the mock with your ITO. Do not reinstall or change SEB unless your ITO tells you to.
- Log in to the LMS again before the actual day.
- Prepare your assessment permit and a valid ID.

## Why the ECP and PPSSH results matter for aspiring school heads

The NASH is a step in a career, not an end in itself. The mock results show that many takers knew how to take the assessment but did not know the rules that give it its purpose.

### The ECP decides how you become a school principal

[DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/08/28/august-28-2025-do-024-s-2025-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-expanded-career-progression-system-for-teachers-and-school-heads-in-the-department-of-education/) sets the guidelines for the ECP System for teachers and school heads. It implements Executive Order No. 174, s. 2022. Several of its rules decide the path of an aspiring school head:

- **Two career lines.** The order sets a Classroom Teaching career line and a School Administration career line. A teacher chooses between them on reaching Master Teacher I, and may switch lines only once.
- **The school head assessment is required for a first appointment.** The order states that first appointments to School Principal positions, through natural vacancy or reclassification, require passing the DepEd-administered school head assessment, such as the NQESH or its successor.
- **Promotion through reclassification.** Teachers and school heads are promoted mainly through reclassification of their position, with natural vacancy still possible. A promotion may not go more than three salary grades above the present position, except where the Civil Service Commission (CSC) allows.
- **A transition period for incumbents.** The order sets a three-year transition period from February 25, 2025 to February 24, 2028. During it, incumbents such as Head Teachers and Assistant School Principals are treated as on-stream candidates with priority for promotion or reclassification to School Principal I. The implementing rules of Republic Act No. 12288, signed August 17, 2026, start a new three-year period from their own effectivity, but no DepEd order has yet changed the dates in DO 024.

A taker who does not know these rules may pass the NASH and still not know the next step, or may miss a priority they are entitled to. [School Principal I to IV: Promotion Under the ECP](https://nash.com.ph/blog/school-principal-reclassification-ecp) explains the next step. The app explains the rules in two guides: [for aspiring school heads](https://nash.com.ph/aspiring-school-heads) and on [principal reclassification under the ECP](https://nash.com.ph/principal-reclassification). The qualification standards for School Principal positions are in [DepEd Order No. 019, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/06/24/june-24-2025-do-019-s-2025-amended-qualification-standards-for-teacher-i-iii-master-teacher-i-iv-and-school-principal-i-iv-positions-and-the-qualification-standards-for-newly-created-t/).

### The PPSSH is what the NASH measures

The PPSSH result matters for a different reason. The NASH is aligned with the PPSSH under DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025. The ECP order also says that applicants to the School Administration career line must meet the proficiency level for school heads defined under the PPSSH.

A taker who cannot answer half of a short PPSSH quiz needs to study the standard itself. That means its five domains, its 34 strands, and the Career Stage 1 indicators for aspiring school heads. Start with the [NASH study guide on DepEd Memorandum 069 and the PPSSH](https://nash.com.ph/blog/nash-study-guide-ppssh). Then practice with the [NASH practice questions with answers](https://nash.com.ph/blog/nash-practice-questions-with-answers), which are original items written on the PPSSH, not actual NASH items.

For what the NASH covers and how it is rated, read the [NASH guide](https://nash.com.ph/nash). For the official results of the Batch 1 and Batch 2 actual assessments, see the [NASH results page](https://nash.com.ph/nash-results).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the NASH mock assessment?

The NASH mock assessment is a practice run held about a week before the actual NASH to check takers' devices and familiarize them with the platform and procedures. For FY 2025 Batch 2, it ran on the DepEd LMS through the Safe Exam Browser, at the same sites and on the same schedule as the actual assessment.

### Does the NASH mock exam count toward my NASH result?

No. The mock was a familiarization quiz and was not part of any taker's NASH result. The pass counts DepEd reported for the mock were an internal tally, using half the items of each part plus one as the cut-off.

### How many takers completed the NASH Batch 2 mock assessment?

23,220 of 24,218 LMS enrollees completed the Batch 2 mock, and 998 did not. DepEd also counted 24,069 declared Batch 2 takers at 65 assessment sites, and 21,783 users who accomplished the evaluation form.

### What was in the NASH Batch 2 mock exam?

The mock had 142 items in four parts: NASH administration (items 1 to 35), LMS matters (36 to 90), the PPSSH (91 to 117) and the ECP System (118 to 142). It was not a set of NASH items.

### What problems did takers have in the NASH mock assessment?

The main problems were technical: SEB installation and configuration, takers arriving without a properly installed SEB, enrollment and email mismatches in the LMS, and server access and performance. DepEd responded with reminders, SEB checks by ITOs, validated lists of takers, name corrections and server fixes.

### What should I expect on the actual NASH day after the mock?

Expect the same SEB settings as the mock, with the facilitator typing the SEB password on your laptop and announcing a separate quiz password at the start. The assessment starts at 9:00 a.m. and lasts three hours. The next administration's memorandum may change any of these steps.

## Sources

- DepEd BHROD-HRDD, FY 2025 NASH Batch 2 mock assessment figures and ways forward, May 2026.
- DepEd, Administration Guide for Assessment Facilitators, FY 2025 NASH Batch 2 (final copy).
- DepEd ICTS, National Assessment for School Heads (NASH) - Learning Management System (LMS) User Guide, 2025.
- DM-OUHROD-2025-3318, Updates and Instructions on the Administration of the FY 2025 National Assessment for School Heads (NASH) - Batch 2, November 17, 2025, Annex 4 (Assessment Site Requirements).
- DM-OUHRODI-2026-0789, Rescheduling of the FY 2025 National Assessment for School Heads (NASH) - Batch 2, March 16, 2026.
- [DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/08/11/august-11-2025-dm-069-s-2025-administration-of-the-national-assessment-for-school-heads-for-fiscal-year-2025/), Administration of the National Assessment for School Heads for Fiscal Year 2025.
- [DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/08/28/august-28-2025-do-024-s-2025-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-expanded-career-progression-system-for-teachers-and-school-heads-in-the-department-of-education/), Guidelines on the Implementation of the Expanded Career Progression System for Teachers and School Heads in the Department of Education.
- [DepEd Order No. 019, s. 2025](https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/06/24/june-24-2025-do-019-s-2025-amended-qualification-standards-for-teacher-i-iii-master-teacher-i-iv-and-school-principal-i-iv-positions-and-the-qualification-standards-for-newly-created-t/), Amended Qualification Standards for Teacher I-III, Master Teacher I-IV and School Principal I-IV Positions.
- DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020, National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads.

*Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: DepEd BHROD-HRDD figures on the FY 2025 NASH Batch 2 mock assessment; the Administration Guide for Assessment Facilitators and the NASH LMS User Guide (DepEd, FY 2025 NASH Batch 2); DM-OUHROD-2025-3318, Annex 4; DM-OUHRODI-2026-0789; DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025; DepEd Orders No. 024, s. 2025, No. 019, s. 2025 and No. 024, s. 2020. NASH Reviewer is not affiliated with DepEd.*

---

© 2026 Mark Anthony Llego, NASH Reviewer. All rights reserved. You may quote up to 100 words from this article with the author's name, its title and a link. In research, cite it as: Llego, M. A. (2026, October 26). *NASH Batch 2 Mock Exam: Results, Issues and What to Expect*. NASH Reviewer. https://nash.com.ph/blog/nash-batch-2-mock-assessment-results. Any other reuse of the article, its charts or its data needs written permission: email support@nash.com.ph. Terms of Service: https://nash.com.ph/terms#website-content-and-data