The Strengthened Senior High School (SSHS) Curriculum lists 128 electives in Annex A of DepEd Order No. 017, s. 2026: 80 in the five clusters of the Academic Track and 48 in the ten clusters of the Technical-Professional (Tech-Pro) Track. Most Academic electives run 80 hours within one term; nine run 160 hours, and Work Immersion for the Academic Track runs 320. Every Tech-Pro elective runs 320 hours and is aligned with a training regulation of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Every Grade 11 learner also takes the same five core subjects, 160 hours each.

Learners pick electives across clusters, but only from those their school is approved to offer, and many electives come in sequences with prerequisites. DepEd has posted a curriculum guide for every elective except the two kinds of Work Immersion, and for School Year (SY) 2026-2027 it has lesson exemplars and learning activity sheets for the core subjects and some electives. Where Annex A and a curriculum guide differ, the order’s titles, hours and prerequisites govern.

Key findings

  • 128 electives in 15 clusters. The Academic Track has 25 electives in Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, 6 in Business and Entrepreneurship, 26 in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, 10 in Sports, Health, and Wellness, and 13 in Field Experience. The Tech-Pro Track has 48 in ten clusters (DO 017, s. 2026, Annex A).
  • Learners choose across clusters. Clusters “are distinct from strands, as schools are not required to offer all Electives within a cluster, and learners may select Electives across multiple clusters” (Encl. item 14).
  • Hours. Academic electives run 80 or 160 hours in one term; Tech-Pro electives run 320 hours, across the whole year in Grade 11 and within one term in Grade 12 (Encl. item 15, Table 3). An Academic Track learner takes 3 electives in Grade 11 and 960 hours of electives in Grade 12 (Table 9).
  • Sequences and Grade 12 electives. Twenty Academic electives and four Tech-Pro electives are for Grade 12 only. Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth and Space Science each run 1 to 4 in order, with the fourth in Grade 12 (Annex A).
  • Tech-Pro electives and National Certificates. Of the 48, 35 lead to a National Certificate (NC) II, 6 to NC III, 5 to NC I or NC II or both, and 2 maritime electives to no NC. Teachers must hold “valid and appropriate National Certificates (NCs)” for what they teach (Encl. item 14.a; Annex A).
  • Curriculum guides. DepEd posts a guide for 79 of the 80 Academic electives (all but Work Immersion, which DepEd Order No. 023, s. 2026 governs) and for all 48 Tech-Pro electives. DepEd marks 22 Academic guides and 1 Tech-Pro guide as updated between May 29 and July 31, 2026 (DepEd’s Strengthened SHS Program page and SY 2026-2027 orientation materials, as of November 14, 2026).
  • Permits. Existing public senior high schools need no new permit for the SSHS, or for more Academic electives inside a cluster they already offer; a new cluster needs the Regional Office’s approval, and a new Tech-Pro elective goes through DepEd Order No. 054, s. 2022 (DO 017, s. 2026, Annex B1).

How electives work in the Strengthened SHS

The SSHS has two tracks. The Academic Track is “designed primarily for learners to pursue higher education”; the Tech-Pro Track, “formerly known as the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) Track”, is for learners “primarily seeking employment, entrepreneurship, or middle-level skills development” (DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. item 9.a and 9.k). “To help organize teachers and learning resources, Electives are grouped into clusters” (Encl. item 14). A cluster is not a strand: a school need not offer every elective in it, and a learner may take electives from several clusters.

A learner may also cross tracks. “Academic Track learners may take 1 Tech-Pro Elective, and Tech-Pro Track learners may take 4 Academic Electives in Grade 12” (Encl. item 12). Track shifting is allowed in Grade 12 with the school head’s approval and a record in the Learner Information System (LIS) (Encl. item 26.c).

Requirement Academic Track Tech-Pro Track
Grade 11 5 core subjects (800 hours) and 3 Academic electives (240 hours) 5 core subjects (800 hours) and 1 Tech-Pro elective (320 hours)
Grade 12 9 to 12 Academic electives (960 hours) 1 Tech-Pro elective and 640 hours of Work Immersion, or 2 Tech-Pro electives and 320 hours (960 hours)
With the cross-track option 8 Academic electives and 1 Tech-Pro elective in Grade 12 1 Tech-Pro elective, 4 Academic electives and 320 hours of Work Immersion
Total 2,000 hours 2,080 hours
Work Immersion Optional Required

Source: DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. items 16 and 26, Tables 9 and 10. Table 10 places a Tech-Pro learner’s four Academic electives in “Grade 11 or 12”; item 12 says Grade 12.

Three rules shape every learner’s choices:

  • The weekly load “shall not exceed 40 hours” (Encl. item 26.a). An elective’s hours count only when taught within the Instructional Blocks (or in the Opening or End-of-Term Block as make-up classes), and a school may adjust DO 017’s sample timetables if each subject reaches its minimum (Memorandum OM-LS-2026-247, June 16, 2026, item 1); its sample class programs are redrawn in the MATATAG and Strengthened SHS guide.
  • Extra electives must be passed. A learner who takes more than the minimum “must pass all subjects taken to graduate”, and “failing any extra Elective taken will disqualify them from graduation” (Encl. item 26.b).
  • Each elective counts by its hours. The general average uses units: 3 for an 80-hour Academic elective, 6 for Arts Apprenticeship and Creative Production and Presentation, 4 a term for a Grade 11 Tech-Pro elective, and 12 for a Grade 12 Tech-Pro elective (Annex E, Table 19). DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026 sets how each kind of elective is graded; the guide to DO 015, s. 2026 covers it.

The guide to the MATATAG Curriculum and the Strengthened SHS explains the curriculum’s rollout, the pilot and the transition for learners who started under the 2016 curriculum.

Academic Track electives

Every Academic elective runs within a single term. The 80-hour electives meet 2 hours a day, four times a week, or on one of two blended schedules for schools with double shifts; the 160-hour electives meet 4 hours a day, four times a week (DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. item 24, Table 8). “Grade” below is Annex A’s grade level: “11 or 12” means either year, and “12 only” means Grade 12.

Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities (25 electives)

All are 80 hours except Creative Production and Presentation, which is 160.

Elective Grade Prerequisites What it covers
Art Criticism and Creative Markets 11 or 12 One of: Creative Industries – Applied and Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Media Arts, or Visual Arts Judging creative works through formal analysis and aesthetic theories, and how audiences, markets and platforms shape art; learners organize a small-scale art fair
Creative Industries – Visual Arts 11 or 12 None The visual arts as an industry: styles, media, artists and production, and how visual art is made, distributed and exhibited in the Philippine creative economy
Creative Industries – Literary Arts 11 or 12 None Literary arts as an industry: forms, genres and writers, and how literary works are created, published and distributed
Creative Industries – Media Arts 11 or 12 None Media art styles, platforms and production processes, and how media works are made, distributed and exhibited
Creative Industries – Applied and Traditional Arts 11 or 12 None Applied and traditional art forms, materials and techniques, and how they are produced, distributed and promoted
Creative Industries – Music 11 or 12 None The music industry: how music is created, produced, presented, promoted and consumed, with industry trends and the laws that apply
Creative Industries – Dance 11 or 12 None The same industry view, applied to dance
Creative Industries – Theater Arts 11 or 12 None The same industry view, applied to theater
Citizenship and Civic Engagement 11 or 12 None Community engagement, solidarity and citizenship, grounded in human rights, social justice, gender equality and participatory development
Contemporary Literature 1 11 or 12 None Philippine and world literature written since 1945 (poetry, short stories, a novella), read as personal experience and in its cultural and social context
Contemporary Literature 2 11 or 12 Contemporary Literature 1 Adaptations and reinterpretations of texts, including film and television, and digital and experimental literature
Creative Composition 1 11 or 12 None Writing personal creative nonfiction (memoir, personal narrative, testimonio) and poetry, from inquiry to publication
Creative Composition 2 11 or 12 Creative Composition 1 Writing fiction (short, flash, speculative and digital fiction) and public-facing creative nonfiction such as blogs, travelogues and reportage
Creative Production and Presentation (160 hours) 12 only Any Arts Apprenticeship A culminating creative output in the learner’s art discipline, such as a performance, exhibition, screening or publication
Filipino 1 (Wika at Komunikasyon sa Akademikong Filipino) 11 or 12 None The nature and development of the Filipino language and academic communication in Filipino; learners write a critical essay on the situation of Filipino
Filipino 2 (Filipino sa Isports) 11 or 12 Filipino 1 Academic Filipino for sports writing: game reports and plans, sports policies, and health and fitness texts; learners produce a sports brochure
Filipino 2 (Filipino sa Sining at Disenyo) 11 or 12 Filipino 1 Communicative Filipino in the arts and design (literature, broadcast media, theater, visual arts, architecture); learners review a community artwork and mount an exhibit
Filipino 2 (Filipino sa Larang Teknikal-Propesyonal) 11 or 12 Filipino 1 Academic Filipino for technical-professional texts; learners present a product or service and compile a portfolio of such texts
Filipino Identity Through the Arts 11 or 12 None Philippine indigenous and traditional arts as carriers of identity, memory and heritage; learners create an integrated artistic production
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person 11 or 12 None Philosophy as a way of thinking, through key questions about the human person and their relationships with others
Leadership and Management in the Arts 11 or 12 None Planning, organizing, budgeting, running and evaluating artistic productions and events
Malikhaing Pagsulat 11 or 12 None Writing poems and short stories in Filipino or another Philippine language, from first draft through a writing workshop and revision
Performance Criticism and Creative Markets 11 or 12 One of: Creative Industries – Music, Dance, or Theater Arts Criticism of live and recorded music, dance and theater, and the market in which performances are produced and promoted; learners compile a portfolio
Philippine Governance (Philippine Politics and Governance) 11 or 12 None The structures and principles of Philippine governance, with emphasis on democratic values, human rights and social justice
Social Sciences (Theory and Practice) 11 or 12 None The concepts, approaches and methods of the social and applied social sciences, and their use on social development concerns

Sources: DO 017, s. 2026, Annex A (grade, prerequisites); each elective’s curriculum guide (content). The four Filipino electives and Malikhaing Pagsulat have their guides in Filipino.

Business and Entrepreneurship (6 electives)

All are 80 hours.

Elective Grade Prerequisites What it covers
Business 1 (Basic Accounting) 11 or 12 None The basic principles of accounting and the accounting cycle of service and merchandising businesses
Business 2 (Business Finance and Income Taxation) 11 or 12 Business 1 and Introduction to Organization and Management Business finance, financial reports and decisions, and the effect of income taxation
Business 3 (Business Economics) 12 only Business 1, Business 2, and Introduction to Organization and Management Business economics applied to current economic issues and business decisions
Contemporary Marketing 11 or 12 Business 1 and Introduction to Organization and Management Traditional and digital marketing, consumer behavior and campaigns; learners present a marketing plan
Entrepreneurship 11 or 12 None Spotting business opportunities and developing feasible business ideas; learners simulate and evaluate a business model that meets a community need
Introduction to Organization and Management 11 or 12 None Business organization, the functional areas of management, and ethics, accountability and social responsibility in a business

Sources: DO 017, s. 2026, Annex A; the curriculum guides.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (26 electives)

All are 80 hours.

Elective Grade Prerequisites What it covers
Pre-Calculus 11 or 12 None Functions (polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic), graph transformations, and the analytic geometry of lines and circles, as preparation for calculus
Basic Calculus 11 or 12 Pre-Calculus Limits and continuity, derivatives and their applications, antiderivatives and definite integrals, applied to physics, business, economics and engineering
Advanced Mathematics 11 or 12 Pre-Calculus Mathematical models with linear, quadratic, exponential and trigonometric functions, deeper trigonometry, and optionally polar coordinates
Finite Mathematics 1 11 or 12 None Geometric designs, patterns in nature and art, matrices and linear programming, for pathways that do not need higher mathematics
Finite Mathematics 2 11 or 12 None Counting, probability, number theory, modular arithmetic, and networks and graphs; its guide notes that Finite Mathematics 1 “is not a prerequisite”
Biology 1 11 or 12 None Cell biology and metabolism: cell structure and the cell cycle, transport across membranes, photosynthesis and cellular respiration
Biology 2 11 or 12 Biology 1 Plant and animal tissues, organs and organ systems, and how they maintain homeostasis
Biology 3 11 or 12 Biology 1 and 2 Recombinant DNA technology and its uses, and the mechanisms and evidence of evolution
Biology 4 12 only Biology 1, 2 and 3 Taxonomy, biodiversity and ecosystems, and science and technology, including biotechnology and artificial intelligence, applied to environmental and social problems
Chemistry 1 11 or 12 None Measurement and laboratory practice, atomic structure, periodic trends, chemical bonding, molecular shape and intermolecular forces
Chemistry 2 11 or 12 Chemistry 1 Gases, solutions, stoichiometry, reaction rates and thermochemistry
Chemistry 3 11 or 12 Chemistry 1 and 2 Acids, bases and buffers, chemical equilibrium, separation techniques, and oxidation-reduction and electrochemistry
Chemistry 4 12 only Chemistry 1, 2 and 3 Organic chemistry: carbon compounds, hydrocarbons, functional groups and biomolecules
Earth and Space Science 1 11 or 12 None The origin of the universe and Earth’s place in the solar system, and Earth’s materials and energy resources
Earth and Space Science 2 11 or 12 Earth and Space Science 1 Earth’s systems, the moving lithosphere, biogeochemical cycles, and surface and ground water, with Philippine examples
Earth and Space Science 3 11 or 12 Earth and Space Science 1 and 2 Cosmology, stars and planets, space technologies, and satellite and climate data on climate change in the Philippines
Earth and Space Science 4 12 only Earth and Space Science 1, 2 and 3 Natural hazards and disaster risk reduction and management, the Philippine energy mix, and the geologic risks of land use and infrastructure
Physics 1 11 or 12 None Measurement, motion, forces, energy, momentum, rotation and periodic motion
Physics 2 11 or 12 Physics 1 Gravitation, fluids, heat and temperature, and the laws of thermodynamics
Physics 3 11 or 12 Physics 1 and 2 Electricity and magnetism, from charges and circuits to electromagnetic induction, motors and generators
Physics 4 12 only Physics 1, 2 and 3 Waves and light, and atomic and nuclear physics, with uses in communication, medicine and energy
Conceptual Physics and Chemistry in Daily Life 12 only General Science (core) Motion, light, waves, chemical reactions, gases and organic substances, taught through everyday technologies and products
Conceptual Biology and Earth and Space Science 12 only General Science (core) Heredity, biodiversity and biotechnology, natural resources, climate change and space technologies, applied to community problems
Empowerment Technologies 11 or 12 None Maintaining computers, securing data and using productivity tools, with an introduction to artificial intelligence, blockchain and the Internet of Things, no-code AI and web development
Database Management 12 only General Mathematics (core) Databases and Structured Query Language (SQL): writing queries, using SQL functions and designing simple databases
Fundamentals of Data Analytics 12 only General Mathematics (core) Collecting, cleaning, processing, visualizing and presenting data, ending in a project on a real problem

Sources: DO 017, s. 2026, Annex A; the curriculum guides.

The four science sequences (Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Physics) each run from 1 to 4 in order, and the fourth of each is for Grade 12 only. The two conceptual science electives need only the General Science core subject; Annex F.2 matches them to Physical Science and Earth and Life Science of the 2016 curriculum.

Sports, Health, and Wellness (10 electives)

All are 80 hours.

Elective Grade Prerequisites What it covers
Human Movement 1 (Basic Anatomy in Sports and Exercise) 11 or 12 None The structure and function of the body’s systems: skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory and others
Human Movement 2 (Motor Skills Development) 11 or 12 Human Movement 1 How motor skills are classified, learned and controlled, applied to functional movement and performance
Exercise and Sports Programming 11 or 12 Human Movement 1 and 2 Training principles, functional movement and periodization; learners assess fitness and nutrition and design personal and sport-specific training programs
Sports Coaching 11 or 12 Human Movement 1 and 2 The philosophy, ethics, strategies and techniques of coaching, toward coaching certification
Sports Officiating 11 or 12 Human Movement 1 and 2 The principles, leadership and ethics of officiating, toward careers and certification in the sports industry
Sports Activity Management 11 or 12 None Assessing, running and evaluating fitness and sports activities, toward sports industry careers and certification
First Aid 11 or 12 None Preventing and managing injuries and emergencies: safety principles, wound care, bandaging and splinting, burns, fractures, bites and household emergencies
Fundamentals of Basic Life Support 11 or 12 None Emergency action principles, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and rescue breathing, choking, triage and safe transfer of the injured
Physical Education 1 (Fitness and Recreation) 11 or 12 None Fitness, exercise and outdoor recreation; learners organize fitness and recreation events for the community
Physical Education 2 (Sports and Dance) 11 or 12 None Sports and dance for an active lifestyle; learners organize sports and dance events

Sources: DO 017, s. 2026, Annex A; the curriculum guides.

Field Experience (13 electives)

Field Experience electives are “optional for Academic Track learners” (DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. item 17). DO 023, s. 2026, issued on November 10, 2026, sets how Work Immersion, Field Exposure (Off-Campus) and Arts Apprenticeship run. It applies to the pilot schools in SY 2026-2027 and to every senior high school from SY 2027-2028 (cover item 3). The term column below comes from it; the guide to DO 023, s. 2026 covers partners, agreements, insurance and supervision.

Elective Hours Grade Term Prerequisites What it covers
Arts Apprenticeship – Dance 160 12 only Term 2 in DO 023’s model Filipino Identity Through the Arts, Leadership and Management in the Arts, Performance Criticism and Creative Markets Hands-on training with dance companies, studios, production houses or cultural groups
Arts Apprenticeship – Literary Arts 160 12 only Term 2 Filipino Identity Through the Arts, Leadership and Management in the Arts, Art Criticism and Creative Markets Hands-on training with practicing literary artists
Arts Apprenticeship – Media Arts 160 12 only Term 2 Same as Literary Arts Media production under art organizations, production houses or independent artists
Arts Apprenticeship – Music 160 12 only Term 2 Same as Dance Training with music organizations, art centers, production houses or independent artists
Arts Apprenticeship – Theater Arts 160 12 only Term 2 Same as Dance Training with theater organizations, arts centers or community theater groups
Arts Apprenticeship – Traditional Cultural Expressions 160 12 only Term 2 Same as Literary Arts Training in community-based artistic traditions with cultural groups and artists
Arts Apprenticeship – Visual Arts 160 12 only Term 2 Same as Literary Arts Visual art production under art organizations, art centers, or independent artists and designers
Design and Innovation 80 11 or 12 One term None A human-centered design process, a Filipino-localized design thinking, ending in a team capstone project that meets a need in the school or community
Research 1 80 11 or 12 One term None The research process up to a proposal: problem, review of literature, research questions and methods
Research 2 80 11 or 12 One term, after Research 1 Research 1 Carrying out the study: instruments, data collection and analysis, and a full report presented and defended
In-Campus Field Exposure for Sports 160 12 only One term Human Movement 1 and 2, Sports Coaching, Sports Officiating, Sports Activity Management, First Aid, Fundamentals of Basic Life Support Assisting in physical education classes, sports training, intramurals and fitness programs within the school
Field Exposure (Off-Campus) 80 12 only Term 1, 2 or 3; taken once Life and Career Skills (core) Observing workplaces linked to a career interest: 20 hours of preparation in school, 40 hours in the field, 20 hours of reflection in school
Work Immersion for the Academic Track 320 12 only Term 3 only The completed electives of one cluster, as DO 023 sets them (below) Workplace experience in a field matching the learner’s completed electives

Sources: DO 017, s. 2026, Annex A; DO 023, s. 2026, Encl. items 21 to 23 and Tables 4 to 6; the curriculum guides.

Work Immersion for the Academic Track: prerequisites. DO 017’s Annex A and DO 023’s Table 5 both require the completed electives of one cluster, but they list them differently:

Group of electives DO 017, s. 2026, Annex A (June 4) DO 023, s. 2026, Table 5 (November 10)
Business and Entrepreneurship All six business electives All six business electives
Sports, Health, and Wellness Eight: Human Movement 1 and 2, Sports Activity Management, Sports Coaching, Sports Officiating, Exercise and Sports Programming, First Aid, Fundamentals of Basic Life Support The same eight
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Any of: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Earth and Space Science 1 to 4; Basic Calculus; Advanced Mathematics; Fundamentals of Data Analytics Any of the four science sequences, 1 to 4
Social sciences and humanities Any six of 13 electives Any six of 14: the same 13 and Creative Production and Presentation
A row headed “Arts Apprenticeship” None Four electives: Art Criticism and Creative Markets and Performance Criticism and Creative Markets, each with a Creative Industries art form, Filipino Identity Through the Arts, and Leadership and Management in the Arts

The last row of DO 023’s Table 5 (“Work Immersion Pre-requisites Subjects for the Academic Track”) is headed “Arts Apprenticeship” and lists four electives. The order does not say whether that row is a route into Work Immersion for arts learners or the prerequisites for Arts Apprenticeship itself, and as of November 14, 2026, no issuance has settled it. DO 017’s Annex A asks an apprentice for only the criticism elective that matches the art form: Art Criticism and Creative Markets for literary, media and visual arts and traditional cultural expressions, and Performance Criticism and Creative Markets for dance, music and theater. Plan so that a learner meets both readings, by completing all four electives and their Creative Industries prerequisites before the apprenticeship, as sample program 3 below does, or ask the Schools Division Office (SDO).

For the other four rows, DO 023 is the later order on this subject and repeals provisions inconsistent with it (cover item 5), so its Table 5 governs. For a learner aiming at a science or engineering workplace, that means a full four-subject science sequence; Basic Calculus, Advanced Mathematics or Fundamentals of Data Analytics alone no longer qualifies.

Tech-Pro Track electives

Every Tech-Pro elective is “standardized to a total of 320 hours” and aligned with a TESDA training regulation (DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. item 14.a). In Grade 11 it runs across all three terms, 2.5 hours a day, five days a week, or 2 hours a day, four days a week, plus 1 hour of asynchronous work. In Grade 12 it fills one term at 6 hours a day, five days a week (Encl. item 24, Table 8). “Grade” is Annex A’s grade level, and the TESDA column gives the “equivalent TESDA TR” the order names.

Aesthetic, Wellness, and Human Care (4 electives)

Elective Grade TESDA qualification NC level Prerequisite
Aesthetic Services (Beauty Care) 11 or 12 Beauty Care (Nail Care Services) NC II None
Caregiving (Adult Care) 11 or 12 Caregiving (Elderly) NC II None
Caregiving (Child Care) 11 or 12 Caregiving (Newborn to Pre-schooler) NC II None
Hairdressing Services 11 or 12 Hairdressing NC II None

Agri-Fishery Business and Food Innovation (9 electives)

Elective Grade TESDA qualification NC level Prerequisite
Agricultural Crops Production 11 or 12 Agricultural Crops Production NC II None
Agro-entrepreneurship 11 or 12 Agro-Entrepreneurship NC II None
Aquaculture 11 or 12 Aquaculture (Tilapia Culture), Aquaculture (Grow-Out Operation), and Aquaculture (Hatchery Operation) NC II None
Fish Capture Operation 11 or 12 Fish Capture NC II None
Food Processing 11 or 12 Food Processing NC II None
Organic Agriculture Production 11 or 12 Organic Agriculture Production NC II None
Poultry Production (Chicken) 11 or 12 Animal Production (Poultry-Chicken) NC II None
Ruminants Production 11 or 12 Animal Production (Ruminants) NC II None
Swine Production 11 or 12 Animal Production (Swine) NC II None

Artisanry and Creative Enterprise (2 electives)

Elective Grade TESDA qualification NC level Prerequisite
Garments Artisanry 11 or 12 Dressmaking or Tailoring NC II None
Handicrafts: Weaving 11 or 12 Handicrafts (Handloom) NC II None

Automotive and Small Engine Technologies (4 electives)

Elective Grade TESDA qualification NC level Prerequisite
Driving and Automotive Servicing 11 or 12 Driving and Automotive Driving NC II and/or Automotive Servicing NC I None
Automotive Servicing (Electrical Repair) 12 only Automotive Servicing (Electrical Repair) NC II Driving and Automotive Servicing
Automotive Servicing (Engine and Chassis Repairs) 12 only Automotive Servicing (Engine Repair) and/or (Chassis Repair) Engine Repair NC II and/or Chassis Repair NC II Driving and Automotive Servicing
Motorcycle and Small Engine Servicing 11 or 12 Motorcycle and Small Engine NC II None

Construction and Building Technologies (4 electives)

Elective Grade TESDA qualification NC level Prerequisite
Carpentry 11 or 12 Carpentry NC I and NC II None
Construction Operation 11 or 12 Masonry, Tile Setting, and Plumbing Masonry NC I and/or Plumbing NC II None
Manual Metal Arc Welding 11 or 12 Manual Metal Arc Welding NC I and NC II None
Technical Drafting 11 or 12 Technical Drafting NC II None

Creative Arts and Design Technologies (3 electives)

Elective Grade TESDA qualification NC level Prerequisite
Animation 11 or 12 Animation NC II None
Illustration 11 or 12 Illustration NC II None
Visual Graphic Design 11 or 12 Visual Graphic Design NC III None

Hospitality and Tourism (7 electives)

Elective Grade TESDA qualification NC level Prerequisite
Bakery Operations 11 or 12 Bread and Pastry Production NC II None
Events Management Services 11 or 12 Events Management Services NC III None
Food and Beverage Operation 11 or 12 Food and Beverage Services and/or Barista NC II None
Hotel Operations (Front Office Services) 11 or 12 Front Office Services NC II None
Hotel Operations (Housekeeping Services) 11 or 12 Housekeeping Services NC II None
Kitchen Operations 11 or 12 Cookery NC II None
Tourism Services 11 or 12 Local Tour Guiding, Travel Promotion Services, and/or Tourism Services NC II None

ICT Support and Computer Programming Technologies (6 electives)

Elective Grade TESDA qualification NC level Prerequisite
Broadband Installation 11 or 12 Broadband Installation (Fixed Wireless Systems) NC II None
Computer Programming (Java) 11 or 12 Programming (JAVA) NC III None
Computer Programming (.Net Technology) 11 or 12 Programming (.NET Technology) NC III None
Computer Programming (Oracle Database) 11 or 12 Programming (Oracle Database) NC III None
Computer Systems Servicing 11 or 12 Computer Systems Servicing NC II None
Contact Center Services 11 or 12 Contact Center Services NC II None

Industrial Technologies (6 electives)

Elective Grade TESDA qualification NC level Prerequisite
Domestic Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Servicing 11 or 12 Domestic Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Servicing NC II None
Commercial Air-Conditioning Installation and Servicing 12 only Commercial Air-Conditioning Installation and Servicing NC III Domestic Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Servicing
Electrical Installation and Maintenance 11 or 12 Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC II None
Electronic Products Assembly and Servicing 11 or 12 Electronic Products Assembly and Servicing NC II None
Mechatronics 12 only Mechatronics NC II Electronic Products Assembly and Servicing
Photovoltaic Systems Installation 11 or 12 PV System Installation NC II None

Maritime (3 electives)

Elective Grade TESDA qualification NC level Prerequisite
Marine Engineering at the Support Level 11 or 12 None Non-NC None
Marine Transportation at the Support Level 11 or 12 None Non-NC None
Ships Catering Services 11 or 12 Ships Catering Services NC I and/or NC II None

Source for all ten tables: DO 017, s. 2026, Annex A.

Annex A lists one more Tech-Pro requirement: Work Immersion for the Tech-Pro Track, Grade 12, 320 to 640 hours, with the prerequisite “Any Tech-Pro elective”. It is required of every Tech-Pro learner (Encl. item 16). Under DO 023, s. 2026 it runs as a One-Term Model of 320 hours or a Two-Term Model of 540 or 640 hours over two consecutive terms (Encl. item 20, Tables 2 and 3). The Two-Term Model leaves room for only one Grade 12 Tech-Pro elective, so 540 hours brings a learner’s electives and Work Immersion to 1,180 hours, short of the “at least 1,280 hours” DO 017 requires (Encl. item 26.b), though DO 017’s own Table 3 also lists 540. No issuance reconciles the two; 640 hours satisfies both. For the senior high school maritime program, DO 023 promises a separate advisory or memorandum aligned with the Maritime Industry Authority’s training and certification standards (cover item 3).

Some 2016 TVL specializations have no Tech-Pro elective. Annex F.2 names two, Barbering NC II and Wellness Massage NC II, and credits them to a transferee only as a general SSHS elective. A school whose TVL permit covers a subject with no SSHS curriculum guide “may continue to offer the TVL subject only for SY 2026-2027” (Annex B1, item 1).

The five core subjects

Every learner, in either track, takes the same five core subjects in Grade 11, “with 160 instructional hours per Core Subject in 1 school year (e.g., 3 terms)”. They “shall no longer be offered in Grade 12” (DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. item 13). Each is aligned with a college general education course.

Core subject Hours Aligned college general education course Suggested teachers
Effective Communication and Mabisang Komunikasyon 160 Purposive Communication English and Filipino teachers of Language and Communication subjects
General Mathematics 160 Mathematics in the Modern World Mathematics teachers of General Mathematics, Statistics or related subjects
General Science 160 Science, Technology, and Society Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth and Space Science teachers
Life and Career Skills 160 Understanding the Self Teachers of Values Education, Health and Physical Education, Personal Development or related subjects
Pag-aaral ng Kasaysayan at Lipunang Pilipino 160 Readings in Philippine History Araling Panlipunan or Social Science teachers

Source: DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. Tables 1 and 5.

Each core subject meets 1.5 hours, four times a week, or on one of two blended schedules recommended for schools on double shifts (Encl. Table 8). Five electives build on them: Database Management and Fundamentals of Data Analytics require General Mathematics, the two conceptual science electives require General Science, and Field Exposure (Off-Campus) requires Life and Career Skills (Annex A).

Which electives have curriculum guides and learning resources

DepEd Memorandum No. 036, s. 2026, which governs the Grade 12 pilot, states that “Only electives with officially uploaded Curriculum Guides (CGs) on the DepEd website (https://www.deped.gov.ph/strengthened-shs-program/) shall be offered” (item 5). It adds that schools “shall not offer any elective subject without an officially released CG, even if listed in the SSHS Shaping Paper” (Encl. item 10). For every other school, Annex B1 of DO 017 allows a TVL subject without an SSHS curriculum guide to continue only for SY 2026-2027.

As of November 14, 2026, DepEd’s Strengthened SHS Program page posts:

Subjects Curriculum guides posted
Five core subjects A guide for each (semestral), and a three-term version with its budget of work
80 Academic electives A three-term guide for 79, and a semestral version as well for 38 of them. Work Immersion for the Academic Track has no guide; DO 023 governs it
48 Tech-Pro electives A guide for each, with a Grade 11 and a Grade 12 budget of work for the three-term calendar (Grade 12 only for the four Grade 12 electives)

DepEd’s page explains why Academic electives have no budget of work: “For Academic Electives, no Budget of Work (BOW) will be provided since these courses are offered on a term basis.”

Guides DepEd marks as updated

In its SY 2026-2027 orientation materials for the Learning Systems policies, DepEd gives each of these guides an “Updated as of” date with its title, and its Strengthened SHS page shows the same date with three of them (Basic Calculus, Chemistry 2 and Animation). Check that teachers use these versions.

Updated as of Guides
May 29, 2026 Advanced Mathematics, Basic Calculus, Conceptual Biology and Earth and Space Science, Conceptual Physics and Chemistry in Daily Life, Database Management, Empowerment Technologies, Fundamentals of Data Analytics
June 5, 2026 Chemistry 1; Citizenship and Civic Engagement; Filipino 1; the three Filipino 2 electives; Filipino Identity Through the Arts; Leadership and Management in the Arts; Malikhaing Pagsulat; Philippine Governance; Social Sciences (Theory and Practice); Human Movement 1; Human Movement 2; Sports Activity Management
July 30, 2026 Chemistry 2
July 31, 2026 Animation (Tech-Pro): its Grade 11 and Grade 12 three-term versions

The guides marked June 5 and later post-date DO 017, signed on June 4, 2026.

Where a guide differs from the order

Every Academic guide, updated or not, gives the same grade level and prerequisites as Annex A. The Creative Composition 2 guide gives “80 hours for one semester”; schools on the three-term calendar run it in one term, as Table 3 sets for every Academic elective, and a private school on two semesters may run it in a semester (Encl. item 20).

Annex A is part of the order, while DO 017 leaves the standards to be “further expounded in the curriculum guides” (Encl. item 11). Use Annex A’s titles, hours and prerequisites when programming and enrolling, and each guide’s standards and competencies when planning lessons.

Learning resources for SY 2026-2027

DO 017 has the Bureau of Learning Resources provide quality-assured resources, and “Lesson Exemplars and Learning Activity Sheets aligned with the SSHS Curriculum shall be made accessible through the DepEd website” (Encl. item 27.d). As of November 14, 2026, DepEd’s orientation materials and its Strengthened SHS page offer lesson exemplars and learning activity sheets for:

Subjects Lesson exemplars and learning activity sheets
Core subjects All five (Effective Communication and Mabisang Komunikasyon separately), Terms 1 and 2
Academic electives (16) Contemporary Literature 1, Creative Composition 1, Filipino 1, Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person, Malikhaing Pagsulat, Philippine Governance, Social Sciences (Theory and Practice), Business 1 (Basic Accounting), Introduction to Organization and Management, Biology 1, Chemistry 1, Earth and Space Science 1, Finite Mathematics 1, Finite Mathematics 2, Physics 1, Human Movement 1. DepEd prepares them “on one-term basis”
Tech-Pro electives, Agri-Fishery Business and Food Innovation (8) Agricultural Crops Production (lesson exemplars only), Agro-entrepreneurship, Fish Capture Operation, Food Processing, Organic Agriculture Production, Poultry Production (Chicken), Ruminants Production, Swine Production
Tech-Pro electives, Hospitality and Tourism (6) Bakery Operations, Food and Beverage Operation, Hotel Operations (Front Office Services), Hotel Operations (Housekeeping Services), Kitchen Operations, Tourism Services
Tech-Pro electives, ICT (2) Computer Systems Servicing, Contact Center Services
Tech-Pro electives, Industrial Technologies (4) Commercial Air-Conditioning Installation and Servicing, Domestic Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Servicing, Mechatronics, Photovoltaic Systems Installation

For the Tech-Pro electives, most sets cover the first one or two Grade 11 terms and the Grade 12 term. The other 28 Tech-Pro electives and 64 Academic electives have no DepEd lesson exemplars yet; teachers plan from the curriculum guide under DepEd Order No. 016, s. 2026 (see the guide to ILAW lesson plans).

The orientation materials also include an earlier set, released for the pilot by quarter, for the core subjects and some Tech-Pro electives. DepEd’s note on it says these are “provided for reference and interim use only”, that the Bureau of Learning Delivery and the Bureau of Learning Resources are “preparing a curated set” for the three-term calendar, and that “once the finalized resources are made available, the use of the updated versions is strongly recommended.” Memorandum OM-LS-2026-247 says the same of the folder “(Previously Released LRs for SSHS Pilot) Core Subjects and Select Tech-Pro Electives”: it “is provided for reference and interim use only”, and the resources “shall be continuously uploaded” to DepEd’s Strengthened SHS page as they become available (item 2).

How a school decides what to offer

Start from the permit you already hold

“All existing Senior High Schools are automatically authorized to offer the SSHS Curriculum, and no separate permit is required” (DO 017, s. 2026, Annex B1). A public school starts from the strands its permit covers, mapped to clusters:

Permit under the 2016 curriculum Academic Track cluster it covers
Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) Business and Entrepreneurship
General Academic (GA) Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities; Business and Entrepreneurship; the cluster of electives previously offered under any track or strand
Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Arts and Design Track Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities
Sports Track Sports, Health, and Wellness
Any track or strand Field Experience

Source: DO 017, s. 2026, Annex B1, Table 12.

TVL permits carry over to the matching Tech-Pro electives (Annex B1, item 1). For the Grade 12 pilot, DM 036, s. 2026 maps the TVL strands to clusters: Agri-Fishery Arts to Agri-Fishery Business and Food Innovation; Home Economics to Aesthetic, Wellness, and Human Care, Artisanry and Creative Enterprise, and Hospitality and Tourism; Industrial Arts to Automotive and Small Engine Technologies, Construction and Building Technologies, and Industrial Technologies; ICT to ICT Support and Computer Programming Technologies and Creative Arts and Design Technologies; and Maritime to Maritime (Encl. Table 2). A TVL permit still covers only the electives it names; any other Tech-Pro elective goes through DO 054, s. 2022 (Annex B1, items 1 and 2.a).

Adding electives, clusters and tracks

What the school wants What it needs Source
More Academic electives inside a cluster it already offers Nothing: “not required to secure a separate or new permit” Annex B1, item 2.b
A new elective cluster or a new track The Regional Office’s approval, applied for through the SDO with a cover letter and a justification report (classrooms, resources and teachers; learner survey data; possible partners for Work Immersion, Field Exposure or Arts Apprenticeship) Annex B1, item 2 and Table 13
A new Tech-Pro elective The “evaluation, resource verification, and approval provisions of DO 54, s. 2022”, including its facility standards and teachers’ National Certificates Annex B1, item 2.a
An elective not in Annex A (a unique elective) Submission to the SDO and the Regional Office and “prior approval from the BCD”, the Bureau of Curriculum Development Encl. item 14.c

DepEd Memorandum No. 012, s. 2026, which announced the SSHS for every incoming Grade 11 from SY 2026-2027, promised guidance “on offering a new track, such as Academic or Technical Professional (TechPro), or additional TechPro electives” (item 8); Annex B1 of DO 017 now gives that guidance. For a new cluster, the SDO checks the application and endorses it, a review committee of regional and division staff (planning, quality assurance and curriculum) reviews it and may inspect the school, and the Regional Office decides (Annex B1, Table 13). DO 017 promises a separate issuance with the “detailed procedures and documentary requirements for the approval of institutional Electives” (Encl. item 14.c); as of November 14, 2026, DepEd has not issued it.

An approval “does not expire”, and an elective with no enrollees in a year is reported in the LIS with zero enrollees without losing the permit (Annex B1, item 3). The reverse also holds, in the Enhanced Basic Education Information System (EBEIS) and the LIS: “Schools that offer Electives without the approved permit would not be able to reflect the Elective in the school’s EBEIS and learner’s LIS records” (Annex B1, item 3). The school head must “ensure that their school offers only approved SSHS tracks and electives” (Encl. item 32). Private schools follow Annex B2: their Government Permit or Recognition names the tracks or clusters they may offer.

Use learner profiles, local needs and the school’s capacity

“Initial determinations of SSHS track offerings and Elective specializations shall be informed by consolidated learner profiles, including interests, aptitudes, and career inclinations; available school resources such as teacher complement, facilities, and logistical capacity; and consultations with the SDOs” (Encl. item 27.a). Schools also review offerings against “community needs, workforce and industry skills demand, local development priorities, and available industry partnerships”, and Annex B1 encourages an annual review “considering the learner’s interests, school capacity, and industry needs and demands” (item 3).

For Tech-Pro electives, DO 054, s. 2022 gives the test. A school keeps a specialization that is among those with the most enrollees, among learners’ top five in a preference survey, within the school’s facilities, equipment and certified teachers, and in local and national development plans; it may propose new ones from the same data (DO 054, s. 2022, Encl. Sec. V, step 6). The SDO verifies, and the Regional Office approves.

Career guidance runs beside the planning. DO 017 has the school head ensure “the continuous provision of career guidance services for learners throughout the academic year”, using tools such as National Career Assessment Examination results, interest inventories, career clinics and the Landas Toolkit, and it adds: “The learner’s informed choice shall be respected and prioritized” (Encl. item 27.b). The career guidance guide covers who may counsel and how. For the trend in what learners chose under the old strands, see DepEd senior high strands by sex, SY 2017-18 to 2025-26.

Match teachers to electives

Cluster Teachers DO 017 names
Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities Arts: Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health (MAPEH) teachers or Arts and Design Track specialists. Social sciences and humanities: teachers of HUMSS, Philosophy, English and Filipino relevant to the elective
Business and Entrepreneurship Teachers specialized in ABM
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Science and Mathematics teachers relevant to the elective
Sports, Health, and Wellness Sports Track and Physical Education teachers
Field Experience Arts Apprenticeship: Arts and Design or MAPEH teachers. Research and Design and Innovation: teachers of Practical Research, Inquiries, Investigation and Immersion, or Capstone. Field Exposure: teachers relevant to the strand or the prerequisite electives
Tech-Pro Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) and TVL teachers with “a valid and current National Certification relevant to the Elective being taught”, or qualified trainers with TESDA NCs

Source: DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. item 22.b, Table 6.

For Tech-Pro teachers, Table 6 adds: “In cases where a higher NC level is not available for the Elective, the teacher shall hold the NC at the same level as the subject to be delivered.” DO 023, s. 2026 has the elective teacher handle Field Exposure and Arts Apprenticeship, and credits the coordination and monitoring of Work Immersion, Field Exposure and Arts Apprenticeship as regular teaching load (Encl. items 8.u and 30). The guide to SHS jobs and the Tech-Pro track covers how few TVL learners have taken the NC assessment and what that means for staffing.

Respect class sizes

Classes Maximum class size
Core subjects 40 learners
Academic electives 30 learners
Tech-Pro electives 25 learners

Source: DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. item 23, Table 7.

A school that cannot meet these may run larger classes, adopting “appropriate instructional and management strategies”, and the school head may open more sections “subject to classroom capacity, instructional requirements, and teacher availability” (Encl. item 23). An elective that draws 70 learners therefore needs three Academic sections, or the school offers a second elective in the same term to split the demand.

Sample programs of study

The five programs below are examples, built from Annex A’s prerequisites, the hours in Tables 3, 9 and 10, and DO 023’s term rules. They are not DepEd’s; DO 017’s own samples are in its Annex C, and DM 036 calls its samples “not mandatory templates”. Every learner also takes the five core subjects in all three terms of Grade 11.

Check any sample against Annex A before using it, DepEd’s included. Annex C’s first allied health program places Advanced Mathematics in Grade 12 without Pre-Calculus, its prerequisite, and DO 023’s sample in its Annex I places Business 3, a Grade 12 elective, in Grade 11.

1. College STEM (engineering or the sciences), Academic Track

Term Grade 11 electives Grade 12 electives
Term 1 Pre-Calculus Physics 3, Basic Calculus, Chemistry 1, Finite Mathematics 1
Term 2 Physics 1 Physics 4, Advanced Mathematics, Chemistry 2, Research 1
Term 3 Physics 2 Chemistry 3, Fundamentals of Data Analytics, Research 2, Design and Innovation
Hours 240 (plus 800 in core subjects) 960

Pre-Calculus comes first because Basic Calculus and Advanced Mathematics both require it. The physics sequence runs one elective a term, so Physics 4, a Grade 12 elective, lands in Grade 12 Term 2.

2. College business or accountancy, Academic Track

Term Grade 11 electives Grade 12 electives
Term 1 Introduction to Organization and Management Business 2 (Business Finance and Income Taxation), Contemporary Marketing, Finite Mathematics 1, Empowerment Technologies
Term 2 Business 1 (Basic Accounting) Business 3 (Business Economics), Finite Mathematics 2, Fundamentals of Data Analytics, Research 1
Term 3 Entrepreneurship Research 2, Philippine Governance (Philippine Politics and Governance), Field Exposure (Off-Campus), Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Hours 240 960

Business 2 and Contemporary Marketing need Business 1 and Introduction to Organization and Management, which Grade 11 supplies. By the end of Grade 12 Term 2 the learner has all six business electives, the prerequisite for Work Immersion for the Academic Track. A learner bound for work after senior high school can replace the four Term 3 electives with that 320-hour Work Immersion, which DO 023 allows only in Term 3: 640 + 320 = 960 hours.

3. The arts, Academic Track with Arts Apprenticeship

Term Grade 11 electives Grade 12 electives
Term 1 Creative Industries – Visual Arts Art Criticism and Creative Markets, Performance Criticism and Creative Markets, Leadership and Management in the Arts, Creative Composition 1
Term 2 Creative Industries – Music Arts Apprenticeship – Visual Arts (160 hours), Creative Composition 2, Contemporary Literature 1
Term 3 Filipino Identity Through the Arts Creative Production and Presentation (160 hours), Contemporary Literature 2, Malikhaing Pagsulat
Hours 240 320 + 320 + 320 = 960

This follows DO 023’s model: prerequisites in Term 1, the apprenticeship in Term 2, and Creative Production and Presentation in Term 3 (Encl. item 23, Table 6). Arts Apprenticeship – Visual Arts needs Filipino Identity Through the Arts, Leadership and Management in the Arts, and Art Criticism and Creative Markets (Annex A). This program also completes Performance Criticism and Creative Markets, the fourth elective in the “Arts Apprenticeship” row of DO 023’s Table 5, so it meets either reading of that row. Each criticism elective follows its Creative Industries prerequisite: Visual Arts for Art Criticism, Music for Performance Criticism.

4. Employment, Tech-Pro Track

Term Grade 11 Grade 12
Term 1 Electrical Installation and Maintenance (320 hours, all three terms) Electronic Products Assembly and Servicing (320)
Term 2 (continues) Mechatronics (320)
Term 3 (continues) Work Immersion for the Tech-Pro Track (320)
Hours 320 (plus 800 in core subjects) 960

Mechatronics, a Grade 12 elective, needs Electronic Products Assembly and Servicing, so it follows it. All three electives are aligned with NC II qualifications. A school whose partners can host learners longer can use DO 023’s Two-Term Model instead: one elective in Term 1, then 640 hours of Work Immersion over Terms 2 and 3 (on 540 hours, see the Tech-Pro section above).

5. Tech-Pro with the cross-track option, toward college computing

Term Grade 11 Grade 12
Term 1 Computer Systems Servicing (320 hours, all three terms) Computer Programming (Java) (320)
Term 2 (continues) Pre-Calculus, Finite Mathematics 1, Empowerment Technologies, Database Management
Term 3 (continues) Work Immersion for the Tech-Pro Track (320)
Hours 320 960

This uses the cross-track option’s four Academic electives, the distribution DM 036 gives as an example: a Tech-Pro elective in Term 1, four Academic electives in Term 2, and Work Immersion in Term 3 (Encl. item 24.b.ii). Database Management requires General Mathematics, which the core subjects supply. The total, 800 + 320 + 960, is the Tech-Pro Track’s 2,080 hours.

What this means for school heads

  1. Confirm what your permit covers. Map your old strands to clusters with Table 12 of Annex B1; for Tech-Pro, list the electives your TVL permit covers. Offer Academic electives freely inside those clusters; apply through the SDO for a new cluster, and under DO 054, s. 2022 for a new Tech-Pro elective. Do not schedule an elective your permit does not cover: it cannot be recorded in the LIS or EBEIS.
  2. Plan offerings from learner data. Survey incoming Grade 11 learners and the Grade 11 learners choosing Grade 12 electives, consolidate their profiles, and match demand to teachers, rooms and class sizes before the school year’s programming (Encl. item 27.a). Keep the survey and the summary for the annual review Annex B1 encourages.
  3. Build programs that respect prerequisites. Lay out each sequence term by term (Pre-Calculus before Basic Calculus and Advanced Mathematics; Business 1 and Introduction to Organization and Management before Business 2; Human Movement 1 and 2 before coaching and officiating; Filipino Identity Through the Arts, Leadership and Management in the Arts, and both criticism electives with their Creative Industries prerequisites before Arts Apprenticeship). A learner who fails a prerequisite cannot enroll in the electives that need it until they pass it through the Summer Remedial Class or as a back subject (DO 015, s. 2026, Encl. item 67.d). In the Grade 12 pilot, a failed Grade 11 subject may be carried as a back subject only if “it is not a prerequisite to any enrolled subject” (DM 036, s. 2026, Encl. item 27).
  4. Staff electives with qualified teachers. Use Table 6 of DO 017. For Tech-Pro electives, keep a list of each teacher’s NCs and their validity, and do not open an elective no teacher is certified for.
  5. Use the current guides and resources. Make sure teachers have the guides DepEd marked as updated and the term-based lesson exemplars and learning activity sheets, and treat the earlier pilot materials as interim only.
  6. Plan Field Experience and Work Immersion early. Partners, agreements and insurance take time; DO 023 places Academic Track Work Immersion in Term 3 and Arts Apprenticeship in Term 2 of its model.
  7. Guide, do not assign. Give learners and parents the elective list, the prerequisites and the sample paths, through career guidance that runs all year, and let the learner decide (Encl. item 27.b).

This work serves strands of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH): 1.2 (school planning and implementation) in Domain 1, 2.4 (management of staff) in Domain 2, and 3.1 (learning standards) and 3.7 (career awareness and opportunities) in Domain 3.

How the NASH may test this

The items below are original practice items, scored 3 (Relational), 2 (Multistructural), 1 (Unistructural) or 0 (Prestructural). An option that breaks a rule scores 0.

Question 1

Indicator 1.2.2, School planning and implementation. Career Stage 2, Situational, Moderate.

You are the school head of a public secondary school in a farming municipality. Its permits cover the former STEM and HUMSS strands and the Agri-Fishery Arts strand. A survey for next school year shows that many incoming Grade 11 learners want business and entrepreneurship electives, which the school has never offered. Two teachers hold business degrees, and enrollment opens in three months. The planning team is drafting next year’s offerings. What is the most appropriate action?

  • A. Plan next year’s electives with the planning team within the clusters the permits cover, using the survey and staffing, and apply through the division for the business cluster.
  • B. Apply through the division office for the business cluster with the survey and the two teachers’ credentials, and keep last year’s list of electives while the application is reviewed.
  • C. Present the survey results to the planning team and ask the division office to recommend which electives the school should offer during the coming school year.
  • D. Open the business electives next school year with the two teachers, since learners may now take electives from any cluster under the new curriculum.
Answer and explanation: Question 1

Best answer: A. Points: A = 3, B = 2, C = 1, D = 0.

  • A (3 points, Relational). It plans next year’s offerings with the team from learner data and the school’s capacity, within the clusters its permits cover, and seeks approval for the new cluster through the proper channel with the evidence the order asks for.
  • B (2 points, Multistructural). It uses the right channel and evidence for the new cluster, but it leaves next year’s offerings unplanned, ignoring the learner data and the team that should shape them.
  • C (1 point, Unistructural). It shares the data with the planning team, but it hands the decision to the division and starts no application.
  • D (0 points, Prestructural). A new elective cluster needs the Regional Office’s approval, and electives offered without approval cannot be recorded in the school’s EBEIS and learners’ LIS records. Learners choose across the clusters the school is approved to offer.

Why. This aligns with Career Stage 2 expectations because indicator 1.2.2 asks the school head to develop and implement school plans with the planning team, aligned with institutional goals and policies. DO 017, s. 2026 bases offerings on “consolidated learner profiles” and school resources (Encl. item 27.a), lets a school offer Academic electives in the clusters its permits cover, and requires a school “intending to offer new elective clusters” to “inform and secure the approval of the regional office”, applying through the SDO (Annex B1, item 2 and Table 13). The 2-point option files the application correctly but does not plan next year’s offerings from the learners’ data.

Indicator 1.2.2: Develop and implement with the planning team school plans aligned with institutional goals and policies.

Sources: DepEd Order No. 017, s. 2026, Encl. items 27.a and 32; Annex B1, items 1 to 3 and Tables 12 and 13.

Question 2

Indicator 3.1.1, School-based review, contextualization and implementation of learning standards. Career Stage 1, Conceptual, Moderate.

Annex A of DepEd Order No. 017, s. 2026 sets prerequisites for many Strengthened SHS electives, such as Pre-Calculus before Basic Calculus and Biology 1 to 3 before Biology 4. Which statement best describes what these prerequisites require of a school?

  • A. It lists the prerequisites in its enrollment guide so learners can check their own choices, because learners now choose their electives under the flexible model.
  • B. It lets learners with high grades in a related core subject skip a prerequisite, because a high grade already shows they have the needed competencies.
  • C. It plans each learner’s electives across terms so that every prerequisite comes first, because the later elective builds on what the earlier one develops.
  • D. It offers the first elective of each sequence in every term, because many learners will need to take it before they can enroll in the later ones.
Answer and explanation: Question 2

Best answer: C. Points: A = 2, B = 0, C = 3, D = 1.

  • A (2 points, Multistructural). Informing learners of the prerequisites is part of career guidance (DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. item 27.b), but it leaves the sequencing to each learner instead of building it into the school’s programs of study.
  • B (0 points, Prestructural). Annex A sets prerequisites with no exception for grades in a core subject, so skipping one is not the school’s to allow.
  • C (3 points, Relational). It connects the rule (each prerequisite before the elective that needs it), the school’s programming across terms, and the reason (later electives build on earlier competencies).
  • D (1 point, Unistructural). Offering the first electives often helps supply, but it does not make sure each learner takes them in order.

Why. This aligns with Career Stage 1 expectations because indicator 3.1.1 asks for knowledge and understanding of the school-based implementation of learning standards. Annex A of DO 017, s. 2026 lists each elective’s prerequisites, and the curriculum guides build on them: “Physics 3 builds on the concepts and scientific skills developed in Physics 2.” A learner who fails a prerequisite cannot enroll in the higher-level elective until it is passed (DO 015, s. 2026, Encl. item 67.d). For the Grade 12 pilot, DM 036, s. 2026 allows a failed elective to be carried as a back subject only if “it is not a prerequisite to any enrolled subject” (Encl. item 27). The 2-point option informs learners but leaves the sequencing to them.

Indicator 3.1.1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of school-based review, contextualization and implementation of learning standards.

Sources: DepEd Order No. 017, s. 2026, Annex A and Encl. item 27.b; DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026, Encl. item 67.d; DepEd Memorandum No. 036, s. 2026, Encl. item 27; Physics 3 curriculum guide.

Nothing in this guide reproduces or predicts examination content.

Frequently asked questions

How many electives does a Strengthened SHS learner take?

An Academic Track learner takes 3 electives in Grade 11 (240 hours) and 960 hours of electives in Grade 12, which is 9 to 12 electives depending on their hours. A Tech-Pro Track learner takes 1 Tech-Pro elective in Grade 11 and 1 or 2 in Grade 12, with Work Immersion (DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. Tables 9 and 10).

Can a learner take electives from different clusters?

Yes. Learners “may select Electives across multiple clusters”, and an Academic Track learner may add 1 Tech-Pro elective while a Tech-Pro learner may add 4 Academic electives in Grade 12 (DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. items 12 and 14). The choice is limited to the electives the school is approved to offer.

Is Work Immersion required for the Academic Track?

No. Work Immersion is optional for Academic Track learners and required for Tech-Pro learners (DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. item 16). An Academic Track learner who takes it completes the prerequisite electives of one cluster first and does 320 hours in Term 3 of Grade 12 (DO 023, s. 2026, Encl. item 21 and Table 5).

Can a school offer an elective that has no curriculum guide?

Not in the Grade 12 pilot: DM 036, s. 2026 bars any elective without an officially released guide (Encl. item 10). Other schools may continue a TVL subject without an SSHS guide only for SY 2026-2027, and an elective outside Annex A needs the Bureau of Curriculum Development’s prior approval (DO 017, s. 2026, Annex B1 and Encl. item 14.c).

What National Certificate must a Tech-Pro elective teacher hold?

A “valid and current National Certification relevant to the Elective being taught”; where no higher NC level exists for the elective, the teacher holds the NC at the same level as the subject (DO 017, s. 2026, Encl. Table 6). Annex A gives the NC level each elective is aligned with.

Sources

DepEd issuances:

  • DepEd Order No. 017, s. 2026, Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum, June 4, 2026. Encl. items 9, 11 to 17, 20, 22 to 24, 26, 27 and 32; Tables 1, 3, 5 to 10, 12, 13 and 19; Annexes A, B1, B2, C, E and F.2.
  • DepEd Order No. 023, s. 2026, Guidelines on the Strengthened Senior High School Work Immersion, Field Exposure (Off Campus), and Arts Apprenticeship, November 10, 2026. Cover items 3 and 5; Encl. items 8, 20 to 23 and 30; Tables 2 to 6; Annex I.
  • DepEd Memorandum No. 036, s. 2026, Pilot Implementation of the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum for Grade 12 in School Year 2026-2027, May 28, 2026. Item 5; Encl. items 4, 10, 13, 24 and 27; Table 2; Annex B.
  • Memorandum OM-LS-2026-247, Clarifications on Time Allotment, Class Programming, and Learning Resources for the Strengthened Senior High School (SSHS) Curriculum, Office of the Undersecretary for Learning Systems, June 16, 2026: items 1 and 2.
  • DepEd Memorandum No. 012, s. 2026, Full Implementation of the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum in School Year 2026-2027, February 27, 2026. Items 4, 5 and 8.
  • DepEd Order No. 054, s. 2022, Guidelines on the Selection of Senior High School Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Specializations, December 28, 2022. Encl. Sec. V.
  • DepEd Order No. 016, s. 2026, Guidelines on Lesson Planning and Learning Design, June 4, 2026.
  • 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, June 4, 2026. Encl. items 5 and 67.

DepEd curriculum materials:

  • Strengthened SHS Program, DepEd’s page of curriculum guides, budgets of work, lesson exemplars and learning activity sheets, as of November 14, 2026.
  • Curriculum guides of the 79 Academic electives (three-term versions), Department of Education, 2026: the prerequisite, course description and time allotment of each.
  • DepEd Learning Systems orientation materials for SY 2026-2027, Learning Systems Strand and Bureau of Learning Delivery: the SSHS learning resources and the note on the previously released pilot resources.

Learning Systems reforms, SY 2026-2027

Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: DepEd Orders No. 054, s. 2022 and No. 015, No. 016, No. 017 and No. 023, s. 2026; DepEd Memoranda No. 012 and No. 036, s. 2026; Memorandum OM-LS-2026-247; DepEd’s Strengthened SHS curriculum guides and learning resources.