When Is the Next NASH? Schedule Status and What to Prepare

As of November 8, 2026, DepEd has not announced the next National Assessment for School Heads (NASH). No DepEd memorandum sets a date, a batch, or an application period for a NASH after FY 2025 Batch 2, which was held on May 17, 2026 and whose results came out in DepEd Memorandum No. 044, s. 2026 on July 4, 2026. A date posted anywhere else, such as a “Batch 3” or “NASH 2027” schedule, has no DepEd issuance behind it.

The last round was announced this way: a DepEd Memorandum, DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025, followed by memoranda and advisories from DepEd’s Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development (now also Infrastructure) and by regional memoranda listing the takers. In the last three rounds (four administrations), the assessment came 34 to 181 days after the memorandum that opened applications, and the FY 2021 NQESH and both FY 2025 batches were held later than first announced.

The sections below set out the past schedules, what DepEd officials have said about the NASH since Batch 2, and what an aspiring school head can prepare now.

Key findings

• No date has been set. The last administration was FY 2025 Batch 2 on May 17, 2026, at 65 sites (DM 044, s. 2026, para. 3). FY 2025 was planned in two batches (DM 069, s. 2025, para. 6), and no issuance mentions a third.
• The last three rounds. The FY 2021 NQESH was held on July 31, 2022 (DepEd Memorandum No. 100, s. 2022, para. 1), the FY 2023 NQESH on May 26 and June 2, 2024 (DepEd Memorandum No. 059, s. 2024, para. 1), and the FY 2025 NASH on September 14, 2025 and May 17, 2026 (DepEd Memorandum No. 097, s. 2025, para. 3; DM 044, s. 2026, para. 3).
• Notice has been short or long. The assessment came 34 days after DM 069 opened Batch 1 and 181 days after the November 17, 2025 memorandum that opened Batch 2 applications (computed). Results took 37 to 145 days (computed).
• Dates move. The FY 2021 NQESH moved from June 21 to July 31, 2022. Batch 1 was held a week after the date DM 069 set, and Batch 2 moved twice, from December 7, 2025 to March 29, 2026 and then to May 17, 2026 (DM-OUHROD-2025-3318; DM-OUHRODI-2026-0789).
• DepEd has spoken of easing the NASH, not of a date. After an October 2026 Senate budget hearing, GMA News reported that DepEd is “considering relaxing” the NASH. The example Secretary Sonny Angara gave, remediation instead of a retake, is already in DM 044, s. 2026 (para. 5).
• The fee has varied. Takers paid PHP 350 for the FY 2021 NQESH and PHP 600 for FY 2023, nothing for NASH Batch 1, and PHP 720 for Batch 2 (DepEd Memorandum No. 033, s. 2022; DepEd Memorandum No. 013, s. 2024; DepEd’s July 29, 2025 program support fund memorandum; DM-OUHROD-2025-3318).

Is there a NASH Batch 3 or a NASH 2027?

No issuance mentions either. DM 069, s. 2025 said that “For Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, the NASH will be conducted in two batches” (para. 6), and both have been held and their results released: Batch 1 in DM 097, s. 2025 and Batch 2 in DM 044, s. 2026.

The fiscal year in a round’s name is not always the year it is held: the FY 2021 NQESH was held in 2022, the FY 2023 NQESH in 2024, and the FY 2025 NASH in 2025 and 2026. The next round’s name and dates will be in its own memorandum; until then, any “Batch 3” or “2027” date is a guess.

How past NQESH and NASH rounds were scheduled

Each round began with a DepEd Memorandum, and the results came in another one.

Sources: DM 033, s. 2022, paras. 2 and 4, and its online application guide; DM 100, s. 2022, para. 1 (FY 2021 date and takers); DepEd Region VIII Regional Memorandum No. 846, s. 2022, para. 1 (DM-HROD-2022-1115); DM 013, s. 2024, paras. 2, 3 and 6, and its application process; DM 059, s. 2024, para. 1; DM 069, s. 2025, para. 6; DepEd Office of the Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development advisory, August 26, 2025 (Batch 1 dates); DM 097, s. 2025, para. 3; DepEd’s July 29, 2025 program support fund memorandum; DM-OUHROD-2025-3318; DM-OUHRODI-2026-0789; DepEd press release, May 19, 2026 (Batch 2 mock); DM 044, s. 2026, para. 3.

The computed intervals, from the memorandum that opened applications, show how much notice takers had and how long they waited:

The FY 2021 round was smaller because the online test was “limited to a total number of six thousand (6,000) examinees nationwide” (DM 033, s. 2022, para. 4). The FY 2025 results came faster than the NQESH results did.

Why the dates moved

DM 033 set the FY 2021 NQESH for June 21, 2022. A June 7, 2022 memorandum, DM-HROD-2022-1115, moved it to July 31, 2022 (DepEd Region VIII Regional Memorandum No. 846, s. 2022, para. 1), the date the results memorandum gives (DM 100, s. 2022, para. 1).

DM 069 set FY 2025 Batch 1 for August 31 (mock) and September 7, 2025 (actual). An August 26, 2025 advisory from DepEd’s Office of the Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development moved them to September 7 and September 14, 2025, without stating a reason, and Batch 1 was held on September 14 (DM 097, s. 2025, para. 3).

Batch 2 moved more. DM 069 had set it for December 7, 2025. DM-OUHROD-2025-3318 (November 17, 2025) moved it to March 29, 2026 “to provide Regional and Schools Division Offices with sufficient time for the evaluation of the applications and administrative preparations”. A December 19, 2025 advisory extended the application period “Due to technical difficulties experienced by applicants during the initial two (2) weeks of the application period”, to January 30, 2026. DM-OUHRODI-2026-0789 (March 16, 2026) then moved the mock to May 10 and the assessment to May 17, 2026, “in consideration of the end of school year (EOSY) preparations of many NASH takers”. In all, Batch 2 was held 161 days after its first date (computed).

What DepEd has said about the NASH since Batch 2

No issuance after DM 044, s. 2026 concerns the NASH, but DepEd’s officials have spoken about it.

May 2026. DepEd’s press release on Batch 2 quoted Secretary Angara: “This assessment aims to strengthen school leadership capacity and expand the pool of qualified and eligible candidates for school principal positions.” He tied it to the goal of “One School, One School Principal” (DepEd press release, May 19, 2026).

October 2026. At the Senate Finance Committee’s hearing on DepEd’s 2027 budget, as GMA News reported on October 16, 2026:

• DepEd said an estimated 23,000 schools have no principal. GMA summarized Secretary Angara as saying DepEd is considering relaxing the NASH “in hopes that more principals could be hired and assigned to these schools”. In his own words, the EDCOM 2 finding “led to certain moves as relaxing the NASH exam… so that more principals could be hired”.
• Angara described what DepEd had done: “if they failed only certain parts or certain domains”, “they don’t have to take the exam again”; they can “remediate and pass the professional development area or intervention that’s needed”.
• Undersecretary Wilfredo Cabral said DepEd asked for “more than 14,000 school principal positions for 2027” but “it was not provided with budget”, and pointed to promotion through reclassification under the expanded career progression system.

These are statements reported from a hearing, not rules. The step Angara described is already in the results memoranda: a taker who meets the standards in three domains is a prospective candidate who takes a NEAP Targeted Development Program after appointment, and a taker With Developmental Areas becomes a prospective candidate after completing the Professional Development Interventions (PDI) and a Work Application Plan (WAP) (DM 044, s. 2026, para. 5). DM 044 requires no retake for either group. Any further easing would need a new issuance; as of November 8, 2026, none had been issued.

Republic Act No. 12288 may also shape later rounds. It requires a Standards-Based Assessment “as a prerequisite to their promotion and increase in salary” (Sec. 3.i) and directs DepEd to “formulate clear guidelines on assessing teachers and school leaders seeking promotion” (Sec. 9). DepEd has not said whether the NASH will serve as that assessment; What RA 12288 Changes in Teacher Career Progression tracks it.

Who could take the last NASH

Each memorandum sets its own takers. The two FY 2025 batches show how much they can differ.

Batch 1 applicants submitted a registration form to their Schools Division Office (SDO) (DM 069, s. 2025, Encl. No. 2, item 1.a). Batch 2 applicants applied through the NASH Online Application System (NASH-OAS). The next memorandum may change either. The full rules for Batch 2 are in NASH Requirements and Online Application: NASH-OAS Guide and NASH Qualification Standards for School Principal I: FAQ.

How you will hear about the next NASH

The FY 2025 rounds reached takers through these channels, in this order:

1. A DepEd Memorandum signed by or for the Secretary, posted on deped.gov.ph, which sets the round, its batches and its takers (DM 069, s. 2025).
2. Memoranda from DepEd’s Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development and Infrastructure, which set the application steps and any new dates (DM-OUHROD-2025-3318; DM-OUHRODI-2026-0789). They name the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development’s Human Resource Development Division as the contact: bhrod.hrdd@deped.gov.ph and the Facebook page facebook.com/DepEdBHROD (DM-OUHROD-2025-3318).
3. Regional memoranda with the official list of takers, the sites and the mock date (Caraga Regional Memorandum No. 0932, s. 2025).
4. Your SDO’s Human Resource Management Officer (HRMO), who evaluates applications and issues the assessment permit (DM 069, s. 2025, Encl. No. 2).

Results also come by memorandum, followed by each taker’s Certificate of Rating and Individual Development Report (DM 069, s. 2025, para. 12). The app’s NASH results page lists both FY 2025 batches.

What to prepare before the next memorandum

The memorandum may give little notice: Batch 1 takers had 34 days from DM 069 to the assessment. These steps follow the FY 2025 requirements; documents that need other offices’ signatures, such as certificates of experience and training, can take weeks to gather. How to Prepare for the NASH: A Step-by-Step Roadmap puts all seven stages of preparation in order, with illustrations:

1. Check whether you need the NASH at all. A passer of the Principal’s Test or of an NQESH up to FY 2020, a FY 2021 NQESH taker in Category A, a FY 2021 Category B qualifier rated 65% (“Passed”) in the 2024 certification, and a FY 2023 NQESH taker in Qualification A are already eligible for a first appointment as School Principal I (DepEd Memorandum No. 025, s. 2023, items 3.a and 4; DM 059, s. 2024, paras. 6 and 8). DepEd’s FY 2025 Batch 2 FAQs also count FY 2021 Category B qualifiers with lower ratings once their intervention is complete and certified by the Schools Division Superintendent (Q12). See Is the NASH Mandatory for School Principal I Appointment? and NASH vs NQESH: What the NASH Is and What Changed.
2. Complete the QS documents. For School Principal I: a master’s degree in Education, Educational Management or Educational Leadership (or in a relevant learning area with at least 9 units in Management), 5 years of teaching and 1 year of relevant experience, 32 hours of training within the last 5 years, and RA 1080 (Teacher) eligibility (DM 069, s. 2025, para. 5).
3. Keep two Very Satisfactory IPCRFs on file. Both batches asked for an approved IPCRF rated at least Very Satisfactory “in the last two (2) consecutive rating periods” (DM 069, s. 2025, Encl. No. 2, item 1.b.i; DM-OUHROD-2025-3318, Annex 1).
4. Make sure your DepEd email and DepEd LMS account work. The NASH-OAS, the assessment and the Certificate of Rating all run through them; DM-OUHRODI-2026-0789 reminded takers to “log in to the Learning Management System (LMS) and update their profiles”. See NASH LMS Login: How to Sign In to the DepEd LMS and NASH Safe Exam Browser (SEB) and DepEd LMS: Test-Day Guide.
5. Prepare your own device. Takers set up their laptop, Wi-Fi or mobile hotspot, and even a mini electric fan at the site (DM 069, s. 2025, Encl. No. 5), and Batch 1 takers in Caraga were told to bring their own ICT devices and a portable mini-fan (DepEd Caraga Regional Memorandum No. 0932, s. 2025, item 2).
6. Study the PPSSH. The NASH covers “conceptual and situational critical thinking questions aligned with the standards” of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (DM 069, s. 2025, para. 3). The NASH study guide maps the domains, and DM 069 encourages “coaching and mentoring sessions with experienced and proficient school principals” (para. 13).
7. If you were rated With Developmental Areas, finish the PDI. Completing it and the WAP makes you a prospective candidate (DM 044, s. 2026, para. 5). For Batch 2 takers, NEAP’s indicative calendar runs to July 30, 2027; see NASH TDP and PDI: Phases, Coaches and Certificates.

What this means for school heads

1. Answer with the issuance. When a teacher asks when the next NASH is, the accurate answer on November 8, 2026 is that DepEd has not set it. Do not pass on dates from social media.
2. Help candidates prepare now. Sign certificates of coordination and supervision experience with start and end dates, and keep IPCRFs and training certificates in order, so a short application window does not shut anyone out.
3. Plan coaching early. DM 069 encourages coaching by “experienced and proficient school principals” (para. 13); a school head can offer it within the school or the district. See Mentoring Aspiring School Heads.
4. Support PDI participants. Teachers rated With Developmental Areas carry out their WAP in the school, and finishing it is their route to candidacy.
5. Watch the regional and division memoranda. The official list of takers, sites and mock dates comes from the Regional Office.

Helping teachers prepare for promotion serves indicator 4.4.2 of the PPSSH, “Implement the performance management system with a team to support the career advancement of school personnel, and to improve office performance.” See PPSSH Domain 4: Developing Self and Others.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a NASH Batch 3?

No DepEd issuance mentions one. The FY 2025 NASH was planned in two batches (DM 069, s. 2025, para. 6), and both were held, on September 14, 2025 and May 17, 2026.

When is the NASH in 2027?

As of November 8, 2026, DepEd has not scheduled it. In FY 2025, the round and its takers were set by a DepEd Memorandum (DM 069, s. 2025), and the Batch 2 dates and fee by DM-OUHROD-2025-3318; past rounds came 34 to 181 days after the memorandum that opened applications.

Will DepEd make the NASH easier?

GMA News reported on October 16, 2026 that DepEd is considering relaxing the NASH. The example Secretary Angara gave, remediation instead of a retake, is already in DM 044, s. 2026 (para. 5). No issuance had changed the NASH as of November 8, 2026.

Do I have to retake the NASH if I was rated With Developmental Areas?

No, if you complete the Professional Development Interventions and a Work Application Plan certified by the Schools Division Superintendent; that makes you a prospective candidate for School Principal I (DM 044, s. 2026, para. 5). Head teachers and assistant principals rated With Developmental Areas in Batch 1 could also retake it in Batch 2 (DM 097, s. 2025, para. 6).

How much is the NASH fee?

It depends on the round. Batch 2 takers paid PHP 720 (DM-OUHROD-2025-3318), Batch 1 takers paid nothing, and the FY 2023 and FY 2021 NQESH cost PHP 600 and PHP 350. Each round’s memoranda have set its own fee.

Sources

DepEd memoranda

• DepEd Memorandum No. 044, s. 2026, Results of the National Assessment for School Heads for Fiscal Year 2025 (Batch 2), July 4, 2026: paras. 3 and 5
• DepEd Memorandum No. 097, s. 2025, Results of the National Assessment for School Heads for Fiscal Year 2025 (Batch 1), October 21, 2025: paras. 3 and 6
• DepEd Memorandum No. 069, s. 2025, Administration of the National Assessment for School Heads for Fiscal Year 2025, August 11, 2025: paras. 3, 5–7 and 12–14; Encl. No. 2, items 1.a and 1.b.i; Encl. No. 5
• DepEd Memorandum No. 059, s. 2024, Results of the Fiscal Year 2023 National Qualifying Examination for School Heads and Fiscal Year 2021 NQESH Category B Evaluation and Certification, October 18, 2024: paras. 1, 6 and 8
• DepEd Memorandum No. 013, s. 2024, Administration of the Fiscal Year 2023 National Qualifying Examination for School Heads, February 26, 2024: paras. 2, 3 and 6, and its application process (fee)
• DepEd Memorandum No. 100, s. 2022, Results of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Qualifying Examination for School Heads, November 3, 2022: para. 1
• DepEd Memorandum No. 025, s. 2023, Amendment to DepEd Memorandum No. 100, s. 2022 (Results of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Qualifying Examination for School Heads) and Clarification on the Use of NQESH or Principal’s Test Results in Relation to DepEd Order No. 007, s. 2023, April 25, 2023: items 3.a and 4
• DepEd Memorandum No. 033, s. 2022, Conduct of the 2021 National Qualifying Examination for School Heads, April 18, 2022: paras. 2 and 4, and its online application guide (fee)
• DM-OUHRODI-2026-0789, Rescheduling of the FY 2025 National Assessment for School Heads (NASH) - Batch 2, March 16, 2026
• DepEd Office of the Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development, Advisory, Adjusted Schedule of Activities for the Application, Evaluation and Validation through the NASH-OAS, December 19, 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, and its Annex 1
• DM-OUHROD-2025-2392, Supplementary Guidelines on the Validation and Final Submission of Takers of FY 2025 National Assessment for School Heads (NASH) - Batch 1, August 22, 2025: item I.c
• DepEd Office of the Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development, Advisory on the new schedule of the FY 2025 NASH (Batch 1), August 26, 2025
• DepEd Office of the Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development, Program Support Fund Utilization Guidelines for the Administration of FY 2025 National Assessment for School Heads (NASH), July 29, 2025
• DM-OULS-2026-397, Guidelines on the Conduct of the National Assessment for School Heads (NASH) Targeted Development Program (TDP) and Professional Development Intervention (PDI), September 7, 2026: Encl. No. 1
• Frequently Asked Questions (NASH Application), FY 2025 NASH Batch 2: Q12
• DepEd Caraga Region, Regional Memorandum No. 0932, s. 2025, Official List of Batch 1 Test Takers for the National Assessment for School Heads (NASH), September 5, 2025: item 2
• DepEd Region VIII, Regional Memorandum No. 846, s. 2022, Actual Conduct of the 2021 National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH), July 29, 2022: para. 1

Laws

• Republic Act No. 12288, Career Progression System for Public School Teachers and School Leaders Act, September 12, 2025: Secs. 3.i and 9

News and press releases

• DepEd, Halos 24,000 na nagnanais maging school principal, sumalang sa nationwide assessment ng DepEd, press release, May 19, 2026
• Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo, More than half of 45,000 schools lack principals as most fail qualifying exam — DepEd, GMA News, October 16, 2026

Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: DepEd Memoranda No. 033 and 100, s. 2022, No. 025, s. 2023, No. 013 and 059, s. 2024, No. 069 and 097, s. 2025, and No. 044, s. 2026; DM-OUHROD-2025-3318 and DM-OUHRODI-2026-0789; Region VIII Regional Memorandum No. 846, s. 2022; Caraga Regional Memorandum No. 0932, s. 2025; GMA News. NASH Reviewer is not affiliated with DepEd.