Biggest Overhaul in 30 Years: PH Licensure Exam for Teachers to Introduce Subject-Specific Tests

In a historic move set to transform the Philippine education landscape, the government has announced sweeping reforms to the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT) — the first major overhaul in nearly three decades.

Starting September 2025, aspiring educators will no longer take a generic exam. Instead, they will undergo specialized licensure exams aligned with their specific teaching disciplines. This long-awaited reform, jointly rolled out by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), is expected to significantly boost teacher quality, reduce classroom mismatches, and elevate the country's education standards.

🧑‍🏫 Why Is the Licensure Exam for Teachers Changing?

Since its implementation in 1996, the LEPT has used a one-size-fits-all approach, assessing aspiring teachers through a standardized format regardless of their field of specialization. But this method has come under heavy criticism for failing to reflect the unique competencies required in different subject areas.

With the new subject-specific licensure exams, future educators will be tested in:

English
Filipino
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Values Education
Technology and Livelihood Education
Technical-Vocational Teacher Education
Physical Education
Culture and Arts Education
Early Childhood Education
Special Needs Education

Each exam will cover three core areas:

General Education
Professional Education
Specialized Subject Competency

This reform marks the first time the LEPT is directly tailored to the teacher’s actual college training — a long-overdue step in aligning education policy with real classroom needs.

📉 Addressing Low Passing Rates and Subject Mismatch

The urgency for reform is backed by troubling data. According to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), the March 2024 LEPT revealed:

Physical Education majors had a passing rate of just 34.1%
Technical-Vocational Teacher Education graduates had an even lower 33.2%
Early childhood education specialists — taking exams not meant for their discipline — only reached 42.1%

These are well below the national average of 62.9%.

Worse, EDCOM 2 found that over 62% of high school teachers were teaching subjects they didn’t major in, resulting in a lack of subject expertise inside the classroom.

🎯 What Experts and Leaders Are Saying

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who witnessed the signing of the joint memorandum circular on April 10, emphasized the reform’s focus on inclusivity and quality:

“We can better tailor education to the needs of each learner, especially those with special needs… because real progress means leaving no one behind.”

CHED and PRC officials hailed the reform as a quality assurance milestone, helping the Department of Education (DepEd) hire truly qualified teachers.

“This provides an additional layer of quality assurance,” said PRC Chairperson Charito Zamora.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara stressed:

“Our schools are only as good as our teachers. They are the heart and soul of our system.”

Lawmakers like Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian and Rep. Roman Romulo praised the move for tackling the long-standing teacher-subject mismatch, which has undermined educational outcomes for years.

🔍 Why the Reform Matters for the Future of Philippine Education

This reform goes beyond simply adjusting tests — it's a systemic shift aimed at:

Aligning teacher competencies with classroom demands
Improving student outcomes through better instruction
Reducing teacher deployment mismatches
Elevating the prestige and effectiveness of the teaching profession

According to a 2023 study by the Philippine Business for Education, over 56% of teacher education institutions have underperformed in licensure exams over the past 12 years — a figure the government hopes to change with more focused, competency-aligned assessments.

📅 What’s Next?

The rollout of the new licensure exams will happen in phases starting September 2025, with transition mechanisms for those currently enrolled in teacher education programs.

Teacher education institutions are also expected to align their curricula to the new licensure framework, ensuring graduates are properly equipped to ace the new tests and meet classroom demands.

✅ Key Takeaways:

Specialized licensure exams will replace the generic LEPT starting September 2025.
New exams will match teacher training with actual classroom needs.
The move aims to improve teacher quality, reduce subject mismatches, and boost student learning outcomes.
Backed by CHED, PRC, DepEd, and lawmakers as a vital education reform.