Reference
Sources and exam formats
Facts on this site were last checked on November 7, 2026. Rules change between examination rounds — read the current announcement from CSC or DICT before exam day.
7 documents registered · 5 official · 2 copy or unverified
Career Service Examination (pen and paper)
| Level | Scored items | EDQ | Total | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional | 150 | 20 | 170 | 3 hours 10 minutes |
| Subprofessional | 145 | 20 | 165 | 2 hours 40 minutes |
- Passing: A general rating of at least 80.00.
- EDQ is the Examinee Descriptive Questionnaire — personal-data items, not scored questions.
- CSC does not publish how raw scores convert to the general rating, nor an item count per subject. A rating of 80.00 is not the same as answering 80% of items correctly.
- Both levels: General Information, Verbal Ability (English and Filipino) and Numerical Ability. Professional adds Analytical Ability; Subprofessional adds Clerical Ability (filing, spelling).
DICT ICT Proficiency examination
- Diagnostic examination. Written test covering programming and computing concepts (see coverage list below).
- Hands-on certification examination. The 2023 FAQ describes a six-hour simple application development task in the examinee's preferred language from an allowed list (C, C# or C++; Java; Visual Basic 6.0 / Visual Basic .NET).
- Passers may apply to CSC for Electronic Data Processing Specialist Eligibility (EDPSE), which applies to IT-related positions.
What we could not verify. DICT guidance we could read is a third-party copy of a 2023 FAQ. We have not verified an official item count, time limit or scoring scheme for the current diagnostic examination. Confirm registration, schedule and rules with DICT or your regional DICT office before you plan around any number.
Errata — common claims, corrected
| For | Read |
|---|---|
| “Both CSE levels have 170 items.” | Professional has 170 (150 scored + 20 EDQ); Subprofessional has 165 (145 scored + 20 EDQ). |
| “You need 80% correct to pass.” | CSC requires a general rating of at least 80.00. CSC does not publish how raw scores convert to that rating. |
| “Each subject has a fixed number of items.” | The announcements list the subjects but not an item count per subject. |
| “ICT trends is part of the DICT diagnostic.” | It is not in the 2023 coverage list we could read. It is offered here as supplementary study. |
Register of documents
Ref · kind · document · dated · checked- S-01
Civil Service Commission
Scope of both levels, the 80.00 general rating requirement, and the 2026 schedule.
- Kind
- Official
- Dated
- 2026
- Checked
- November 7, 2026
- S-02
Civil Service Commission
Item counts (test proper and EDQ) and time limits for each level.
- Kind
- Official
- Dated
- 2026
- Checked
- November 7, 2026
- S-03
CSC issues school assignments, reminders for 3 March examinees (opens in a new tab)
Civil Service Commission
Confirms the same 170-item / 3 h 10 min and 165-item / 2 h 40 min format in 2024.
- Kind
- Official
- Dated
- 2024
- Checked
- November 7, 2026
- S-04
CSC grants eligibility to ICT specialists (opens in a new tab)
Civil Service Commission
Electronic Data Processing Specialist Eligibility (EDPSE) for passers of the DICT proficiency examination; applies to IT-related positions.
- Kind
- Official
- Dated
- Undated news item
- Checked
- November 7, 2026
- S-05
2023 ICT Proficiency Certification Examination FAQs (file dated 14 Feb 2023) (opens in a new tab)
DICT document, third-party copy (CollegeSidekick)
We could not find this file on dict.gov.ph. It is treated as historical guidance only: two stages (written diagnostic, hands-on), topic coverage, languages. Confirm current rules with DICT.
- Kind
- Third-party copy
- Dated
- 2023-02-14
- Checked
- November 7, 2026
- S-06
DICT official Facebook post on the ICT Proficiency examinations (2025) (opens in a new tab)
Department of Information and Communications Technology
Announces registration for the diagnostic and hands-on examinations. Schedules are set per office; check DICT and its regional offices for the current round.
- Kind
- Official
- Dated
- 2025
- Checked
- November 7, 2026
- S-07
Coverage outline supplied by the site owner (screenshots)
Site owner
Lists extra DICT topics such as ICT trends and detailed hands-on areas. Not verified against a DICT document; used only to shape supplementary practice.
- Kind
- Unverified
- Dated
- Unknown
- Checked
- November 7, 2026