DOST-SEI Scholarship Guide: Eligibility, Exam Format and Benefits

DOST-SEI Scholarship: The Complete Guide for Filipino SHS Students

The DOST-SEI Undergraduate Scholarship funds Filipino students who take priority science, technology, engineering and mathematics programmes in college. To get it, you apply online and pass a nationwide qualifying exam. This guide covers who can apply, how the exam works, what the scholarship pays, and how to prepare.

2027 scholarships (for AY 2027–28): online applications ran from 17 August to 17 September 2026 and are now closed. The nationwide qualifying exam is on 14–15 November 2026; test permits are issued before the exam, and qualifiers are expected to be announced around March 2027 (tentative). Check DOST-SEI for official updates.

1. How competitive it is

The 2026 exam (held 21–22 February and 7–8 March 2026 at 222 testing centres) drew a record 97,617 examinees. When results came out on 30 May 2026, 8,500 qualified — 8.71% (5,100 under RA 7687 and 3,400 under the Merit programme).

The year before, 84,518 took the 2025 exam (5–6 April 2025) and 10,907 qualified — 12.90%.

So roughly one in ten examinees qualifies. DOST-SEI doesn't publish a passing score or cutoff.

2. The two scholarship programmes

Both use the same qualifying exam.

• RA 7687 Scholarship — for talented students from families whose socioeconomic status is within DOST-SEI's cut-off values. DOST-SEI evaluates this from income documents; it isn't a single published income figure.
• Merit Scholarship — for students with high aptitude in science and mathematics, with no socioeconomic test.

3. Who can apply

For the 2027 scholarships, you must be:

• a natural-born Filipino citizen;
• a Grade 12 student graduating in SY 2026–27, or a senior high graduate who has not enrolled in college or earned any college units;
• a STEM-strand student, or a non-STEM student in the upper 5% of your graduating class (with a principal's certification);
• of good moral character and in good health; and
• willing to take a DOST-SEI priority S&T programme — basic sciences, engineering, applied sciences, science and mathematics education, and other fields DOST-SEI identifies.

If you applied before and didn't qualify, you can apply again as long as you're still eligible and haven't enrolled in college.

4. The qualifying exam

According to DOST-SEI's official exam primer, the exam is a pen-and-paper, multiple-choice test in three timed parts:

Key rules from the primer:

• Four options per item.
• Your score is the number of correct answers. There's no deduction for wrong answers, so never leave an item blank.
• The parts are timed separately. If you finish a part early you can review that part only — you can't go back to an earlier part or start the next one.
• It's one sitting of more than three hours including instructions.

DOST-SEI doesn't publish the number of items. Ignore "200 items", "5 options" or "negative marking" claims you see online — they don't match the primer.

5. What the scholarship pays

Per DOST-SEI (as reported by DOST-CAR for the 2026 scholarships), scholars receive:

• Tuition and school fees — up to ₱40,000 per academic year
• Monthly living allowance — ₱8,000
• Learning materials and connectivity allowance — ₱10,000 per year
• Thesis and graduation allowances, transportation support, a clothing allowance, and health and accident insurance

Scholars also get access to DOST-SEI's non-monetary learning programmes. You must enrol in a priority S&T programme at an identified university starting the first semester after you qualify.

Service obligation. Under RA 7687 (Section 13), a scholar must, after graduating, serve the country full-time in their field for at least as long as they held the scholarship. Read the obligations in your scholarship agreement carefully before you accept.

6. A 7-week prep plan to 14–15 November

There's no fee to apply, and the exam doesn't require a review centre. What it rewards is solid Grade 11–12 math and science plus fast reasoning. With about seven weeks to go:

Week 1: Diagnose

Work through DOST-SEI's official primer sample items, then do a timed practice set for each part at the real time limits (45, 65 and 70 minutes). Note your two weakest areas.

Weeks 2–5: Targeted practice

• Mathematics (Part III): algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics and probability, and word problems — the longest part, so build stamina. See the Mathematics review.
• Science (Part II): biology, chemistry, physics, earth and space science. See the Science review.
• Creative Reasoning (Part I): mechanical, spatial and verbal reasoning. See the Creative Reasoning review.
• Language and Literature (Part I): grammar, vocabulary and reading. See the Language and Literature review.

Give your weakest part about half your time, and do one timed practice part every weekend.

Week 6: Full rehearsal

Take a full three-part practice test in one sitting with the real time limits and no going back between parts. See the practice test strategy.

Week 7: Taper

Review your mistakes, rest, and prepare what the primer lists: your test permit, school ID, parental consent and waiver form, pencils, eraser, snacks and water. Visit your test centre beforehand if you can. Shorts and slippers aren't allowed.

7. If you don't qualify

• Apply again next cycle if you're still eligible and haven't enrolled in college.
• Look at other scholarships — see our government scholarships overview.
• Keep your college applications going. DOST-SEI decides funding, not admission — you still need to get into a university. See DOST-SEI vs UPCAT.

Where Super Tutor fits

Super Tutor's DOST-SEI reviewer is built on the same college-entrance chapters as our UPCAT reviewer — mathematics, science, language proficiency, abstract reasoning and general information — plus DOST-SEI scholarship-prep chapters on STEM career interests, scholarship-level science and math, and the DOST-SEI application and matching process. Every chapter comes in 11 study formats, with practice quizzes at three difficulty levels, an AI tutor that explains questions step by step, and a study planner. It doesn't include full DOST-SEI mock exams, so use the official primer and your own timed practice sets for that.

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