Exam Rating is the final computed score that determines whether you pass a Philippine licensure or eligibility exam. How it is computed differs by exam.
PRC board exams
Your rating is the weighted general average of your subject scores — each subject counts toward the total by its assigned weight. To pass most PRC boards you need a 75% general weighted average with no subject below the floor (often 50%, but 65% for the CPALE and 60% for the NLE). Engineering boards (Civil, Electronics, Electrical, Mechanical) pass at 70%, not 75%.
Civil Service Exam (CSE)
The CSC converts your raw score (correct answers out of 170 items for Professional, 165 for Sub-Professional) into a general rating using a standardised transmutation table. The passing rating is 80.00%, computed across the whole paper — there is no per-subtest minimum. Because of the transmutation, an 80 rating is close to, but not exactly, 80% of items correct (roughly 136 of 170 as an estimate).
UPCAT and college entrance tests
UP does not use a passing rating. It computes a University Predicted Grade (UPG) = 60% UPCAT score + 40% high school weighted average, then admits by campus and program quota. Most other CETs (PUPCET, FEUCAT, ACET, USTET) also admit by ranked performance, not a fixed passing mark.
What it means for you
- Know your exam's exact rule before exam day — the per-subject floor matters as much as the average.
- For the CSE, aim well above 80% of items correct to be safe, since the conversion is not a plain percentage.
- A calculator can estimate your rating before results — see the CSE score calculator and LET rating tool.