Major Changes in the LPT Board Exam (LET)

The Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET), also known as the Licensed Professional Teachers (LPT) board exam, has undergone a significant transformation. After over three decades, the board exam for teachers has been reformed, aligning it with the updated teacher education curriculum. This major change was made possible through the joint efforts of different government agencies, specifically the Department of Education (DepEd), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

The restructured Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT) aims to address the mismatch in teachers' specialization by introducing different teaching board exams. Once implemented, this can bolster the teaching workforce and enhance the quality of classroom instruction. The major changes in the LPT board exam will take effect immediately. Hence, aspiring Licensed Professional Teachers (LPTs) taking the September 2025 LET will benefit from this new policy.

Aligning LEPT with the Updated Teacher Education Curriculum

On April 10, 2025, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) signed a Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) to align the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT) with the updated teacher education curriculum. For the very first time since it was administered in 1996, the board exam for teachers will be revamped by creating tailored licensure examinations to ensure it is in line with teacher training.

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) spearheaded the policy reform after receiving a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to align the teacher licensure exam with the vision of Bagong Pilipinas and consider the real adeptness demanded by today’s classroom. Restructuring the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (BLEPT) is a timely intervention as it institutes the formation of tailored licensure exams.

With the new teacher licensure policy, the LPT board exam will be reformed by introducing dedicated tests for different teaching specializations under the elementary and secondary levels. Once enacted, the government expects that this will resolve the mismatch in teachers’ specialization, address gaps in the workforce, and improve the effectiveness of teaching practices, especially in special needs and early childhood education.

Implementation of the JMC Signed by PRC and CHED

Starting September 2025 LEPT, aspiring LPTs taking teacher licensure exams can test their competence in various subjects. The said restructuring leads to the creation of new LET specializations, ensuring every learner's needs are met. According to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the objective of this policy is not just to align the board exam, but also to assess teachers' competency and expertise based on their specific field of specialization.

Changes in LPT Board Exam (LET)

Taking the specialized exams assures that every Filipino teacher is qualified, competent, and well-equipped to educate, especially learners with special needs, to ensure no one is left behind. Furthermore, the tailored exams for the new specialization for BLEPT provide an additional guarantee that DepEd can appropriately employ licensed and qualified individuals, which has a significant impact on the quality of learning experience.

That’s why those who will take the LEPT will be evaluated in three sections: General Education, Professional Education, and the particular specialization befitting the teacher’s training. The restructured BLEPT institutes the formation of tailored licensure exams for different specializations, including English, Filipino, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Values Education, Physical Education, Culture and Arts Education, Technology and Livelihood Education, and Technical-Vocational Teacher Education.

New BLEPT Categories

In preparation for the upcoming board exam this September 2025, aspiring LPTs will require a specific LET reviewer depending on their specialization. Since the licensure exam for teachers will be more focused and proficiency-based, future educators need to prepare and concentrate to ensure they are equipped for the assessment. Here are the new BLEPT categories for the teacher licensure exams:

Elementary Education

• Early Childhood Education (ECE)
• Special Needs Education (SNE)

Secondary Education

• Culture and Arts Education
• Physical Education (PE)
• Physical Education (PE)
• Technical-Vocational Teacher Education (TVTE)

Addressing Mismatch of Specialization in Teachers

Many officials and individuals advocating quality education have long pushed for the teacher licensure exams to be aligned with the required competencies in order to qualify as a teacher in each field. According to Jenie Jocson, Executive Director of Teacher Education Council (TEC), the new policy signifies adjustment and catering to the demands of today’s learners. The said memorandum is also supplemental in addressing the supply of teaching workforce for senior high schools, especially in early childhood education and technical-vocation education.

During the signing ceremony, Education Secretary Sonny Angara mentioned that the restructured LEPT can directly influence the quality of education since teachers are the “heart and soul of our system.” The reform has the potential to lessen the mismatch of assigned subject teachers as the specialized exams will assess them based on their competence. Therefore, future educators can teach the field they actually studied, which can also help enhance the quality of classroom instruction in the long run.

Introduction of Specialized Exams

Based on the results of the March 2024 licensure exam for teachers, the one-size-fits-all testing system failed future educators who aspire to practice in specialized fields. The data revealed that those who majored in physical education performed poorly, recording only a 34.1% passing rate. Graduates of technical-vocation teacher education performed even worse, setting only a 33.2% passing rate. According to EDCOM 2, these numbers are way below the national average of 62.9%.

Meanwhile, those specializing in early childhood education only obtained a 42.1% passing rate as they were forced to take tests tailored to general elementary teachers. The mismatch in exams led to the lack of teachers specializing in certain fields, which affects the quality of instruction in schools. In addition, EDCOM 2 discovered that more than half, or about 62% of high school teachers were assigned teaching loads that they never studied in college.

In 2023, the Philippine Business for Education conducted a study. They discovered that over the last 12 years, around 56% of teacher education institutions (TEIs) performed poorly in licensure, achieving only a below-average rating. Thus, the introduction of specialized exams in the upcoming September 2025 LET has the potential to resolve these issues and allow aspiring teachers to practice in their field of expertise.