NATG6 Primer | DepEd-BEA

National Achievement Test

for Grade 6 (NATG6)

PRIMER
Department of Education
Bureau of Education Assessment
 NATG6 Primer | DepEd-BEA

Introduction
The Department of Education (DepEd) ensures the
continuous improvement of its systems to provide
all learners access to quality basic education. To
assess the continuous improvement of teaching
and learning processes, sound information and
data on learning outcomes are needed as proxy indicators of system
effectiveness and efficiency. In line with this, DepEd through the
Bureau of Education Assessment (BEA) administers the National
Achievement Test for Grade 6 (NATG6).

The NATG6 is part of the exit assessment as per

Section 3 of DepEd Order (DO) No. 55, s. 2016
titled, “Policy Guidelines on the National
Assessment of Student Learning for the K to 12
Basic Education Program”. The results of this
assessment shall be utilized to

a. determine if learners are meeting the learning standards;

b. help provide information to improve instructional practices;
c. assess/evaluate effectiveness and efficiency of education
service delivery using learning outcomes as indicators; and
d. provide empirical information as bases for curriculum,
learning delivery, assessment and policy reviews, and policy
formulation.

DO 55, s. 2016 laid the framework for all exit assessments which
covers the target clientele, purpose, design, test administration
procedures, and results utilization.

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DepEd Order No. 29, s. 2017 titled, “Policy

Guidelines on System Assessment in the K to 12
Basic Education Program,” decreed the NATG6 as
part of DepEd’s internal system assessment which
aims to generate reliable data for use in planning,
monitoring, and evaluating cycles of the department. The policy
directs all DepEd offices to organize advocacy activities that will
lead to understanding and acceptance of, and support for
participation in national and international large-scale assessments
among teachers, administrative personnel, students, and education
stakeholders.

Primer Objectives

The purpose of the NATG6 Primer is to raise

greater awareness among the DepEd field offices
and schools on national assessments, pursuant to
DepEd Order No. 27, s. 2022 titled, “Conduct of
Rapid Assessment in School Year 2021 – 2022 for
Learning Recovery as well as in Preparation for the 2024 Baseline
System Assessment,” which answers to

a. share the testing framework as well as the anticipated

testing dates and sampling design through a written
document addressed to teachers and learners;
b. provide familiarization materials; and
c. facilitate information campaigns to encourage participation
and generate support from the school communities, among
others.

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This primer shall be used to facilitate school-based rapid

assessment of learning gaps and to design regional, division, or
school-level interventions. It may aid schools in helping
learners/examinees prepare the needed learner- and school-related
data/information before the examination.

The dissemination of primers and conduct of information campaigns

intend to ensure that the school-level and national-level
assessments are aligned and to identify complementary quality
standards beyond those covered by the national assessments for a
holistic evaluation of education quality. In addition, the
dissemination of the primers may provide information to parents
and other stakeholders for the appreciation of the role of
assessment in the continuous improvement of the delivery of basic
education services.

Further, this Primer provides an overview of the test design, test

administration, and data reporting and utilization. It also includes
sample test items per learning area across the 21 st Century Skills
domains.

Test Design

The NATG6 covers the following 21st Century Skills:

Problem-Solving, Information Literacy, and Critical
Thinking, and the learning areas of English, Science,
Mathematics, Filipino, Science, and Araling
Panlipunan as content. Test items were constructed
and validated based on the subskills and progression indicators.

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21st Century Skills

Competencies from each learning area are arranged according to

21st Century skills. The test design is progressive in nature wherein
test items measure varying levels of skills in a multiple-choice
format in Filipino and English languages.

The following tables present the subskills and progression indicators

for Problem Solving, Information Literacy, and Critical
Thinking.

Problem Solving
Subskill Progression Indicator
Analyzing Identify association
outcome Identify cause and effect
Predict outcome
Executing Identify a strategy/method
strategy/method Select appropriate methods to solve the
problem
Identify alternative methods to solve the
problem
Understanding Generate hypothesis about the problem
the problem Modify hypothesis about the problem
Generalize hypothesis to other problems

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Information Literacy
Subskill Progression Indicator
Ability to Classify information
manage Organize structure of the classification
information Sequence the information
Ability to Acknowledge different types of information
identify types Present required information when explicitly
of information asked
Interpret questions or forms to provide
appropriate information
Ability to Present information in another medium
communicate Organize information in another medium
information Re-organize or sequence the information

Critical Thinking
Subskill Progression Indicator
Analyzing Identify that there is a different information
relevance Differentiate between relevant and irrelevant
information
Draw on relevant information only
Evaluating Identify the source of information
sources Evaluate the credibility of the source
Develop the criteria for evaluation of the
source
Using evidence State evidence
to formulate Link evidence to the argument
an argument Draw a conclusion based on various evidence

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Test Administration

The NATG6 shall be administered to enrolled Grade 6 learners in

public and private schools in a paper-based modality. The census
participation of regional offices, schools division offices, and schools
is implemented to collect large-scale data, monitor achievement at
the micro- or school level, and provide a balance between the
classroom-based assessment and the system-wide assessment. On
the other hand, test accommodations for learners with special
educational needs shall be provided as articulated in Section 9 of
DO 55, s. 2016.

Answer Sheet

Scannable answer sheets will be used to record the

examinees’ responses. The answer sheet contains
circles/bubbles for the personal information of the
learner, school-related variables, and a section where
examinees can shade their test answers. To manage the
shading in the answer sheet, a lead pencil will be used. At the end
of the examination, room examiners should ensure that all answer
sheets are free from any erasures or unnecessary marks.

Information to be filled in/shaded on the first page of

the answer sheet is important in the generation of
assessment data for field offices, researchers, and
other stakeholders. Moreover, accurate and complete
information is crucial in producing valid and reliable
data. Hence, room examiners should check whether examinees are
supplying the necessary information in the proper section of the
answer sheet.

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Schools should inform examinees that the following information are

to be provided on the examination day:

• Name
• Learner Reference Number (LRN)
• Region and Division codes
• School ID
• Birth Date
• Age
• Type of School
• School Grades (Filipino, Mathematics, English, Science,
and Araling Panlipunan)
• GASTPE Grantee (For those in private school only)
• Sex
• Class Size
• IP Community Member
• 4Ps Recipient
• Name and address of school

Answer sheets retrieved from all testing centers are

electronically processed.

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Data Reporting and Utilization

Test scores shall be reported as percentages.

Normative data using the measure of standard
deviations are computed based on the Mean
Percentage Scores (MPS). Test results are
presented by levels of progression and the target proficiency level
is at least 75%. The levels of proficiency, descriptions, and their
corresponding range of percentage scores are shown in the table
below.

Levels of Proficiency

Level MPS Description

At this level, the learners are highly
capable of solving problems, managing and
Highly 90-
communicating accurate information, and
Proficient 100
analyzing and evaluating data to
create/formulate ideas.
At this level, learners are skilled in solving
problems, managing and communicating
Proficient 75-89
information, and analyzing and evaluating
data to create/formulate ideas.
At this level, learners meet the minimum
level of skills in solving problems,
Nearly
50-74 managing and communicating information,
Proficient
and analyzing and evaluating data to
comprehend ideas.

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At this level, the learners can identify

Low
25-49 strategies in solving problems, and
Proficient
differentiate and organize information.
At this level, learners can solve simple
Not
0-24 problems, classify, and identify the source
Proficient
of information.

Duties and Responsibilities of DepEd Field Offices and

Schools

As indicated in DO 29, s. 2017, equally important to the successful

conduct of system performance evaluation is the learners'
understanding of their role in the process. Therefore, using
developmentally appropriate methods, the field offices and schools
are directed to

a. conduct orientation activities for learners explaining to them

the relationship between their performance on the
assessments and its effect on curriculum policies and
assessment standards;
b. conduct a post-assessment debriefing session that will allow
students to share their experiences; and
c. inform the learners about the results and their implications
on the educational system.

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Results of the NATG6

The table below shows the summary of the national ratings of the
NATG6 administered in school year 2021-2022 to 221,856 Grade
6 learners all over the country. The MPS per learning area indicates
that most of the learners exhibit low proficiency in Problem Solving,
Information Literacy, and Critical Thinking, except English and
Science which exhibits nearly proficiency in Problem Solving and
Information Literacy, respectively.

Problem- Information Critical

Learning Solving Literacy Thinking
Area
MPS SD MPS SD MPS SD
English 50.59 20.25 44.49 25.40 35.72 19.37
Science 42.43 23.29 50.41 25.70 39.60 21.16
Mathematics 45.16 27.92 39.22 25.43 38.91 21.47
MPS – Mean Percentage Score
SD – Standard Deviation

This information serves as evidence and a basis for monitoring and

evaluating the current system and recommending policies and
solutions for improvement.

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Sample Test Items

MATHEMATICS
21st Century Skill : Problem Solving
Sub-skill : Analyzing outcome
Content : Addition and subtraction of
decimals
Item Numbers : 1, 2, and 3

For Items 1 to 3, the table below shows the temperature on a

particular day compared to the sale of various products in different
stores.

Number of
Ice Cream Hot Drinks
Day Temperature Sunglasses
Sales Sales
Sold
Monday 19.4°C PhP 2,520.00 PhP 3,950.00 180
Tuesday 17.2°C PhP 1,690.00 PhP 4,400.00 164
Wednesday 26.8°C PhP 4,750.00 PhP 1,250.00 228
Thursday 15.9°C PhP 1,170.00 PhP 5,200.00 150
Friday 22.6°C PhP 3,460.00 PhP 3,500.00 198
Saturday 23.5°C PhP 3,840.00 PhP 2,600.00 205
Sunday 25.1°C PhP 4,280.00 PhP 1,780.00 216

1. Based on the given table, which of the following increases when

the temperature increases?

A. Sales of ice cream and hot drinks

B. Sales of hot drinks and sunglasses
C. Sales of ice cream and sunglasses
D. Sales of ice cream, hot drinks, and sunglasses

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2. What is the effect of temperature to the sale of ice cream?

A. The sale of ice cream is at its lowest.

B. The sale of ice cream increases as the temperature
increases.
C. The sale of ice cream increases as the temperature
decreases.
D. Temperature has no effect on the sale of ice cream.

3. If the temperature on a particular day becomes so hot, what

will happen to the sale of sunglasses?

A. It will increase.
B. It will decrease.
C. It will stay the same.
D. It will increase, but after some time decrease.

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21st Century Skill : Information Literacy

Sub-skill : Ability to manage
information
Content : Addition, subtraction, and
multiplication of fractions
Item Numbers : 4, 5, and 6

For Items 4 to 6, study the given problem below.

1
Aling Nena bought 30 meters of curtain cloth that is 1 meters in
2
1 3
width. If she used 2 meters for 10 window panels and meters
4 4

for two window panels, how many meters of cloth does she had
left?

4. Which information will NOT be used to solve the problem?

A. 30 meters

1
B. 1 meters
2

3
C. meter
4

1
D. 2 meters
4

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5. What operation should be the last to perform to solve the

problem?

A. Division
B. Addition
C. Subtraction
D. Multiplication

6. Which of the following is the correct order of operations in

solving the given problem?

1
I. Multiply 10 by 2
4
3
II. Multiply 2 by
4
 1  3
III. Subtract the sum of 10  2  and  2   from 30
 4  4
 1  3
IV. Add 10  2  and  2  
 4  4

A. I – II – IV – III
B. II – I – III – IV
C. I – IV – III – II
D. III – II – IV – I

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21st Century Skill : Critical Thinking

Sub-skill : Using evidence to formulate
an argument
Content : Multiplication of decimals
Item Numbers : 7, 8, and 9

For Items 7 to 9, consider the given situation below.

A dressmaker went to the textile store. She bought 8.2 meters of

tetoron, 4.8 meters of linen, 3.6 meters of cotton, and 6.4 meters
of denim. The price list is shown below.

Type of Clothing
Price
Materials
Tetoron PhP 39.00 per meter
Linen PhP 72.25 per meter
Cotton PhP 54.50 per meter
Denim PhP 85.75 per meter

7. How many meters of clothing materials did the dressmaker buy

in all?

A. 23
B. 227
C. 25.5
D. 251.7

8. Which cloth did she spend the most?

A. Tetoron
B. Cotton
C. Denim
D. Linen

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9. What is the total cost of the clothing materials that she bought?

A. PhP 251.50
B. PhP 360.40
C. PhP 1,411.60
D. PhP 2,522.80

************* END OF MATHEMATICS ************

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SCIENCE

21st Century Skill : Problem Solving

Sub-skill : Analyzing outcome
Content : Ecosystems
Item Numbers : 10, 11, and 12

For Items 10 to 12, refer to the situation and graph below.

Sitio Marikit is a three-hectare urban housing community with an

annual population growth shown in the graph below. A study about
the profile of the residents shows that most of the parents are not
employed, and they were married at the age below 20 years old.

10. What association can be identified from the information in the

graph?

A. As male population increases, the female population

decreases.
B. As male population decreases, the female population
increases.
C. As male population increases, the female population
increases.
D. Total population remains the same every five years.

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11. Based on the information in the graph, which of the following

factors is MOST likely the cause of the population growth of
Sitio Marikit?

A. Early marriage of parents

B. Pregnancy before marriage
C. Parents working at an early age
D. Many job opportunities for parents

12. Based on the information in the graph, which occurrence is

likely to happen in the Year 2020?

A. The environment in the area would be cleaner.

B. There would be more vacant spaces for human shelter.

C. The male population would outnumber the female

population.

D. There would be a greater chance of food shortage in the

community.

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21st Century Skill : Information Literacy

Sub-skill : Ability to communicate
information
Content : Interaction among living
things
Item Numbers : 13, 14, and 15

For Items 13 and 14, refer to the situation and table below.

Scientists estimate a safe oxygen consumption of 50 liters per hour

for a human being survival as shown in the table. Meanwhile, a
plant leaf gives off about five milliliters of oxygen per hour. Hence,
a person in an airlock room would need to have about ten thousand
leaves to survive in 45 minutes.

Period of Time Needed for

Liters of Oxygen
Human (minutes)
25 30
50 60
75 90
100 120
125 150
150 180

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13. Which of the following graphs represents the data in the table?

A.

B.

C.

D.

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14. Animals, including human beings, need oxygen that comes from
plants to survive. Plants on the other hand, need carbon dioxide
that is released from animals to grow healthy.

Which diagram below illustrates the interdependence of plants

and animals for survival?

Oxygen
A.
Plants Animals

Carbon
Dioxide

Oxygen

B.
Plants Animals

Carbon
Dioxide

Carbon
Dioxide
C. Plants Animals

Oxygen

Oxygen

D. Animals Plants

Carbon
Dioxide

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For Item 15, refer to the diagram below.

Quiapo

15. Which food chain can be found in the diagram?

A. Quiapo snail mosquito

B. grasshopper turtle frog
C. Quiapo mosquito frog
D. snail duck fish

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21st Century Skill : Critical Thinking

Sub-skill : Evaluating sources
Content : Human body systems
Item Numbers : 16, 17, and 18

For Items 16 to 18, refer to the table below that shows a portion
of the report on the profile of air in different monitoring stations in
Metro Manila in terms of Total Suspended Particles (TSP) Index
measured using microgram per Newton centimeter ( μg/Ncm) and
Air Quality Index breakpoints by the Environmental Management
Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) in year 2015.

TSP Index1 Air Quality

Index
by EMB – DENR
Breakpoints2
TSP Pollutant
Station TSP Index
Descriptive Level
Makati Bureau of Fire Cmpd.,
111 Fair
Makati City
Valenzuela Municipal Hall,
86 Fair
Valenzuela City
Mandaluyong City Hall,
158 Fair
Mandaluyong City
Dept. of Health,
109 Fair
Rizal Avenue
Marikina Sports Complex,
104 Fair
Marikina City
Sources: 1
National-Air-Quality-Status-Report-2008-20151.pdf (emb.gov.ph)
2
https://emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/01/1-Air-Quality-1.8-National-
Air-Quality-Status-Report-2008-2015.pdf

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16. Which of the following stations has air quality that is MOST
likely to be unhealthy for people with weak immune system and
respiratory ailments?

A. Mandaluyong City Hall, Mandaluyong City

B. Makati Bureau of Fire Cmpd., Makati City
C. Marikina Sports Complex, Marikina City
D. Dept. of Health, Rizal Avenue

17. It was reported that the number of patients confined in

hospitals with upper respiratory diseases near the Valenzuela
Municipal Hall, due to air pollution, is higher than the hospitals
near the Mandaluyong City Hall. Does the report confirm the
EMB-DENR Report in year 2015?

A. Yes, the data support it.

B. No, the data do not support it.
C. No, the data show better air quality in Valenzuela Municipal
Hall.
D. Yes, the data show better air quality in Valenzuela
Municipal Hall.

18. Which additional information would help make the table more
credible?

I. Number of vehicles with permit

II. Annual Report not only in 2015
III. Air quality in the surrounding regions

A. I and III
B. I only
C. II only
D. III only

*************** END OF SCIENCE ****************

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ENGLISH

21st Century Skill : Problem Solving

Sub-skill : Execute strategy/method
Content : Text-types according to
purpose and language
features- problem and
solution
Item Numbers : 19, 20, and 21

For Items 19 to 21, refer to the text below.

Mark usually spent the whole night playing

games on his computer. The following
morning, when his school service arrived, he
was not ready yet. He came to his class late.
He also missed his first subject. The class
adviser reprimanded him for always being late
and called his parents about his tardiness.
When he arrived home, his parents
reprimanded him by not allowing him to use
the computer for a month.

19. What strategy did Mark’s parents use to discipline him?

A. They reduced his weekly allowance.

B. They made him apologize for his misbehavior.
C. They did not allow him to play computer games.
D. They asked him to apologize to the class adviser.

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20. Mark’s mother was worried about her son’s spending too much
time playing computer games. Which of the following is the
BEST time/day she should allow Mark to play computer games?

A. Weekends only
B. Weekdays only
C. After school only
D. Friday and Saturday nights only

21. Mark cannot help but use a computer for his homework. What
should he do in this situation?

A. Copy the homework of his classmate.

B. Go to the computer shop and do his research there.
C. Ask his mother to allow him to use the computer for
schoolwork.
D. Tell the teacher he cannot do his homework because he
does not have his computer.

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21st Century Skill : Information Literacy

Sub-skill : Identify types of information
Content : Note significant details
Item Numbers : 22, 23, and 24

For Items 22 to 24, refer to the text below.

Rockets circled the earth,

Reached up the moon and space,
The world clapped and rejoiced,
Hailed the scientists!

A tiny, tiny, seed,

God touched and blessed,
Grew up to a sweet fruit tree.
Did anyone care?

Source: English and Me Grade 5

22. What kind of literary piece is shown above?

A. short story
B. prayer
C. essay
D. poem

23. Whose works are being described in the text?

A. God’s and seed’s

B. world’s and God’s
C. scientists’ and God’s
D. scientists’ and seed’s

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24. Based on the text, whose work was given more importance?

A. scientists’
B. world’s
C. seed’s
D. God’s

21st Century Skill : Critical Thinking

Sub-skill : Analyzing relevance
Content : Relevant information from
various sources – online
references
Item Numbers : 25, 26, and 27

For Items 25 to 27, refer to the table below.

The table below is taken from a report published on

www.worldometers.info.

Increase in
Population of
Year percentage
the Philippines
per year
2016 102,250,130 1.54 %
2015 100,699,395 1.60 %
2010 93,038,902 1.55 %
2005 86,141,373 2.02 %

25. What information does the table provide?

A. population of the Philippines

B. population of the Philippines in a span of 4 years
C. population of the Philippines for the last 11 years
D. population of the Philippines and the increase in rate per
year

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26. The increase in percentage per year is the LEAST useful

information in the chart because _____________________.

A. the increase is not that noticeable

B. the percentage is difficult to understand
C. population information on the number of people is enough
D. the table does not show the population information per
year

27. If you want to know the accurate rate of increase in the

population per year, which information should be added to the
chart?

A. The population per year

B. The population density per year
C. The formula for percentage increase per year
D. The difference in the number of population per year

***** END OF ENGLISH *****

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KEY TO CORRECTION

Mathematics Science English

1. C 10. C 19. C
2. B 11. A 20. D
3. A 12. D 21. C
4. B 13. D 22. D
5. C 14. D 23. C
6. A 15. C 24. A
7. A 16. A 25. D
8. C 17. C 26. D
9. C 18. C 27. A

LEGAL BASES

DepEd Order No. 27, s. 2022, Conduct of Rapid Assessment in

School Year 2021-2022 for Learning Recovery as well as in
Preparation for the 2021 Baseline System Assessment.

DepEd Order No. 29, s. 2017, Policy Guidelines on System

Assessment in the K to 12 Basic Education Program.

DepEd Order No. 55, s. 2016, Policy Guidelines on the National

Assessment of Student Learning for the K to 12 Basic
Education Program.

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Department of Education
Bureau of Education Assessment
2F Bonifacio Bldg., DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City
bea.od@deped.gov.ph
bea.ead@deped.gov.ph
02-86316921
02-86312589

2024