Grade 12 is the one grade level that kept something from the old system this year — but far less than most teachers assume. The component weights stayed as they were. Everything about the calendar and the assessments moved: three terms, two summative tests and a term examination, and the adjusted transmutation table.
If you have been told “Grade 12 is still on the old rules”, this is the part of that sentence that is true and the part that is not.
The 10-second answer: Grade 12 keeps its older component weights (Core 25/50/25; Academic 25/45/30; Work Immersion and culminating activities 35/40/25; TVL, Sports, Arts & Design 20/60/20) but runs on three terms like every other grade level, with an Examinations component of ST1 30% + ST2 30% + Term Exam 40% and the adjusted transmutation table. A subject is graded on the terms it is actually taught in.
What stayed, and what moved
| Element | Grade 12 this year | Grades 4–11 |
|---|---|---|
| Component weights | Older weight groups (unchanged) | DO 15 weight groups |
| Grading periods | Three terms | Three terms |
| Examinations component | ST1 30% · ST2 30% · TE 40% | ST1 30% · ST2 30% · TE 40% |
| Transmutation | Adjusted table | Adjusted table |
| Final grade | Average of the terms the subject is taught in | Average of the three term grades |
So the honest summary is narrower than the rumour: only the weights are “old”. If your class record still has quarters and a single quarterly assessment, it is not matching this year’s Grade 12 class record.
The weight groups
| Subject group | Written / Oral Works | Product / Performance Tasks | Summative Tests & Term Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core subjects | 25% | 50% | 25% |
| Academic track, except Immersion | 25% | 45% | 30% |
| Work Immersion / Culminating Activity (Academic) | 35% | 40% | 25% |
| TVL, Sports, Arts & Design tracks | 20% | 60% | 20% |
Compare these with the Strengthened SHS groups that Grade 11 uses and the difference is visible immediately: Written Works carries more weight at Grade 12 (25–35% against 15–20%). A template built for Grade 11 will compute Grade 12 wrongly, and the other way round — see SHS grade computation under DO 15.
The examinations component is now three assessments
This is the change most likely to be missed, because “Grade 12 keeps the old weights” gets heard as “Grade 12 keeps everything”. Inside the Summative Tests & Term Examinations component there are now three assessments, weighted 30 / 30 / 40 — not one quarterly assessment.
Each is converted to its own percentage before weighting. Worked through, with 50-point assessments:
| Assessment | Raw | Percentage | Weight | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST1 | 34 / 50 | 68 | 30% | 20.4 |
| ST2 | 27 / 50 | 54 | 30% | 16.2 |
| Term Exam | 48 / 50 | 96 | 40% | 38.4 |
| Component percentage | 75.00 | |||
Adding the raw scores instead — 109 out of 150 — would give 72.67. Same scores, a different grade, because the longer or later assessment silently takes over the weighting. The timing of the three, counted in instructional days, is the same as every other grade level: see when to give ST1, ST2, and the term examination.
Subjects that do not run all year
Senior high subjects are semestral, and three terms do not divide neatly into two semesters. The rule that resolves it: a subject is graded on the terms it is actually taught in. A subject taught in Terms 1 and 2 has a final grade that is the average of those two term grades; one taught across all three averages three.
Practically, that means your class record has to record which terms each subject runs in, and your report card has to do the same — a subject with no Term 3 teaching should not be waiting for a Term 3 grade that will never exist.
Then transmute — with this year’s table
The initial grade goes through the adjusted transmutation table, the same one every other grade level uses: an initial grade of 70.00 becomes a transmuted 75, and 60 remains the minimum reportable grade. This is the single most common Grade 12 error, because everything else about the subject feels “as before”. Our MATATAG grading and transmutation guide has the check that catches a stale template in two minutes.
Worked example, end to end
A Grade 12 core subject (25 / 50 / 25). Term 1: Written Works 88%, Performance Tasks 84%, Examinations component 75% (from the split above).
- (88 × 0.25) + (84 × 0.50) + (75 × 0.25) = 22.0 + 42.0 + 18.75 = 82.75 initial grade
- Transmuted with the adjusted table → the Term 1 grade.
- Repeat for each term the subject is taught in; the final grade is the average of those term grades.
If you teach both Grade 11 and Grade 12
- The calendar is now the same for both — three terms, two summative tests, one term examination. That part no longer needs separate handling.
- The weights are not. Keep separate records and check the subject group before you enter anything.
- The general average is unit-weighted for both — the sum of (final grade × units) divided by total units, not a plain average.
- Expect this to end. The older weights are a transition arrangement for this cohort; do not invest in a Grade 12 template you intend to reuse.
For the wider set of changes, see what actually changed in the three-term school year.
Frequently asked questions
Does Grade 12 have a term examination?
Yes. One per term, weighted 40% inside the Examinations component, alongside two summative tests at 30% each.
What happened to quarters and quarterly assessments?
They belong to the old calendar. Grade 12 this year is graded by term.
Do promotion and awards differ for Grade 12?
The weights are what stayed behind; recognition and promotion follow the current issuances — see promotion, retention, and remediation and awards and recognition.
My school’s Grade 12 template still has quarters. What do I do?
Ask your department head for the current three-term Grade 12 class record. A quarter-based template computes a different examinations component and cannot produce the term grades your report card needs.
Where Skoolari fits
Skoolari’s MATATAG class record carries Grade 12 as its own set of subject groups: choose the group and the record keeps the older weights while running on three terms, with ST1, ST2 and the term examination each in their own column and the 30/30/40 split applied for you, then transmuted with the adjusted table. The report card builds from the same record, weights the general average by units, and lets you tick the terms each subject is actually taught in. Everything exports to Excel and prints under your own school header. See the plans.
This is a transition year and the Grade 12 arrangement has already been revised once. Check the current class record template and issuances from your division before you rely on any of the above.