Philippine Science High Schools’ Screening Process (PhiSci, Masci & Quesci)
The high schools in the Science Triumvirate (Philippine Science, Manila Science and Quezon City Science) are popular choices for students pursuing secondary education, and understandably so—they offer a good opportunity for the geeks of today to become the scientists of tomorrow.
Just like any student hopeful, however, these future scientists first need to prove themselves worthy of a science high school education. Let’s take a closer look at the screening procedures for both MaSci and QueSci.
Screening Similarities
The interesting thing to note about MaSci and QueSci’s screening procedures is that they both involve a multi-layered approach.
The first thing that applicants need to deal with is the Department of Education-designed exam. Think of it as a kind of general IQ or SAT screening, and you’ll have a good idea of what to expect. Your grade school lessons and your stock knowledge will come in handy, but if you want to be extremely prepared, try grabbing reviewers from your local book store (or Internet sites like this one) and answering them.
Both schools also make use of a face-to-face interview session with prospective students. The main objectives of both interviews are essentially the same: to get a glimpse of the applicants’ attitude and personality and to see how well they expresses themselves under a reasonable amount of duress.
MaSci and Quesci also require applicants to submit to medical exams. Simply put, it’s the institutions’ way of checking if the student is fit enough to go through the rigors of academic training in a science high school. The medical exam is fairly standard—it usually consists of a general exam, chest x-ray, urinalysis and what not.
Screening Differences
QueSci takes things a step further with an additional proficiency test that focuses on the top 3 important subjects: Science, Mathematics and English. The passing grade of this second exam is a bit more stringent—you’ll need at least a 70% in order to get to the next phase of the screening. Thankfully, practice tests and review classes abound, so you have plenty of resources at your disposal.
QueSci has also given the face-to-face interview a little twist: parents and/or guardians are also included! While the applicant usually bears the brunt of the questioning, there have been some instances where both applicant and parents split the interview questions 50-50.
Finally, the way the medical exam is carried out for either school is a little different. MaSci borrows from QueSci’s two-step written exam approach and adapts it for the medical screening—the applicant will be asked to go for an initial medical exam at a City Health division office, and assuming they pass that, they will then go for a second one at the MaSci clinic.
QueSci, on the other hand, is a bit more flexible: the student may have his or her exam at the division office or any government hospital, provided they present a written certificate (duly signed by the attending medical professional) as proof of “passing” to the school officials afterward.
Tough, but Worth It
Regardless of which school you choose to go for, you’re in for a rigorous screening process. Since both schools act as training grounds for future scientists, consider it a privilege and a responsibility when you land that highly-coveted slot in either institution.
Sources:
Ms Grace See of QueSci Admin Office
Ms Nena Bongon of QueSci English Department
Ms. Santos of MaSci Math Department
