28/05/2026
๐๐๐๐ | Educ studes decry digitalized CRE, call it โanti-poorโ
Students of Tarlac State University - College of Education (TSU-COEd) took to Facebook to air their dismay regarding the digitalized College Retention Examinations (CRE) taking place in the first week of June, labeling it as โanti-poor.โ
โAng anti-poor din ng new implementation na online. Gets naman na rushed at wala na silang time mag-prepare ng mga booklets, pero hindi naman lahat nga may device na maayos,โ a COEd student shared.
CRE is held annually among incoming second, third, and fourth-year COEd students, and utilizes traditional pen-and-paper tests.
However, due to the limited time because of the released calendar for the academic year 2026โ2027, exams will be taken online, but will still be administered on-site within COEd premises.
As mentioned in the virtual orientations conducted on May 26 and 27, such an adjustment will ensure easier checking for the proctors.
Students, however, aired numerous concerns regarding how the CRE will be taken this year, especially the shift to digital.
๐ข๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐
In the released guidelines, gadgets of Android users must be Version 11 or higher with a minimum of 4GB RAM, while Apple users must have Version 15 or higher to take the exams.
With this, some students have started looking for phones that can handle these specific requirements that they may borrow.
โ[Looking for] extra phone. Isa po akong COED student at sa nalalapit po naming CRE, nais ko po sana manghiram ng device upang may magamit po ako sa aming Online/College Retention Exam,โ a user posted in Firefox League, a TSUian community in Facebook.
Amid this, a student asked: โPaano po โyung mga students na may mga low devices na di kayang i-accommodate โyung app na gagamitin for Digital CRE?โ
Meanwhile, other students expressed their worries over the Opera browser app and other specific guidelines for the exams, citing unfamiliarity.
๐ข๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ฑ๐ฌ-๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
Students have also questioned the need to pay 150 pesos if examinations are conducted virtually.
โTapos naningil ng 150 na for router daw e wala naman silang prinovide na specific info sa router kesyo eto ang presyo at ilan ang need per room kaya ni-estimate siya based sa dami ng router, price, and number of students,โ a student shared in an interview.
Pauline Salak, incumbent Governor of COEd, however, explained in a comment that the 150-peso payment is intended for the acquisition of routers needed to facilitate the exams.
โAng router po ay magiging gamit na po ng kolehiyo. Ang tanong naman po na kung bakit tayo ang gagastos? Dahil wala raw po ang MISO ng router na maari nating magamit,โ Salak replied to a post in Firefox League.
However, it was mentioned in the orientation that this was an initiative from the COED-SC.
Moreover, students have rebutted that this โburdenโ should be on the institution, and not on the students.
โSo bakit po students ang pinapabayad? Hindi ba dapat sa institution siya or may allocation ang school, dahil parang magiging puhunan po kasi ang mga magtatake ng CRE this year,โ a student said.
Meanwhile, another student shared that even the budget allocation for the routers was not disclosed during the orientation, raising questions about transparency.
โWala silang pinakita or inanunsyo na budget allocation for that kasi as we all know, it's for the booklet for CRE, which is โdi na po pala since nag implement sila ng Digital CRE,โ they stated.
๐ข๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
Students also criticized the high passing requirement, wherein they are expected to pass 75% on combined core subjects of general education, professional education, and majorship despite limited time to prepare for the exams.
โThis week pa lang natatapos mga Final term requirements, this week din nila gusto magpa-application. Pero gusto nila 75 percentage pa rin for CRE ang maipasa ng students. Eh pagod pa 'yang mga 'yan,โ a student shared in an interview.
Meanwhile, a student said that this does not reflect the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT), as opposed to one of the goals of CRE, saying, โDi naman po Digital ang LET, it's a paper-and-pen exam po.โ
Furthermore, to be qualified to take the CRE, students must ensure that they have no failing remarks or grades under 3.00 or INC and must achieve a general weighted average (GWA) of no lower than 2.50, which students also raised a concern about as their grades have yet to be completed as of May 28 but the application is already on Friday, May 29.
Despite this, payments were already made and prioritized, raising questions among the students.
๐ข๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐
Apart from the above-mentioned, students also questioned why the college did not prepare the booklets in advance given that procurement takes at least a month.
โKung maaga pala ang academic calendar this year, hindi ba dapat mas maaga silang nag-announce? Kasi anticipated ng mga students na may time pa sila for CRE review, then 2 weeks before retention examination lang sila nag-announce,โ a student shared.
Others noted that the college should have at least consulted with the students regarding this new implementation, saying โBakit hindi muna sila nagsagawa ng survey sa mga students kung payag or kaya ba nila mag adjust sa ganitong set up?โ
โAng pros sa mga checkers, cons lahat sa students,โ they added.
The CRE application starts this week on Friday, May 29, while the simulation is set on June 2. Meanwhile, the actual examination will take place from June 3-5, 2026.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: COEd-SC clarified that neither the routers nor the CRE were their initiatives, contrary to what was announced by the admin throughout the orientation.
During the concluded administration meeting, the CSC, on the other hand, was not provided with any decision regarding the finalized process of the CRE.
Additionally, Student Regent Brixter Millo informed the publication that there will be a meeting tomorrow with the Office of the President (OUP) regarding the implementation and process of the CRE.
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