Know More About ETEEAP Difinition of Terms – Rule II
When reading government memoranda, especially on education, the technical terms can be overwhelming. To make things easier, I’ll walk you through each definition from CHED Memorandum Order No. 11, Series of 2025, and explain them in simpler words.
This is Part 1 of the series. We’ll go step by step so you can follow along comfortably.
1. Accreditation
“Accreditation refers to the process of identifying, assessing, validating, and recognizing learning obtained by an individual through formal, non-formal, and informal training or experiences.”
Explanation:
Accreditation is like getting official recognition for what you already know. Whether you learned through school, work, training, or even real-life experiences, an institution evaluates your knowledge and skills and then certifies them as valid and equal to formal education.
Accreditation Made Simple
Think of accreditation as getting a stamp of approval for what you already know. Instead of starting from zero in school, an institution checks your past learning and experiences—whether from school, work, training, or even real-life situations—and then says, “Yes, this is equal to what students learn in class.”
👉 Example:
Imagine you have been working as an aircon technician for 10 years. Even if you didn’t finish a formal degree in engineering, through ETEEAP, a school can evaluate your skills and knowledge. If they see that your experience matches the lessons in certain subjects, you may no longer need to study those subjects again. It’s like getting credit for the years you already spent learning on the job.
In short, accreditation is about recognizing real-life learning so you don’t waste time repeating what you already know.
2. Assessment
“Assessment is the process of collecting evidence and making judgments as to whether the individual has achieved competency desired at a level specified in competency standards, curriculum, or learning outcomes for a particular course for which accreditation and equivalency of learning is sought.”
Explanation:
Assessment is the actual testing part. It’s when a panel checks your skills, knowledge, or work outputs to see if you meet the standards required for a subject or degree. This could be through exams, interviews, skills demonstrations, or portfolios.
In Simpler Terms
Assessment is like a check-up for your learning. The school or evaluators want to see if you really know and can do what you claim. They don’t just take your word for it—they give you a chance to prove it.
👉 Example:
If you worked for years as a bookkeeper, the school might ask you to:
- Take a short test on accounting basics,
- Show your actual reports or ledgers,
- Or even have an interview where you explain how you handle finances.
If you pass, it proves that your real-life skills are equal to classroom learning.
In short, assessment is about showing evidence that your knowledge and skills meet the standards for a degree.
3. Assessment Criteria
“Assessment criteria are descriptions of what the individual is expected to do to demonstrate that learning has been achieved. These are set at a threshold level of achievement and are so defined to establish clear standards of achievement in a specific learning outcome.”
Explanation:
Think of this as the grading system or checklist. It specifies what you need to do or show to prove you’ve mastered a subject or skill. For example, if you’re applying for equivalency in IT, criteria might include showing you can set up networks, troubleshoot, or design software.
Assessment is the actual testing part. It’s when a panel checks your skills, knowledge, or work outputs to see if you meet the standards required for a subject or degree. This could be through exams, interviews, skills demonstrations, or portfolios.
In Simpler Terms
Assessment is like a check-up for your learning. The school or evaluators want to see if you really know and can do what you claim. They don’t just take your word for it—they give you a chance to prove it.
👉 Example:
If you worked for years as a bookkeeper, the school might ask you to:
- Take a short test on accounting basics,
- Show your actual reports or ledgers,
- Or even have an interview where you explain how you handle finances.
If you pass, it proves that your real-life skills are equal to classroom learning.
In short, assessment is about showing evidence that your knowledge and skills meet the standards for a degree.
4. Assessors
“Assessors refer to a body or group of competent curriculum or discipline experts.”
Explanation:
Assessors are the professionals who evaluate you. They are experts in your chosen field or subject area who can fairly judge if your knowledge and skills are equivalent to formal education.
5. Centre of Excellence
“Centre of Excellence refers to a public or private higher education institution that has attained a certain level of quality or standard in a given field of instruction, research, or extension as identified by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).”
Explanation:
These are the top-performing universities or colleges in certain fields. For example, a university recognized as a “Centre of Excellence in Engineering” is trusted by CHED to be a leader in teaching and research in that field.
6. Clustering of Curriculum
“Clustering of curriculum refers to the crafting and delivery of courses that have similar objectives and learning outcomes into harmonized modules addressing students’ needs and contexts congruent to the required competencies of the program Policies, Standards, and Guidelines (PSGs).”
Explanation:
This means combining related courses or subjects into one module. Instead of taking many separate classes, a student may study a cluster that covers all similar skills at once. It makes learning more efficient and tailored to real-world needs.
7. Credit Unit
“Credit unit is the quantified means of expressing equivalence of learning and awarded to an individual in recognition of demonstrated learning after assessment at a specified level of competency.”
Explanation:
Credit units are the numbers you see on your transcript (like 3 units for English, 5 units for Math). Under ETEEAP, these units are awarded not just for classroom learning, but also for proven skills and work experience.
👉 In the next part of this series, we’ll continue with terms like Credit Transfer, External Assessors, Flexible Learning, Formal Learning, and more. Stay tuned here on brainychic.com as we break down these definitions into simple explanations that anyone can understand.
