CSC Bicol to pilot digital civil service exam in 2026

By Sally Atento-Altea

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Civil Service Commission (CSC) Bicol Regional Office will introduce a digital format for the Civil Service Examination in 2026 to enhance accessibility and simplify the application process for examinees.

CSC Bicol Regional Director Daisy Punzalan Bragais said that this initiative, called the Civil Service Digital Examination (CS DEX), aims to tackle challenges faced by applicants, such as the difficulty in securing exam slots due to limited server access.

Gino Andrey Montojo, a 23-year-old recent graduate from Daraga, Albay, noted some obstacles in accessing the online system.

“One of the difficulties I faced when I took the CSC exam was accessing the server to secure an exam slot,” Montojo said.

Punzalan stated that the digital exam will be introduced as an additional testing mode, which is expected to expand opportunities for applicants across the six provinces of the region.

“There will be a new mode of examination called CS DEX, which is the digital examination. It will be piloted in 2026,” Punzalan said.

She said examinees will bring their own laptops to the test, providing greater flexibility and potentially accommodating more takers.

“We are on standby for its launch. With this, examinees will only need to bring their laptops. That is one exciting development for 2026,” she added.

Punzalan said that introducing CS DEX will increase examination modes and enhance accessibility for the civil service exam.

“With the launch of CS DEX, the modes of examination will increase. Hopefully, more people will be able to take the exam,” she said.

She clarified that both the traditional pen-and-paper test (PPT) and the computerized examination (Comex) will continue to be offered while the digital exam is being introduced. Once the CS DEX is fully implemented, the existing Comex and PPT will be phased out.

Montojo welcomed the planned digital exam, describing it as a timely and modern approach.

“The CS DEX they will implement is a good initiative because it is a modern step to make the examination and government application process easier,” he said. (Raiza Lucido contributed to this report/PIA Bicol/Albay)