PANABO CITY – Davao del Norte State College (DNSC), spearheaded by its faculty members from the Institute of Computing (IC), administered the virtual Korean Test of Practical Competency in Information and Communications Technology (TOPCIT) last August 5, 2022. Three Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) graduates and two currently enrolled students passed the examination.

Among the Level 2 passers were Justine Rhei Torres, Rommel Canoy, John Albert Balansag, Rafael Chatto, and Gerald Macasaet. TOPCIT is a performance-evaluation-centered test that has five level of competencies. It aims to diagnose the capability and essential skills of IT experts and software developers as they perform their tasks. The test was developed by the Korean Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning (MSIP) and the Institute for Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP).

DNSC is one of five higher education institutions in the region that was tapped by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to serve as TOPCIT exam centers. DNSC personnel also played roles in the simultaneous virtual exam. Dr. Mark Van Buladaco served as TOPCIT administrator, while Mr. Jovito Bolacoy, Jr. and Ms. Laarni Ibañez were designated as proctors. Mr. Jovanne Alejandrino and Mr. Ian Jay Padios were given the task as examination checkers.