Friendly competition with two friends who topped their respective board examinations pushed Rohan Ardiente to intensify his review, eventually earning him first place in the October 2026 Electronics Engineer Licensure Examination.
The Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) graduate scored 95.80%, following Charles Santillan’s top finish in the September 2026 Registered Electrical Engineers Licensure Examination and Jude Bernard Miñoza’s first-place ranking in the September 2026 Civil Engineers Licensure Examination.
The three had competed in academic contests during college and regularly shared study materials and techniques.
“Competitive mi pero dili mi anang competition nga murag gi-down namo ang isa’t-isa,” Ardiente said.
(We are competitive, but not the kind of competition where we bring each other down.)
During his four-month review, Ardiente increased his daily practice from 500 to 800 questions to as many as 2,000 to 2,500, occasionally reaching nearly 3,000. He also used flashcards to reinforce concepts.
“I really like improving myself,” he said, recalling how he developed an interest in mathematics early in college and studied differential equations through YouTube videos.
Ardiente graduated magna cum laude, placed second in the Electronics Technician licensure examination as an undergraduate, and won national quiz bowl competitions, including the 2026 Brodkast ng Talino National Individual Quizbowl.
Despite his preparation, he did not expect to top the electronics engineering examination after struggling with some questions on the final day.
His path to CIT-U also nearly took a different turn when the SM Foundation initially rejected his scholarship application. He enrolled at a state university to avoid burdening his mother financially but received notice a week later that he had been selected from the foundation’s waitlist.
Ardiente plans to begin his career in January 2027 after exploring which electronics engineering specialization best suits his interests.
CIT-U also produced two topnotchers in the October 2026 Mining Engineer Licensure Examination. Alliah Mae Ratunil Diginion placed fourth with 92.95%, while Kurt Bhen Mabida Casero ranked eighth with 91.10%.
Casero prepared by reading reference books, consulting mentors and using artificial intelligence tools to generate up to 500 practice questions daily. He feared he had failed after believing he made more than 15 mistakes on the examination’s third day, but later woke up to congratulatory messages when the results were released.
Casero hopes to work in government and help communities, while Diginion plans to gain professional experience before potentially returning to the academe in about 10 years.
CIT-U Electronics Engineering department chair Susana Tan said the university posted a 60% passing rate among first-time examinees, higher than the national rate of 47%. Its overall passing rate, including repeat examinees, was about 46%.
Mining Engineering department coordinator Felix Timbal said 249 of 279 examinees nationwide passed. At CIT-U, all graduates who joined the university’s mining engineering review program passed. One of 16 first-time examinees failed, while one of three repeat examinees passed.
Mining Engineering department chair Evangeline Evangelista credited the results to a supportive learning environment, competent faculty and motivated students. She also cited the university’s “Mathematician of the Year” competition for helping students develop critical-thinking and competitive skills.
CIT-U said it has produced 98 first placers and 792 topnotchers across various licensure examinations.
Photo by Kaiser Jan Fuentes
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