THE UNIVERSITY may have failed to notch top spot in eight recent licensure exams, but Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Dr. Armando de Jesus assured that UST is “still among the top schools.”
“It’s not always that we can expect to land in the topmost place,” he told the Varsitarian regarding UST’s performance in the Engineer, Interior Designer, Librarian, and Teachers licensure exams.
De Jesus added that the licensure exams last October and November are the “least indicators” as the over-all performance of the University is still the most important measure.
In the Civil Engineer (CE) board exams last November, UST placed third with a 93 per cent passing rate.
There were five Thomasian topnotchers: Jason Pablo (fifth, 96.15 per cent), Mark Anthony Ancheta (seventh, 95.45 per cent), Desmond Diaz (11th, 94.75 per cent), Romeo Duque, Jr. (18th, 93.70 per cent), and John Christopher Lim (19th, 93.50 per cent).
In the Mechanical Engineer licensure exam last October, UST also ranked second in schools with 25 to 59 examinees as 37 out of 43 examinees passed for an 86 per cent passing rate. The Technological University of the Philippines-Visayas ranked first with 87 per cent.
The national passing rate was 45.21 per cent as 1,001 out of the 2,214 examinees passed.
In the Electronics and Communications Engineer (ECE) licensure test last November, the University tied with De La Salle University-Manila at second place for schools with 50 to 99 examinees, with a passing rate of 62 per cent. Fifty-seven out of the 92 Thomasian examinees passed.
Alumnus Arvil Isaiah De Villa was the only UST graduate in the top 10, placing sixth with an 87.40 grade.
The national passing rate for ECE was 34.47 per cent as 1,615 of the 4,685 examinees passed.
The University also ranked second in the Interior Designer licensure exams last October, with a 57 per cent passing rate, as 12 out of 21 Thomasian examinees passed.
Topnotchers were Thomasians Marie Antonette Estandian (third, 85.65 per cent), Rachelle Apple Tiuseco (sixth, 84.15 per cent), and Christine Joyce Venida Papa (10th 83.35 per cent).
The University of the Philippines-Diliman ranked first with a 76 per cent passing rate.
The national passing rate for the Interior Design board was 55.09 per cent.
In the licensure exams for Teachers (LET), Professional Regulatory Commission data showed that UST placed third and fourth in the secondary and elementary categories with a passing rate of 88 per cent and 95 per cent, respectively. Of the 382 examinees in the secondary level, 337 passed, while 38 of the 40 examinees passed in the elementary level.
The national passing rate in the LET in the elementary level passing rate was 26.89 per cent when 16,297 of the 60,614 examinees passed.
The national passing rate for the high school level was 27.11 per cent as only 15,860 of the 58,507 examinees hurdled the test.
Meanwhile, UST placed third in the Librarian licensure exams last November with an 88 per cent passing rate as seven out of eight examinees qualified.
The national passing rate was 29.05 per cent.
On the other hand, the University did not place as one of the top schools in the Electrical Engineering (EE) board exam last September, but one of its examinees landed in the top 20.
EE graduate Germaine Lisa Ang placed 12th with an 89.20 per cent passing rate. The national passing rate was only 42.38 per cent, as 2,112 out of the 4,983 examinees passed. The number of Thomasian examinees was not yet available as of press time. John Rheeno T. Cabangcalan
