THE UNIVERSITY posted a slightly lower passing rate in the recent licensure exams for architects, with only one Thomasian in the top 10.
One hundred and fifty-two out of 206 Thomasian examinees passed the test last June 7 and 9, or a 73.79 passing rate, slightly lower than last year’s 75 percent wherein 201 out of 268 Thomasians made the cut.
Architecture Dean John Joseph Fernandez said UST’s performance this year was due to the changes in the format of questions.
“The reviews were based on previous examinations. But everything was changed. That is why many of the questions were new. Every reviewing center might have not touched [those questions] during the review,” Fernandez said in an interview with the Varsitarian.
Of the 152 passers from UST, 130 were first-time takers. Leading the new batch of Thomasian architects is Patrick Andrew Tanhuanco, who placed third with a score of 85 percent.
Kenneth Yap (86 percent) from Ateneo de Davao and Dale Jon Cortez (85.90 percent) from University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman landed on first and second places, respectively. Last year, there were five Thomasians in the top ten.
UST remains the top producer of registered architects.
“[The number of Thomasians in the top 10] is not really something to be alarmed with because the performance is still there. Magulat ka lang siguro if UST is not in the top 10. But if we look at the overall performance, it’s a good margin,” Fernandez said.
No top-performing school
No school qualified for this year’s list of top-performing schools. The University of San Carlos was the top-performing school last year. UST last earned the recognition in 2009.
Internationally in-demand
The national passing rate of 50.99 percent was better than last year’s 50.69 percent. A total of 901 out of 1,767 examinees passed this year.
Despite a dip in its performance, Fernandez said UST was doing well with its higher score compared with the national passing rate.
“This is not the worst. There was a time when there was only a 45-percent passing rate. It doesn’t mean that the method of teaching has changed or deteriorated. Talagang hindi pare-pareho ang type of students per batch,” Fernandez said.
UST still has an edge over other universities, he said.
“Our graduates are still in demand not only locally, but also internationally,” Fernandez said.
The National Architecture Accreditation Board of USA recently included UST on its list of schools whose architecture graduates are allowed to take licensure exams in the US.
“Before, UST graduates who tried to apply for eligibility in the USA were always having a hard time. This time, there are no questions asked, they are immediately credited. They just have to take six units for the building codes in that state and they will be allowed to take the licensure,” Fernandez said. J.C. R. Obice
