If licensure exams were rollercoasters, the May 2025 Civil Engineer Licensure Exam (CELE) just gave everyone the drop of a lifetime.
Imagine months—even years—of blood, sweat, and calculator ink, only to be met with the cold, hard numbers:
Just 29.21% of examinees passed this May. Yep, you read that right. Less than a third made the cut.
Let’s break it down:
📊 Only 4,940 out of 16,913 examinees passed.
Compare that to the November 2024 CELE, where the passing rate was 33.27%. That’s not a huge spike, sure—but compared to May 2023, where the passing rate reached 36.66%, it’s clear:
👷♂️ Civil engineering just got a lot tougher to break into.
🤔 So… Why the Drop?
A few possible culprits:
- Increasing Difficulty: The PRC continues to raise the bar for licensure—more application-based problems, tighter checking, and a push for deeper understanding.
- Academic Recovery: While we’ve moved on from full-blown pandemic restrictions, some academic gaps persist, especially in technical fields like CE.
- Underestimated Exam: Many takers may have gone in with insufficient preparation, expecting a formula-based exam—only to face case problems and real-world scenarios.
🧠 The Numbers Don’t Lie – But They Don’t Tell the Whole Story Either
While the national passing rate paints a grim picture, it’s essential to recognize the individual and institutional successes. Some schools produced 100% passers, and several examinees achieved scores above 90%, showcasing resilience and dedication.
🏆 Topnotchers: Defying the Odds
Despite the challenging exam, several examinees stood out with exceptional performances:
Rank 1:
- Carlos Miguel Fabon Mariano – Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila – 93.00%
Rank 2:
- Nur Hameen Cabugatan Interino – Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology – 92.60%
Rank 3:
- Hanzel Rubiales Marquez – University of the Philippines – Diliman – 92.10%
Rank 4:
- Baron Kristian Ordanza Maralit – De la Salle University – Manila – 92.00%
Rank 5:
- John Michael Lapura Ang – Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology – 91.90%
See the full list of top examinees here: April 2025 Civil Engineer Licensure Exam Topnotchers
See the full list of passers here: April 2025 Civil Engineer Licensure Exam List of Passers
🏫 Top Performing Schools
Despite the overall low passing rate, some institutions demonstrated exceptional performance. The PRC recognized the top-performing schools based on their graduates’ performance in the April 2025 Civil Engineer Licensure exam. Institutions with at least 50 examinees and an overall passing rate of 80% or higher were acknowledged.
See the full list of the Performance of Schools here: April 2025 Civil Engineer Licensure Exam Performance of Schools
🛠️ For Those Who Didn’t Make It…
Take a deep breath. Failing the board isn’t the end of your story—it’s just plot development. Some of the best engineers in the country didn’t pass on the first try. You’re still an engineer in the making; the “licensed” part is just pending.
Now’s the time to:
- Reassess your study strategy
- Join a solid review center
- Master problem areas (Hydraulics, anyone?)
- And most importantly… keep the faith.
✍️ Final Thoughts
The May 2025 Civil Engineer Licensure Exam was a wake-up call—but not a defeat. It’s a reminder that the road to becoming an engineer isn’t just built with formulas and footings. It’s built with resilience, grit, and a whole lot of sleepless nights.
To those who passed—congrats, Ing. ka na!
To those who didn’t—huwag mong hayaang isang exam ang mag-define ng future mo. Review, regroup, and return stronger.
📅 November is just around the corner. And guess what? It’s got your name on the passers’ list.