EE board exam topnotcher scores 95.8%

SM Scholar Rohan Ardiente from Cebu City topped the October 2026 Electronics Engineers(EE)Licensure Examination earning a rating of 95.80 percent among 2,337 examinees. This is his second national distinction after placing second in the March 2026 Electronics Technician Licensure Examination.

But when he entered Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) as a freshman, engineering did not immediately feel like familiar territory.

Coming from a non-STEM background in senior high school, Rohan began college taking bridging classes to catch up with classmates who already had stronger foundations in mathematics and science.

Despite these hurdles, his determination was fueled by a family committed to giving him every possible opportunity to succeed.

An only child, Rohan grew up watching his parents work to provide for the family. His father works as a barangay responder, while his mother works at an information desk of a hospital. With the cost of an engineering degree weighing on the household, his mother came across the SM College Scholarship Program and decided to apply on his behalf.

“My mother actually applied for the scholarship for me, which is why to this day I still use my mother’s email address in the SM portal instead of my own,” Rohan recalled.

That application would become a turning point.

“Being an SM scholar gave me the financial security to focus entirely on my academics,” he said. “Paying for a full four-year engineering degree in a private school was a heavy worry for my parents. Receiving full tuition and stipend from SM Foundation gave them peace of mind and allowed me to focus completely on my studies without worrying about money.”

He made the most of the opportunity.

At CIT-U, he represented the university in national mathematics competitions, including the UP Los Baños AutoMATHic National Quiz Bowl and the UP Cebu Intercollegiate Math Quizzard. He eventually graduated magna cum laude and was recognized as CIT-U’s Mathematician of the Year.

His experience in these competitions also helped prepare him for the pressure of the licensure examinations. During review, Rohan developed a system around consistency and correction. He kept track of mistakes so he would not repeat them, stored review materials on his phone for practice wherever he went and constantly challenged himself with problem sets.

Yet for Rohan, being an SM scholar meant more than earning medals and academic honors. The support he received also helped him stay focused on his goals.