With the first batch of graduates from the K-12 program entering the official testing sites, all eyes were on the examinees of this year’s first Architects Licensure Examinations. Throughout their college life, they have often been casually referred to as the “potentials,” having undergone extra years of academic training before entering college to equip them with a better grasp of concepts and skills as lifelong learners.
When the results of the January 2026 Architect
Licensure Examinations (ALE) were released, the initial impression about the products of the new curriculum was crystalized. For the first time in the history of the ALE, the passing rate reached an impressive 82 percent. In Cebu, two architecture graduates from University of San Carlos placed among the top 10 highest scorers: Johann Lance Nalo (7th Place) and Raia Jillian Alcantara (9th place). First-time takers from the same university achieved a 100 percent passing rate.
7th Heaven
“It was surreal, overwhelming and unforgettable,” reveals Lance, who was driving back home and stuck in traffic when he got the results. “What made it more emotional was that it happened before my parents’ wedding anniversary and my dad visited my mom’s grave then. We cried tears of joy together.”
Lance describes himself as “naning” (hard-working) even as a student. “But I am ‘naning’ in a healthy and reasonable way,” he said. It was no surprise that he aimed to top the exams with some dose of academic pressure and a lot of inspiration from his family, with his brother placing 7th in the medical technologists board exams in 2015. But as the exam review went on, he had to tone down his expectations. “Passing became my grounding goal, topping would already be a bonus,” he shared, “but becoming a licensed architect would be the greatest victory.”
He believes that three factors served as his keys to board exam success. One was his prior board exam experience, when he took and passed the Master Plumbers Licensure Exam last year, familiarizing himself with the exam environment. Another was preparing for the exam together with a strong and supportive circle of study buddies. Lastly, the hybrid review setup allowed him to stay engaged, disciplined and consistent in his review. Combined with his study discipline molded since his student days and his apprenticeship at a renowned architectural firm, it made exam items feel familiar and therefore easy to recall.
Cloud 9
Raia, on the other hand, chose to stay home that day and tried to steady her emotions, knowing the ALE results would come out at any moment. When the list of passers was released, she was overwhelmed with relief and gratitude. “Passing alone is already more than enough,” she said. But a few minutes later, she got messages from her friends that she placed ninth in the exams. “From just relief of passing the exams, my mom and I turned ecstatic.”
Her inclination to creative work led her to take up architecture in 2018. But her idea of architecture changed a bit when she started her first year as an architecture student. “Architecture proved to be much more than the creative aspect of designing buildings. It required us to explore and be considerate about the technical and scientific sides of design,” said Raia. She said that she was fortunate to be with “talented and gifted” classmates and be trained by competent mentors in school.
Being on “sponge mode” since her student and then architectural intern years, Raia was open to learning and even re-learning what she thought she knew well already. Making the right decisions also helped her during the exams.
Moving forward
For both topnotchers, it was not a cakewalk to the top. They had some episodes of having to battle motivational issues while they were working as apprentices and reviewing for the exam. “My real motivation was not just to pass the exam but the promise I made to my mother before she passed away last year that I will become an architect,” Lance shares. Raia added: “I learned to embrace self-compassion with the realization that “done is better than perfect.” She rooted herself in psychology as the basis for her strategy in the exam, guided by John Amaechi’s “FEE Model” (Focus, Effort and Execution), which focused on “mastering concepts built on small yet consistent acts.”
After oath taking, they look forward to going back to stamp their marks as licensed architects. Of course, after getting a well-deserved celebratory break and recharge. They are open to gaining more hands-on experience in different architectural firms, which reminds us that the professional license is not the end game in terms of learning. Lance and Raia have proven that their prolonged academic training and diversified experience in the actual architecture practice have further sharpened their potential as design professionals.