Performance of schools in February 2026 MELE and CPM licensure examinations

By Dr. Rex Casiple

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Board of Mechanical Engineering announced that a total of 3,264 out of 6,294 examinees nationwide, or 51.9%, passed the Mechanical Engineers Licensure Examination (MELE) given in 17 testing centers all over the country in February 2026. The first-timer examinees passing percentage was 56.94%. The Technological University of the Philippines – Visayas (TUP-Visayas) from Western Visayas ranked No. 2 in the said examination for schools with 50 or more examinees and with at least 80% passing percentage. Furthermore, Sandro Floyd Tome Tumenlaco of ISAT University ranked No. 10 in the said examination for mechanical engineers.

In Western Visayas, four schools out of 15, or 27%, performed high or with a passing percentage higher than that of the national average. Western Visayas produced 279 passers out of 506 takers, or a 55.14% passing percentage. There were 448 first takers who took the said examination. The first takers passing percentage was 59.38%.

Republic Act 8495, otherwise known as “An Act Regulating the Practice of Mechanical Engineering in the Philippines,” categorized the licensed professionals in the practice of mechanical engineering in the country: the Certified Plant Mechanic (CPM), the Registered Mechanical Engineer (RME) and the Professional Mechanical Engineer (PME).

The PRC Board of Mechanical Engineering announced that a total of 100 out of 120 examinees, or 83.3%, passed the Certified Plant Mechanics (CPM) Licensure Examination given all over the country in February 2026. There were 89 first-timer examinees and 31 repeaters who took the said examination. The first-timer passing percentage was 84.27%. The repeaters’ passing percentage was 81%. Capiz State University (CAPSU) from Western Visayas ranked No. 2 in the said examination for schools with 10 or more examinees and at least 80% passing percentage. Furthermore, CAPSU ranked No. 1 in terms of the number of passers with 17 out of 20 examinees. Glen Mark Diva Bentillo of CAPSU ranked No. 10 in the said examination.

In Western Visayas, five schools out of six, or 83%, performed high or with a passing percentage higher than that of the national average. Western Visayas produced 21 passers out of 25 takers, or an 84% passing percentage. There were 18 first-timer examinees and seven repeaters who took the said examination. The first-timer passing percentage was 77.78%. The repeaters’ passing percentage was 100%. High-performing schools in Western Visayas were Capiz State University, ISAT University, University of Antique, Western Institute of Technology and University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos in Bacolod City.

Finally, the first-timer examinees performance in MELE in the last two years was slightly improving: 54 out of 100 passed in February 2025; 53 out of 100 passed in August 2025; and 56 out of 100 passed in February 2026. Meanwhile, the first-timer examinees performance in the CPM Licensure Examination improved in the last two years: 40 out of 100 passed in February 2025; 52 out of 100 passed in August 2025; and 84 out of 100 passed in February 2026.

The latest Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering curriculum was revised in 2017. The first batch of graduates of such curriculum was in 2021. Performance of first-timer examinees from 2022 to 2024 had been improving: 60 out of 100 passed in February 2022; 68 out of 100 passed in February 2023; and 71 out of 100 passed in February 2024.

Therefore, the unexpected decrease in performance of first-timer examinees from 2025 to 2026 needs review and revision of the BS Mechanical Engineering curriculum. This review may include the teaching strategy applied in school, which involves more time spent on problem-solving and less time spent on identification of terms and industry exposure. In the latest MELE, more questions asked pertained to elements and industry exposures while fewer pertained to problem-solving.