PRC: No retake of 'leaked' exam for electronics engineers

The Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) ruled out the possibility of nullifying the results and ordering a retake of the alleged leakage-tainted electronics engineering licensure examination.

“The results of the licensure examination that we have released remain official unless examinees can submit hard evidence to substantiate their claim of leakage,” PRC Chairman Nicolas Lapena Jr. said yesterday.

Lapena said only 23 percent or 596 out of the 2,472 examinees passed the exam, held last March 28 and 29. “The passing rate last April is the lowest output ever for the past five years. Thus, without sufficient evidence, the possibility of leakage is remote.”

Accompanied by lawyers and their parents, a group of examinees trooped to the PRC office to demand the nullification of the examination results, released Thursday, and for the PRC to set a retake.

Rasheed Apostol, one of the examinees, claimed those who enrolled at EXEL Review Center attended a Powerpoint presentation containing questions and answers similar to the actual examinations.

Lapena said the PRC is conducting a full-blown investigation, and that he already directed the Board of Electronics Engineering (BEE) to conduct an investigation and coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation.

 But BEE director German Palabyab maintained that strict security measures were observed and that possibility of leakage of the test questions is highly improbable.

Palabyab said some review centers might have an idea of what questions may be given in the exam, considering the technicality of the subject matter and the expertise of some reviewers who are also members of the academe.

The PRC legal division reported that two examinees already gave their testimonies but they have yet to submit their petitions to retake the test as well as evidence to prove their claim.