For the sixth time in the last 10 years, an accountancy student from Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) has again placed in the Top 10 of the CPA Board Exam. Kneerizza Neca Embrado from Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat, ranked sixth with a score of 90.17% in one of the most challenging tests in the Philippines.

Embrado was a part of the 137 first time takers along with 30 re-takers from AdDU. 102 first timers and nine re-takers passed the said examinations. AdDU earned a 66.47% overall passing rate with a 74.45% passing rate for first timers in an exam where the national passing rate for first timers is 35.1% and 30.45% overall.

In an interview, Embrado shared that she was elated to have the sixth best score in the examinations and is excited to practice the profession in which she worked so hard for.

“The feeling is surreal. I can’t believe it considering na parang nahirapan talaga ako sa exam. Like never in my wildest imagination have I seen myself achieving this. But at the same time, I feel elated that a lot of the people I love are happy for me and I think it pays off all the struggles I experienced getting here,” Embrado added.

Accountancy Department Chair, Leopoldo D. Medina, CPA, MSA, shared that he, along with Ms. Embrado’s friends urged her to take the exam this October rather than last May because he believed that Kneeriza has the potential to top the said Board exams.

“Neca was supposed to take the exams last May but I advised her na baka kung pwede sa October kasi you have the potential to be a board placer. Had Neca taken the exam last May, papasa sya pero may nakikita pa akong pwede pang maaccomplish ni Ms. Embrado, and that was to put the AdDU in the map of board placers,” shared Medina.

Mr. Medina described this year’s exams as again ‘monopolized’ by schools from Manila as opposed to the previous exam results where majority of the topnotchers were from the Visayas/Mindanao region

“Eto na naman, UST, DLSU, UP na naman but here comes AdDU with MSU-IIT also landing in the top 10 which means na kahit na monopolized na ng mga taga Luzon at Metro Manila, there are still excellent graduates and students from Mindanao,” he added.

Sharmaine Dianne C. Mamaed last topped the CPA Exams for AdDU, placing 4th in the October 2015 Board Exams.