Navigating an intensive four-month review that compressed the entire undergraduate training, Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) graduate Shena Nicole Busano placed Top 9 in the Elementary Level of the September 2025 Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) with a score of 92.40%.
Busano attributed AdDU’s education system not only for her academic success but also for character-building, which helped make the demanding preparation period more manageable.
“As for how my education supported my preparation, I think aside from the knowledge, the necessary skills I learned from my years in Ateneo, AdDU really helped me in terms of character building. I was not really overwhelmed as I had expected,” the topnotcher mentioned.
Confronting the challenges of consistency, discipline, and self-doubt during the four-month review period, she shared that sustaining a study routine proved difficult amid exhaustion, uncertainty, and the pressure of revisiting four years’ worth of lessons in a limited time.
“The biggest challenge for me… was being consistent and being disciplined, especially on study routine. The preparation process for the exam was really draining physically and mentally,” Busano said.
Her performance-based training in the Elementary Education program, featuring repeated teaching demonstrations during college, boosted her confidence in answering LET’s situational questions.
“When I took the board exam, we had a subject with very situational questions. However the questions are created in the LET, you can really know the correct answer. You know it by heart because you have already experienced and performed it.”
She advised future LET examinees to prioritize disciplined preparation while maintaining balance and self-care, emphasizing that effort, resilience, and faith remain essential throughout the journey.
“There’s no shortcut in taking the board exam. You really have to make an effort and study hard, especially if you’re aiming high. You also have to take care of yourself…and trust in God,” she stated.
AdDU recorded a perfect 100% passing rate in the Elementary Level and a 97.14% passing rate in the Secondary Level for the nationwide licensure examination