How Consistency Helped Him Reach Top 6: The Story of Lasallian Engineer Engr. John Kristoffer Kyle Rapacon

ENGR. JOHN KRISTOFFER KYLE P. RAPACON

TOP 6, NOVEMBER 2025 CIVIL ENGINEER LICENSURE EXAMINATION

DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY - MANILA

Meet Engr. John Kristoffer Kyle P. Rapacon, Top 6 of the November 2025 CELE and proud graduate of De La Salle University–Manila.

His journey to the board exams wasn’t built on last-minute miracles - it was built on discipline, consistency, and the pursuit of excellence.

John started preparing by revisiting formulas months before his review center classes began. He built his study routine around mastering the basics, practicing with CE reference problems, and tackling topics he knew he was forgetting. Even his toughest subject - reinforced concrete - became manageable through patient learning and guidance from his instructors.

But his biggest challenge wasn’t the exam itself - it was maintaining consistency. To avoid burnout, he kept a balanced routine: studying hard, exercising, playing sports, and making time to rest.

When the CELE was postponed due to the storm, he felt devastated. But he saw it as a second chance - to fix weaknesses, strengthen his confidence, and honor the prayers of the people supporting him.

His top advice for future takers?
🔹 Be consistent. Start early and build habits you can sustain.
🔹 Master the basics. Understanding > memorizing.
🔹 Reward yourself. Small breaks keep burnout away.

His mindset throughout the journey: Aim high - even if it feels crazy. Excellence drives you further than fear. And everything else, offer to God.

Engr. Rapacon’s story reminds us that greatness isn’t accidental - it’s built, just like every structure an engineer creates.

Personal Journey

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and where you studied?

My name is John Kristoffer Kyle P. Rapacon. I studied civil engineering in De La Salle University-Manila from 2020, to 2025 with a specialization in structural engineering.

2. When did you start preparing for the board exams?

One or two weeks before the review course I enrolled for began, during the months of April and May which were several months removed from when I last engaged in studying for an exam of any kind, I prepared myself by memorizing some of the important formulas I’ve encountered throughout college. Luckily, part of the curriculum offered in my university is a subject which is essentially a summary of the subjects I’ve studied throughout my degree which may appear in the board exams. Studying my notes for this subject kickstarted my preparation and provided me an overview of the subject involved in the exams.

3. What motivated you to pursue civil engineering and to aim for the top?

My primary motivation was wanting to make my family proud. I wanted them to feel that their support for me throughout the years has bore fruit. I also wanted to repay their efforts in nurturing, and supporting me.

Moreover, having freshly completed my civil engineering course in university, and with not much to do other than apply for graduation, my sole preoccupation was studying for the board exams. With the board exams being the only major object of my worries, I entertained the idea of becoming a topnotcher. In my experience, I’ve achieved top scores a few times in my class before, given that I actually disciplined myself and studied properly. Becoming a topnotcher, therefore, didn’t really feel too out of reach.

Study Habits and Strategies

1. How did you structure your review (daily routine, schedule, or approach)?

Firstly, I enrolled in a review center wherein their program is structured such that around 3 months are allotted for reviewing the topics that they expected to appear in the exams, and the final month before the exams were allotted for honing our testmanship. I structured my schedule throughout the months around the structure provided by the review center.

In the first months, I prioritized creating a foundational understanding of the basic topics which allowed me to understand more advanced topics based on my understanding of the basics. I find this particularly effective for engineering where topics are very interrelated. My objective was to minimize memorization so that I wouldn’t struggle with remembering formulas and concepts, and so that I could memorize where it is needed most.

As the board exams approached in the final months, my objectives were to minimize my test taking time and to study the types of questions that may appear in the board exams based on previous board exams. My study routine consisted less of understanding concepts, and more of taking practice tests from either the review center, or CE reference.

2. What review materials or techniques worked best for you?

CE reference and the materials provided by the review center aided my preparation tremendously. Because of the large volume of sample problems in these review materials, answering problems in subjects I once struggled with became second nature.

A technique I heavily relied upon is simply studying topics which I felt I have forgotten. One of the greatest challenges I’ve encountered in previous exams during college was remembering the entire coverage of the exams at the same time. Typically, I would remember the topics I focused on in recent days well, and struggle with topics I haven’t engaged in the last few days before the exam. By prioritizing topics which I felt I didn’t remember well, I could more effectively remember the entire coverage simultaneously.

3. How did you handle subjects or topics you found difficult? 

Reinforced concrete design and analysis were a major source of my struggles, even back in college. I didn’t find the topic intuitive, and I was often confused with the process we were taught. Huge credit goes to my review center instructor who taught us this topic with great clarity. Not only did he teach with clarity, and at a reasonable pace, he also specifically addressed the possible sources of confusion in that topic by providing sample problems for different cases. Rather than immediately answering sample problem for these topics, I first studied how my review instructor answered these problems. My focus was in understanding the patterns and pitfalls in the sample problem. Then, I answered the sample problems myself.

Mindset and Challenges 

1. What were the biggest challenges you faced during your review journey? 

Maintaining consistency not just in studying, but also in many other areas in life, is what I believe to be the most crucial in achieving anything. Only then, can I begin formulating strategies for my goals. To be consistent has always been one of my biggest challenges. Back in college, I would typically begin the semester motivated, and disciplined. My initial discipline would reward me with plenty of free time, which gradually make me complacent. I would slowly lose focus and become easily distracted until I become unmotivated, resulting in subpar performance by the end of the semester.

2. How did you stay motivated and focused despite burnout, pressure, or self-doubt? 

In my opinion, a balanced routine is key to staying motivated. While there is a large volume of material to study, consuming as much study material as possible throughout the day is a suboptimal approach. I believe that studying is much like eating. To appreciate the taste of food, you should properly chew and savor the flavor instead of trying to shove as much food into your mouth as possible. Likewise, it is necessary to allocate time understand the recently discussed topics instead of immediately moving on to study new topics. For that reason, my daily routine consists of a decent number of activities that have nothing to do with studying such as exercising, playing sports, or cleaning my room.

3. Did you ever experience setbacks or low points? How did you bounce back?

As the original date of the board exams approached, I felt a combination of excitement, and nervousness. Whatever the outcome of the exams was, I felt that I would not have regretted because I know that I prepared the best I could have. When I received the announcement that the board exams were postponed due to weather conditions, I, like everyone else, felt devastated. For me and many of my friends, our momentum which we had been building up for months was suddenly halted. While I did momentarily feel demotivated, I also saw the postponement as an opportunity to eliminate some of my weaknesses. Moreover, the review center has generously offered, free of charge, additional test problems, and review sessions. Finally, I remembered both my own prayers, and the prayers of my loved ones. With these in mind, I felt obligated to keep moving forward, not wanting to let them down.

Advice to Future Takers

1. What are your top 3 review tips for future board exam takers? 

My first tip is to prioritize consistency. Create a study routine that you believe you can easily follow, even if it is a low-intensity routine. It is best to begin as early as possible so that once reviews start (if you are enrolled in a review center), the study habits necessary to keep up with the review have already been established. Depending on the review program, it may be necessary to adjust the study routine accordingly. Aim for a balanced routine to prevent burnout and study in an environment with minimal distractions to maintain focus.

My second tip is to cultivate a deep understanding of the basics during the first months of the review period. Much of the more advanced topics can, at least in my experience, can be derived from the basic concepts, which minimizes the need for memorizing. This will allow me to allot my memory to topics where memorization is more advantageous. For example, by understanding strength of materials, steel design is much easier to understand. I then have room in my memory to memorize formulas for geotechnical engineering and hydraulics.

My third tip is to reward yourself for your hard work and performance. Knowing your efforts will be rewarded, and feeling that you deserve it, makes the review journey just a bit more tolerable. Being rewarded from time to time maintains motivation, and prevents the gradual exhaustion that naturally results from studying weeks, and months. You can reward yourself however you see fit: maybe getting a snack, playing a sport, or going out for short while. Do take care that the way you reward yourself doesn’t distract from your studies.

2. If you could talk to your “reviewing self” a year ago, what would you say?

If I could message my past “reviewing self”, I would thank him for taking me to where I am now. His efforts and consistency allowed me to perform to my highest potential. I would, however, advise him to stay driven, and not fall into complacency. I did suffer a few episodes of complacency and laziness which did not lead to an optimal result. Finally, I want him to be thankful for the support and people that he has. It is a rare advantage to be able to focus the amount I did on studying. The company of my family and friends helped me maintain my composure during the stressful periods of my review.

3. What mindset should future engineers have as they prepare for the board exam?

My mindset is the pursuit of excellence. The prospect of reaching the pinnacle, I believe, is a powerful driving force that overcomes several hardships. Had I aimed merely to pass, I would have been bored to complacency. It may even feel delusional at times. This delusion of grandeur, however, has contributed greatly to my board exam success. Even if you fail to reach the top, you would achieved greater success than if you simply aimed for a passing score. Everything else outside your control, you can offer up to God.