How Did the May 2026 CPALE Turn Out?
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), through the Board of Accountancy (BOA), released the May 2026 CPA Licensure Examination (CPALE) results on June 2, 2026 — just four (4) working days after the last exam day. Out of 9,745 who sat for the three-day exam on May 24-26, 3,004 passed, for a national passing rate of 30.83%. The top-scoring examinee is James Al Alcayde Serondo of the University of the Philippines-Diliman with a general average of 91.17%.
This page is the single source for the official May 2026 numbers, the full topnotcher list, top-performing schools, and what to do next — whether you saw your name on the passers' list or not.
Cycle snapshot: Exam dates May 24-26, 2026. Results released June 2, 2026, four (4) working days after Day 3 — in line with PRC's recent average (3-6 working days), with the May 27 Eidul Adha holiday absorbing one day in between.
National Passing Rate
| Exam Period | Passers | Total Examinees | Passing Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | 3,004 | 9,745 | 30.83% |
| October 2025 | 3,460 | 10,171 | 34.02% |
| May 2025 | 3,156 | 9,533 | 33.11% |
| December 2024 | 3,058 | 10,136 | 30.17% |
| May 2024 | 3,155 | 10,421 | 30.28% |
| September-October 2023 | 2,740 | 8,734 | 31.37% |
| May 2023 | 2,239 | 7,376 | 30.36% |
The 30.83% passing rate is down from the unusually strong 2025 cycles (34.02% in October 2025, 33.11% in May 2025) but sits just above the May 2024 (30.28%) and December 2024 (30.17%) results — effectively a return to the CPALE's long-run ~30% norm after two above-average cycles.
Topnotchers: May 2026 CPALE Top 10
PRC named 16 examinees across the top 10 places (several ranks are shared ties). Reproduced exactly from PRC's official issuance:
| Rank | Name | School | General Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Al Alcayde Serondo | University of the Philippines-Diliman | 91.17% |
| 2 | Miko Andre Reyes Villenas | Southern Luzon State University-Lucban | 91.00% |
| 3 | Jonathan Eurich Lo Go | De La Salle University-Manila | 90.83% |
| 4 | Blas Miguel Villacampa Escarro | University of San Jose-Recoletos | 90.67% |
| 5 | Ace Benhur Macalipay Ligo | Mindanao State University-General Santos City | 90.17% |
| 6 | Angle Jean Geonzon Bagacay | Mindanao State University-General Santos City | 90.00% |
| 6 | Marl Angelo Mirador Caracas | President Ramon Magsaysay State University-Iba | 90.00% |
| 6 | Heart Cordero Pecson | FEU Diliman (formerly FEU-FERN College, QC) | 90.00% |
| 7 | Carl Ace Albios Dela Cerna | Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology | 89.83% |
| 8 | Steven Brielle Salpid David | Xavier University | 89.67% |
| 8 | Ernest John Alburque Manalo | FEU Diliman (formerly FEU-FERN College, QC) | 89.67% |
| 9 | Andrea Santos Meneses | Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Sta. Mesa (Main) | 89.50% |
| 9 | Roverson Dayunot Mortega | Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Lopez | 89.50% |
| 9 | Jamela Mehetabel Colarina San Juan | Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Sto. Tomas | 89.50% |
| 10 | Ivy Ramos Aldave | De La Salle University-Manila | 89.33% |
| 10 | Joan Alliah Mocoy Carilimdiliman | University of San Jose-Recoletos | 89.33% |
A note on results-day misinformation: within hours of this release, several results-aggregator sites circulated December 2024's topnotchers under a "May 2026" headline. The list above is transcribed directly from PRC's official top-10 issuance. Always confirm topnotcher names against PRC's own release at prc.gov.ph — never a screenshot forwarded on social media.
Top-Performing Schools
PRC's official "top performing schools" list requires at least 50 examinees and a passing rate of 80% or higher. For May 2026:
| Rank | School | Passers | Examinees | Passing Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of the Philippines-Diliman | 53 | 54 | 98.15% |
Only one school cleared PRC's twin threshold (50+ examinees and an 80%+ passing rate) this cycle — UP Diliman, with 53 of 54 examinees passing (98.15%). PRC's official list marks "nothing follows" after it.
See the full per-school breakdown for all 536 schools — top performers, volume leaders, and the first-timer gap — in our May 2026 CPALE school performance report, or search the complete school table. For historical trends, see our top schools by CPALE passing rate breakdown (2023-2025 data).
How to Check Your Result
Fastest way — search our list: we've published the complete, searchable May 2026 CPALE list of passers — type your name to check in seconds. Always confirm your official rating afterward on LERIS.
Step-by-step: see our dedicated CPALE results guide for the full walkthrough, what each rating means, and how to interpret conditional status. The summary below covers the immediate "where do I look" question.
Method 1: PRC Website
- Go to prc.gov.ph
- Click the May 2026 CPALE results announcement (typically pinned at the top)
- Open the PDF list of passers — names are arranged alphabetically by surname
- Use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) to search for your name
Method 2: LERIS
- Log in to online.prc.gov.ph with your LERIS credentials
- Navigate to your exam application
- Individual ratings per subject (only available to the examinee) appear here after results are released — this is also where you'll later request your Certificate of Board Rating (CBR) and schedule your oath-taking
Method 3: News Outlets
Major Philippine news sites typically mirror the PRC list within minutes:
Always verify against PRC's official PDF. Mirrored lists occasionally have OCR or transcription errors.
Watch out for scams. Within hours of results dropping, Facebook pages and DMs claiming to "check your name first" or "fix your rating" appear every cycle. PRC's official list is free, public, and only at prc.gov.ph. Nobody can change a rating after the BOA has deliberated.
If You Passed: What's Next
Congratulations — you are now a Certified Public Accountant.
The immediate post-results checklist:
- Download your Certificate of Board Rating (CBR) via LERIS — this is your official proof of passing
- Register your oath-taking schedule — PRC announces the mass oath-taking date (typically 1-2 months after results)
- Submit registration requirements to receive your PRC ID and Certificate of Registration
- Plan your first 90 days — your full post-passer roadmap is in first 90 days as a new CPA
For the complete after-results checklist (oath-taking documents, fees, BOA/BIR accreditation timing), see what to do after passing the CPA board exam.
About oath-taking: PRC will announce the official mass oath-taking date for the May 2026 batch on their website and Facebook page within a few weeks of results. Watch for the announcement and pre-register through LERIS — slots can fill quickly for the in-person ceremony.
If You Got Conditional Status
A conditional passer is someone who scored 75% or higher in at least four of the six subjects but did not meet the 75% general average or scored below 75% in one or two subjects. You have two years from your original exam date to pass your remaining subject(s) in a removal exam.
This is not a failure — RA 9298 explicitly recognizes conditional status as a path to full licensure. Your two-year clock starts on the date of the May 2026 exam (May 24, 2026), not the results release date.
Read our full guides:
Apply early. Removal exam applications for the next cycle (October 2026) follow the same PRC filing window. If you plan to take a removal exam in October, file as soon as the LERIS window opens.
If You Didn't Pass: October 2026 Comeback Plan
Not seeing your name is brutal — but the data is on your side. The vast majority of CPAs in the Philippines today did not pass on their first try. The CPALE's ~30-34% passing rate means most examinees retake at least once.
What works for second-attempt passers:
- Take 1-2 weeks fully off before opening a single page — your brain needs the reset
- Diagnose, don't re-review everything — review your LERIS subject breakdown when it's available; focus where you scored lowest
- Switch tactics, not effort — if your first attempt was lecture-heavy, weight toward timed practice; if it was practice-heavy, fill conceptual gaps
- File for October 2026 early — the next CPALE is October 24-26, 2026; filing opens around early August. See our October 2026 schedule
Full retaker strategy: CPA board exam retaker guide.
Reframe: The October cycle is only 5 months out. With targeted review of just your weak subjects, that is plenty of runway — most first-attempt failures are pacing or coverage gaps, not capability gaps.
Common Issues on Results Day
"PRC website is down"
The prc.gov.ph site routinely crashes within the first hour of release as thousands of examinees hit it at once. If it does:
- Wait 15-30 minutes and try again
- Check the PRC official Facebook page — they post screenshots and PDF mirrors
- Major news outlets (Inquirer, GMA, Rappler) typically have the list within minutes
"My name is not on the list but I am sure I passed"
- Double-check spelling variations (maiden name, hyphenated names, suffixes like Jr./III)
- Verify you are looking at the passers list, not the topnotcher list
- Wait for the LERIS update — your individual subject scores are the definitive record
- If LERIS confirms you did not pass, your rating per subject will show why
"My LERIS is showing 'Application Status: Examined' but no rating"
Individual ratings typically appear on LERIS within 24-48 hours of the PRC release. If yours has not updated after 48 hours, email [email protected] with your application number and exam date, or call the PRC Licensure Office at (02) 5310-0024.
What's Next on the CPA Calendar
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Online registration opens (PIC + Certificate of Registration) | July 9, 2026 |
| May 2026 oath-taking (mass ceremony) | To be announced by PRC |
| October 2026 CPALE filing opens | Around August 2026 (watch PRC announcements) |
| October 2026 CPALE | October 24-26, 2026 |
| October 2026 CPALE results | Around early November 2026 |
Full details: October 2026 CPALE schedule and requirements.
Sources
- PRC Official May 2026 CPALE Results Release — Primary source for passers, ratings, and topnotchers
- BOA Resolution No. 30, Series of 2022 — CPALE exam structure
- RA 9298 (Philippine Accountancy Act of 2004) — Conditional passing and removal exam rules
- PRC LERIS Portal — Individual ratings and Certificate of Board Rating
Last updated: June 2, 2026. Passing rate, topnotchers, and top-school figures transcribed directly from PRC's official May 2026 CPALE issuances. If you spot a discrepancy, contact us — accuracy on results day matters.