Philip Tanasas' graduation photo. Photo Courtesy of Philip Tanasas
"Challenging, transformative, and unforgettable."
Those are the words that comedian and content creator Philip Tanasas used to describe his journey at the Psychometrician Licensure Examination (PmLE).
Scoring an average of 72 in the pre-boards, Tanasas did not expect to get an average of 92.80% and land Top 8 at the actual board exam.
Philip Tanasas on Top 10 Passers of the September 2026. PmLE Screengrab from PRC Board website
"After seeing my grades sa pre-boards, if I'm being honest, na-discourage talaga ako and I was actually hoping na tataas 'yung score ko… Parang may expectation na what if sa board exam ganito rin mangyayari?" Tanasas shared.
But despite that setback, Tanasas chose not to let that result define his preparation.
"I reminded myself of everything I had already done and trusted the preparation that I had put in over the past months," he added.
For him, preparation was never about having a perfect study routine. Instead, it was about consistency — showing up every day, strengthening his foundation in four major subject areas, answering practice questions, taking mock exams, and learning from his mistakes.
His board exam journey was even more challenging as he balanced being a student, a content creator, and a board exam taker at once.
Tanasas had to understand that he couldn't give 100% to everything at the same time, so he made sacrifices and prioritized what needed his attention most, and learned to forgive himself on days he was not productive.
Having 2.9 million followers on Facebook and 11.6 million on Tiktok, content creation became his unexpected source of support throughout his review season. His income and brand deals helped him cover expenses such as review center fees, books, and other materials.
At the same time, creating content gave him an outlet whenever he needed a break from studying.
"I think content creation also gave me an outlet. Like, whenever I needed to take a break from studying, creating content allowed me to step away for a while, enjoy what I was doing, and eventually come back to studying with a fresher mind," he said.
Behind the camera, however, Tanasas' journey was far from perfect. While his followers saw him creating content, going to places, and enjoying life, they did not see the uncertainty, sacrifices, and doubts that came with preparing for the examination.
"People saw the result, but they didn't really see all the uncertainty that came before it," he said.
That uncertainty became more apparent because of his experience during the examination day.
The testing center, located in a school, was holding intramurals which caused the environment to be noisy. On top of this was a brownout, which left the room without electric fans.
Tanasas recalled having sweaty hands and his environment made it difficult for him to maintain his focus. After the exam, those moments stayed in his mind as he waited for the results.
"I was hoping that despite all of those challenges, I still did well and that my preparation would be enough," he shared.
While waiting, he tried to keep himself busy by creating content. But from time to time, he would still feel anxious as to whether he could reach an average of 75.
So when the results were finally released and he saw his name among the Top 10, the moment was almost impossible for him to process.
What made the achievement even more meaningful to Tanasas was seeing how proud his family and loved ones were, especially his mother who supported him throughout his review season.
"After everything I went through during the preparation, being able to share this moment with [my loved ones and friends] makes the achievement feel even more special," he said.
Tanasas went on to look back on his board exam journey: "[It was] challenging kasi I had to balance being a student, a content creator, and being someone who's preparing for the exam... And transformative because the journey has taught me so much about discipline and time management, trusting myself, and knowing when to rest."
"And unforgettable kasi everything that happened along the way, from the ordinary days of studying, to getting 72 in my pre-boards, and to eventually seeing my name on the Top 10 list."
Now as a 21-year-old licensed psychometrician, Tanasas does not immediately plan to work in the profession. For now, he intends to continue creating content and save for his plan of pursuing a master's degree for psychologists in the future.
Whichever path he chooses to take, his journey taught him that success does not always come from having everything perfectly balanced.
Sometimes, people just have to show up.
"Review hard, but don't forget to rest. Kasi, yes, you're preparing for an examination, but you're also taking care of a person, and that person is you," he advised.