He failed his college thesis twice—then topped two PRC board exams

MANILA, Philippines – Aaron James M. Carlos failed his college thesis twice, graduated a year behind his batch mates, and still went on to top two professional licensure examinations.

Photo courtesy: Aaron James Carlos

In an exclusive interview with The Summit Express, Carlos, 37, shared how one of the most frustrating setbacks of his college years became part of a journey marked by persistence, discipline, and ambition.

The Pasay City native emerged as Top 2 in the June 2014 Licensure Examination for Architects (LEA) and Top 4 in the February 2015 Master Plumbers Licensure Examination (MPLE).

Today, Carlos is a husband and father of two with more than 15 years of experience in architecture and real estate development.

He serves as Head of Vertical Design at Century Properties Group, Inc., where he has become “an integral part of some of the country’s biggest projects” and worked with leading local and international design firms.

Photo courtesy: Aaron James Carlos

Architecture was not his first choice, as he initially considered the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and Nursing before choosing between Engineering and Architecture.

He ultimately chose Architecture because it combined creativity and technical proficiency, while his fascination with ancient marvels such as Rome’s Colosseum further inspired him.

When he began preparing for the Architecture Licensure Examination, Carlos had already set his sights on becoming a topnotcher, not merely passing.

“I did not want to simply pass. I set my standards higher. I had it in my vision,” he said.

To turn that vision into reality, he became methodical, creating a detailed review program that assigned each subject to a specific day and time, followed by regular self-recaps.

“I did this in auto-pilot,” Carlos said, admitting that the routine became repetitive and boring, but he stuck with it while working and raising his first child.

When the results came out, he was ecstatic but also disappointed after narrowly missing first place.

“I already knew I would top the board exam since it is what I set out to do, but I fell short just within a hairline from the 1st placer,” he said.

His success did not erase his earlier failures, but it changed how he viewed them.

“I live by the mantra that failure is part of learning,” Carlos said, adding, “99% of success is refusing to take no for an answer.”

For aspiring professionals, he has an even simpler message: “Don’t be afraid.”

“Sweat is the best type of equity, and it’s absolutely free,” he said, urging those who doubt their abilities to “outwork everyone else.”

His philosophy is perhaps best captured by the words he lives by: “A river cuts through rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence.”

Carlos plans to pursue Environmental Planning next, carrying the same mindset that turned two failures into a story of two board exam triumphs.

— The Summit Express