A college scholar for four semesters, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of the Philippines. From the same university, she obtained her Bachelor of Laws graduating salutatorian of the class and Cum Laude in 1975. She garnered 9th place in the 1975 Bar examinations.[1][2] She was also classmates with her colleague in the Court, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who was the Valedictorian of the batch.
In December 1993, she was appointed Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 12, serving also as one of its Vice-Executive Judges. She was appointed Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals in March 2003, serving the Court for over 15 years until her appointment to the Supreme Court of the Philippines.[1][3]
On November 26, 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Carandang to the Supreme Court.[4] Carandang retired on January 9, 2022, when she reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.[2]
