PRC Board of Nursing Philippines: Nurse Licensure Exam 2026

In the Philippines you can only practise as a registered nurse after passing the Nurse Licensure Examination (NLE), often called the PNLE, and taking your oath. The exam and licence are handled by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) together with the Professional Regulatory Board of Nursing.

The Philippine licence is also the starting point for many nurses who later register abroad, for example in Ireland, the UK, the Gulf or the United States. Getting it right the first time saves months.

Key facts

What the PRC and the Board of Nursing do

The PRC is the government agency that regulates licensed professions in the Philippines. It runs the registration system, issues professional identification cards and certificates, keeps the roster of registered professionals and verifies licences for employers and foreign regulators.

The Board of Nursing is one of the professional regulatory boards under the PRC. It:

• prepares and administers the Nurse Licensure Examination;
• sets the scope of the exam and the passing criteria;
• registers successful examinees and issues certificates of registration;
• monitors standards of nursing practice and education together with other agencies;
• hears cases about professional conduct.

Who can take the NLE

You need to have completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a school recognised by the government, and meet the documentary requirements the PRC lists for first-time examinees. Repeat examinees use a separate application with their previous examination details. Requirements are published with each exam announcement, so read the current one before filing.

Typical documents include:

• transcript of records with the scanned picture and remarks "for board examination purposes";
• birth certificate and, where relevant, marriage certificate from the Philippine Statistics Authority;
• passport-size photos in the format PRC specifies;
• proof of payment through an authorised channel.

The examination

The NLE is a written, multiple-choice examination in five parts, held over two consecutive days. The parts cover nursing practice across the life span: community health nursing, care of mothers and children, care of clients with physiological and psychosocial alterations, and the foundations of professional nursing practice, including ethics, leadership and management. Day one opens with community health nursing.

Passing rule

To pass, you need a general average of at least 75% and no subject below 60%. If you reach the general average but score below 60% in one subject, you must retake that subject. PRC does not issue temporary licences to examinees who fail to meet either threshold.

2026 sittings

PRC held the NLE on 26–27 February 2026 and 29–30 August 2026. In Region III, the August sitting was cancelled because of flooding and moved to 11–12 September 2026. PRC also ran a special licensure examination for nurses in selected locations abroad, including Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. Always check PRC's examination schedule for the next dates and deadlines.

How to apply step by step

1. Create an account on the PRC online system and complete your profile with a compliant photo.
2. Select the examination and the testing venue.
3. Book an appointment at a PRC regional office or service centre. Appointment slots are free.
4. Pay the examination fee only through the channels listed on the PRC website.
5. File your documents at the PRC office on the appointment date.
6. Print your Notice of Admission and check your room assignment when PRC publishes it.
7. Sit the exam. Bring the Notice of Admission, pencils and black-ink ballpens, and follow the dress code in your venue's advisory. Late examinees are not admitted.
8. Check results, then register, take the oath and claim your professional ID.

After passing

Passing the exam alone does not make you a registered nurse. You still need to:

• complete initial registration and pay the registration fee;
• take your oath as a professional;
• claim your professional identification card and certificate of registration;
• renew your professional ID periodically, meeting any continuing professional development requirements.

If you plan to work abroad, foreign regulators usually ask for verification of your licence directly from the PRC and for a certificate of board rating. Nurses who passed from June 2009 onwards book an online appointment for this certificate; earlier passers can request it at a PRC office.

Using your Philippine licence abroad

Many Filipino nurses use the PRC licence as the foundation for registration overseas. Foreign regulators generally ask for three things from the Philippines: direct verification of your licence from the PRC, your certificate of board rating and passing, and your transcript and syllabus sent by your nursing school. They then apply their own rules, which may include English tests, a computer-based exam, an aptitude test or an adaptation programme.

Start these requests early. PRC verification and school documents are often the slowest part of an overseas application, and a single name mismatch between documents can cause months of delay. Keep your professional ID valid while you work abroad, because some regulators and employers ask for current Philippine registration.

Fees (as of October 2026)

PRC publishes examination, registration and certificate fees with each announcement and in its fee schedule. Pay only through the listed channels. PRC warns that appointment slots are free and that you should never share your password or pay through unofficial agents.

Checklist before you file

• Transcript with the correct remarks for board examination purposes.
• PSA documents with matching names.
• Photo in the exact PRC format.
• Account details kept private.
• Venue advisory read for dress code and reporting time.

Typical mistakes

• Name mismatches between transcript, birth certificate and application.
• Wrong photo format, leading to rejection at filing.
• Paying fixers. Slots are free and payments go only through official channels.
• Arriving late. Late examinees are not admitted.
• Focusing on one subject. Below 60% in any subject means a retake, even with a high average.

Preparing for the NLE

The exam rewards broad, applied knowledge of nursing practice and safe prioritisation. The MediFlow Exam Prep app and the Philippine nursing track give you NLE-style questions you can practise daily, with explanations, so weak subjects show up early.

Study plan in the final months

Treat the five parts as five separate exams. Take a diagnostic set in each part early, then spend most of your time on the two weakest, while keeping a short daily mixed set across all five. In the last weeks, practise full timed blocks so that two consecutive exam days feel familiar.

Next steps

1. Check PRC's next examination schedule.
2. Prepare and verify your documents.
3. Book your appointment on the PRC online system.
4. Planning to work in Ireland later? Read NMBI registration for overseas nurses.

Contact and official links

• Website: prc.gov.ph
• Applications: PRC online system

Contact details for regional offices are listed on the PRC website.