PRC Nurse Licensure Exam Philippines: 2026 Schedule, Requirements, and Prep Guide

If you plan to practice nursing in the Philippines, you sit the Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Board of Nursing. The exam now runs in February and August each year, replacing the long-standing May and November cycle, with the next sitting on August 29-30, 2026. This guide covers eligibility, costs, the application process via LERIS, the 2026 schedule shift, and what changed after the record-breaking November 2025 results.

What the PNLE Is

The PNLE is a 500-item multiple-choice examination spread across two days and five subjects. Each subject contains 100 items, and the Board of Nursing reviews coverage against the current nursing curriculum.

The five test subjects are:

• Fundamentals of Nursing and Professional Adjustments
• Maternal and Child Nursing
• Community Health and Communicable Disease Nursing
• Medical-Surgical Nursing (Care of Adolescents, Adults, and Aged)
• Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing

To pass, you need a general average of at least 75% with no subject score below 60%, per the Nurseslabs application guide and Board of Nursing rules.

2026 Schedule Change

The PRC moved the PNLE from May and November to February and August beginning 2026 under Resolution No. 2113 s. 2025 . The first 2026 sitting ran February 26-27, 2026 across 21 testing centers, with results released March 6, 2026, per the official PRC announcement .

Dumaguete and Tagbilaran were removed as testing centers for February 2026 under PRC Resolution No. 2148 s. 2026 , referenced in the PRC 2026 examination schedule .

Eligibility for International and Foreign-Educated Applicants

Filipino citizens with a CHED-recognized Bachelor of Science in Nursing meet the standard eligibility requirement. Foreign nationals and Filipinos educated abroad face additional steps documented in the PRC public advisory for foreign nationals .

Foreign applicants must submit:

• Apostilled or Philippine Embassy-authenticated birth certificate, diploma, and transcript of records
• CHED Certificate of Equivalency for the nursing degree
• Proof of reciprocity showing the home country allows Filipino nurses to practice on the same basis as its own citizens
• Completed PRC application form filed with the Licensure and Registration Division of any PRC Regional Office

The Board of Nursing and the Commission must issue a positive resolution before a foreign applicant files an online application. Incomplete submissions are not processed.

Reciprocity Without Examination

The PRC grants a Certificate of Registration without examination to a nurse licensed in another country when the foreign licensing standards are substantially equivalent to Philippine standards under the Nursing Act, and the home country offers reciprocal privileges to Filipino nurses.

Costs and Required Documents

The PNLE fee for first-time takers and full repeaters is PHP 900. Conditioned examinees retaking one or two subjects pay PHP 450, per the Nurseslabs PNLE guide .

First-time applicant document checklist:

• PSA Birth Certificate (original and photocopy)
• PSA Marriage Contract for married female applicants
• Transcript of Records with scanned photo marked "For Board Examination Purposes Only"
• Notarized Related Learning Experience (RLE) summary and OR/DR case summary
• Four 2x2 passport photos with name tags
• Valid government-issued ID
• Documentary stamp (PHP 30)
• Proof of payment

Application Process via LERIS

The PRC requires online application through the Licensure Examination and Registration Information System (LERIS) before any in-person step.

1. Create an account at online.prc.gov.ph using your email and a 2x2 passport-style photo
2. Complete the online application form, including educational background and preferred PRC regional office
3. Schedule a document submission appointment and pay the exam fee through accredited channels
4. Submit originals and photocopies at the selected PRC office to receive the Notice of Admission (NOA)

The NOA contains your assigned testing center and schedule. You bring it on exam day along with two valid IDs.

November 2025 vs February 2026 Results

The November 2025 PNLE set a record. The PRC reported 40,692 of 45,192 examinees passed for a 90.04% national passing rate , the highest documented rate in modern PNLE history.

The February 2026 results swung the other way. Only 3,611 of 8,162 examinees passed, a 44.24% passing rate, the lowest first-semester result since 2021 per Abba Review analysis .

Two factors explain the drop. First, the PRC announced the schedule shift in late November 2025, compressing review time for candidates who expected a May 2026 exam. Second, the Board of Nursing introduced competency-based assessment reforms effective November 2025, with an updated Table of Specifications emphasizing clinical application over recall and higher-order Bloom's Taxonomy items.

The top performer for February 2026 was Alyanna Marie Ramos Villegas of Saint Paul University Tuguegarao with 92.00%, and the school topped institutional rankings with 220 out of 222 passers (99.10%), per GMA News Online .

Preparing for the August 2026 PNLE

The February 2026 outcome indicates the new exam style rewards applied clinical reasoning over memorization. Plan your review around the updated Table of Specifications and budget at least four to six months for structured preparation.

Practical preparation steps:

• Enroll in a PRC-recognized review center early, ideally three to six months before exam day
• Practice 500-item simulated exams across all five subject areas under timed conditions
• Focus on case-based questions requiring clinical judgment over factual recall
• Review the PNLE Wikipedia subject breakdown and cross-reference with the PRC Table of Specifications
• Track Board of Nursing resolutions on the PRC announcements page for syllabus or rule changes

After You Pass

Online registration for the Professional Identification Card and Certificate of Registration for November 2025 passers opened December 23, 2025, per the PRC announcement . The oath-taking ceremony date and venue are posted separately by the Board of Nursing.

Foreign-trained nurses who pass receive the same Certificate of Registration as Filipino graduates, subject to the reciprocity and equivalency conditions confirmed during application.

Sources

• Professional Regulation Commission 2026 Schedule of Examination
• PRC November 2025 Nurses Licensure Examination Results
• PRC February 2026 Nurses Licensure Examination Results
• PRC Public Advisory on Foreign Nationals Taking Philippine Licensure Examinations
• Nurseslabs Philippine Nurse Licensure Exam Application Guide
• Abba Review February 2026 NLE Analysis
• Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination on Wikipedia
• GMA News on February 2026 PNLE Topnotcher
• PRC Schedule of Licensure Examinations for 2026 (Resolution No. 2113 s. 2025)
• PRC Resolution No. 2148 s. 2026 Removing Dumaguete and Tagbilaran as Testing Centers
• PRC LERIS Online Portal