TL;DR: The Midwife Licensure Examination (MLE), given by the PRC Board of Midwifery, requires a general average of 75% with no grade below 50% in any subject (RA 7392, Section 16). It covers 13 legal subject areas from obstetrics to community health and family planning, is held twice a year (typically April and November) over two days, and recent passing rates have ranged from about 42% to 58% depending on the batch.
Introduction
If you are a graduate of a Diploma or BS in Midwifery, the Midwife Licensure Examination (MLE) is the one exam standing between your transcript and a professional license to practice midwifery in the Philippines. It is administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) through the Board of Midwifery, and it tests everything from obstetrics and newborn care to community health and professional ethics.
This guide walks through who can take the exam, what it covers, how the passing grade works, when it is scheduled, and how to build a realistic review plan. Every figure here is drawn from Republic Act 7392 (the Philippine Midwifery Act) and official PRC announcements, with sources listed at the end so you can verify anything before you plan your application.
Who Can Take the Midwifery Board Exam?
You qualify to take the MLE if you are a graduate of midwifery from a government-recognized and duly accredited institution, and you are in good health and of good moral character, per Section 13 of RA 7392.
In practice, PRC's current documentary requirements for first-time takers also call for:
- PSA Birth Certificate
- PSA Marriage Contract (for married female applicants)
- Transcript of Records with a remark "For Board Examination Purposes"
- Certificate of training on expanded midwife functions, accredited by the CPD Council for Midwives
You also need to show supervised clinical experience completed within five years before the exam, certified by your school's Principal or Dean and duly notarized.
Clinical Case Requirements for First-Time Takers
| Clinical requirement | Minimum cases |
|---|---|
| Normal deliveries | 20 |
| Internal examinations | 20 |
| Intravenous fluid insertions | 5 |
| Perineal laceration suturing (1st or 2nd degree) | 5 |
Registered nurses can also sit for the midwifery exam without a separate midwifery diploma. Section 19 of RA 7392 allows this, provided the nurse shows evidence of having personally handled 20 delivery cases, certified by the director or chief of a recognized hospital or by the proper municipal, city, or provincial health officer.
Always confirm the current documentary checklist on the PRC website before filing, since requirements and fees can be updated.
What Subjects Does the Midwifery Board Exam Cover?
Republic Act 7392, Section 12, defines the legal scope of the midwifery licensure exam as consisting of these subject areas:
- Infant care and feeding
- Obstetrical anatomy and physiology
- Principles of bacteriology as applied to midwifery practice
- Obstetrics
- Midwifery procedures
- Domiciliary midwifery
- Community hygiene and first aid
- Nutrition
- Ethics of midwifery practice
- Primary health care
- Professional Growth and Development
- Family planning
- Other subjects the Board may deem necessary to add from time to time
For actual test administration, these areas are grouped by the PRC into subject tests given across two exam days, commonly summarized by reviewers as covering obstetrics and maternal-newborn care on one side, and fundamentals of midwifery, community health, and professional growth on the other. The exact grouping and item distribution (table of specifications) can change per PRC board resolution, so treat this as a general map of the law's content areas rather than the literal exam blueprint, and confirm the current table of specifications through your review center or the PRC before finalizing your study plan.
What Is the Passing Grade for the Midwifery Board Exam?
You need a general average of 75% in the written test, with no grade lower than 50% in any subject. This is set directly by Section 16 of RA 7392 and has not changed since the law took effect in 1992.
Both conditions apply at the same time:
| Condition | Requirement | Result if not met |
|---|---|---|
| General average across all subjects | At least 75% | Fail |
| Lowest score in any single subject | At least 50% | Fail, even with a high average |
A high overall average will not save you if you drop below 50% in even one subject area. This is the same "conditional failure" structure used in several other PRC board exams, so budget review time evenly across subjects rather than only focusing on your strongest ones.
When Is the Midwifery Board Exam Given?
The MLE is administered twice a year, generally in April and November, across testing centers nationwide including Metro Manila, Baguio, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Koronadal, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, and Zamboanga.
Reported recent and upcoming batches include an April 2026 exam and a November 2026 exam reportedly set for November 7-8, 2026. Application periods, exact venues, and result-release timelines are announced separately for each batch through PRC's official schedule of licensure examinations. Confirm the current-year schedule and your specific application window directly on the PRC website (LERIS) before making travel or review plans, since dates can shift and this guide will not always reflect the latest resolution.
How Many People Pass the Midwifery Board Exam?
Passing rates move around from batch to batch. Based on PRC's own results announcements:
| Exam batch | Examinees | Passers | Passing rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2025 | 3,736 | 2,152 | About 57.6% |
| April 2026 | 2,124 | 901 | About 42.4% |
These two batches alone show more than a 15-point swing, so do not anchor your expectations to a single "the passing rate is X%" figure. Always pull the latest results release from PRC for the batch you are tracking, and never assume a past rate predicts a future one.
How to Prepare for the Midwifery Board Exam
Start With the Law Itself
Read RA 7392 in full. Knowing the legal scope of practice, the Board's composition, and the grounds for revocation of a license is fair game for the professional growth and ethics portion of the exam, and it is often skipped by reviewees who jump straight into clinical drills.
Build a Subject-by-Subject Review Schedule
Because the passing rule penalizes your weakest subject as much as it rewards your strongest, block review time across all major areas: obstetrics, newborn and infant care, community health and primary health care, nutrition, family planning, and professional ethics. Do not let a strong grasp of obstetrics substitute for weak community health knowledge.
Log and Review Your Clinical Cases
Since your application requires documented clinical cases (deliveries, internal examinations, IV insertions, suturing), use your actual case notes as study material. Recall the reasoning behind each intervention, not just the steps, since exam items increasingly test applied judgment over memorization.
Take Timed Practice Exams
Simulate the two-day format under time pressure so pacing is not something you have to figure out on exam day itself.
Compare Review Center Options
A review center is not mandatory, but many examinees use one for structured drills and updated reviewers. If you are also comparing options for other board exams, see our guides on how long you should review for a board exam and the best NLE review centers for a sense of what a structured review program typically includes.
Plan Ahead for Life After Licensure
Passing the MLE is only the start. You will need to keep your professional license active through PRC's renewal process, so it helps to understand the requirements early. Our PRC license renewal guide covers what to expect once you are a licensed midwife.
If You Are Still Choosing a Midwifery School
If you have not yet enrolled and are weighing your options, start with a strong academic foundation. Our guide to the best nursing schools in the Philippines is a useful reference point, since many midwifery programs share the same clinical-affiliation standards nursing schools use. If you are also considering other allied health licensure paths, our guides on the physician licensure exam and the NLE cover similar PRC processes and may help you compare timelines if you are deciding between health tracks.
Disclaimer
Exam schedules, passing rates, documentary requirements, and fees can change without notice. This guide reflects information verified against Republic Act 7392 and PRC announcements at the time of writing. Always confirm current details directly with the PRC Board of Midwifery or the official PRC website (prc.gov.ph) before filing your application or finalizing your review plan.
Sources
- Board of Midwifery, Republic Act No. 7392 (Philippine Midwifery Act of 1992)
- PRC List of Requirements
- April 2026 Midwives Licensure Examination Results Released in Three (3) Working Days, PRC
- November 2025 Licensure Examination for Midwives Results Released in Two (2) Working Days, PRC
- Schedule of Licensure Examinations for the Year 2026, PRC
- PRC List of Requirements Midwifery, prcworld.ph
Find the Right School to Start Your Midwifery Journey
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