2024 PHYSICIANS' Board Exam (PLE): Filing Requirements, Schedule, Deadline, Coverage
Practicing as a doctor in the Philippines is a privilege reserved only for those who have successfully taken the Philippine Physicians’ Licensure Exam (PLE). To take the board exam for doctors, you first need to register with the Philippines Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC). On this page, we will talk about who can take the board exam, the schedule of the exam for 2024, the documentary requirements needed for registration, and the coverage.
This page is updated regularly, as soon as new information is published by the PRC. Check the Table of Contents to find what you are looking for faster.
Table of Contents:
Who can Take the Physician’s Licensure Exam?
Only Filipino citizens with a completed degree in Medicine can take this board exam. Filipino citizens who received their medical degree from a foreign medical school may also take the board exam if they can provide the added documentary requirements. Both Philippine and foreign medicine graduates must undergo and provide proof of post-graduate internship prior to taking the board exam.
Physicians’ Licensure Exam Eligibility Requirements:
- Graduate of Doctor of Medicine from a PRC-recognized institution or a CHED-approved equivalent foreign medical school
- At least 18 years old
- Filipino Citizen
- A person of good moral character
- Must not have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude
If you are sure that you are eligible based on the requirements above, proceed to Step 1:
Step 1: Check the Application Date Period for the PLE
The PLE happens twice a year and is usually conducted in March and October. The schedule of the exams for the year is usually released in the fourth quarter of the previous year. While you can create a PRC account in advance in the PRC LERIS system, you will only be able to apply for the test during the application period, usually three months before the date of the exam. To avoid missing the application period, take note of this year’s PLE schedule listed below:
We try to keep the dates below as accurate as possible. If you missed the last board exam, come back to this page to check the dates for future board exams:
When is the next Physician’s Board Exam?
- October 5, 6, 12 & 13 2024
- Start of Filing/Application Date: June 24, 2024
- Application Deadline: August 23, 2024
1st Physician’s Board Exam for 2025
- April 2025
- Start of Filing/Application Date: December 2024
- Application Deadline: February 2025
Step 2: Prepare for the Online Application
If you are within the application period, you can start the registration process. You can do this in the PRC LERIS system. You can create an account ahead of time, but you can only start the exam registration process for the PLE between the dates listed above. Before you begin, you should make sure that you have all the information needed to start. Here are some of the information you will need:
- Email Address
- Mobile Number
- Digital ID Picture saved in the computer (in jpg format, 2×2 photo with white background, collared attire, less than 6 months old)
- Scanned Copy or Clear Photo of your Cedula (Community Tax Certificate or CTC)
- Other Personal Information (Name, Address, School Graduated, Graduation date, etc.)
Step 3: Start the Physician’s Board Exam Online Application
The PRC will not entertain applicants who don’t have a LERIS profile. In this profile, you will enter your basic information and academic information. Once your profile data is complete, you will be able to schedule an appointment with the PRC and pay the examination fees. Only after payment will you be able to go to the PRC office to continue the PLE application.
1. Go to the LERIS Page (Click Here) to start the online application.
Note: Please take note that the website is sometimes down due to the high volume of traffic. For best results, please try signing up between 12 midnight to 7 AM
Please be informed that the previous user accounts from www.prc-online.com are no longer active. Register a new account at online.prc.gov.ph.
2. Fill out the Registration Form, check the Terms and Conditions box and click the “Sign Up Now” button
If you already have an account, you can sign in using the “Sign In” tab. After typing your email address and password, click the “Sign In” button to start.
3. Log in to LERIS using the Sign In tab to complete your personal information details and submit the requirements
- Personal information
- Cedula
- The photo indicated above
After logging in, add your personal information:
The Personal Information you need includes:
- Name (First, Middle and Last)
- Suffix (Mr, Miss, etc)
- Gender
- Single
- Citizenship
- Birthdate
- Birthplace
- Family Background (Mother’s, Father’s or Spouse’s Name)
- Employment Status
- Community Tax Certificate Details (Cedula Number, Place and Date Issued)
When the information fields are complete, click the “Save Information” button at the bottom of the screen.
To complete the process, confirm the information you have entered. Check the spelling of your name because this can no longer be changed in the future:
Add your Photo
You will be able to add a photo to your PRC profile on the following page. Make sure that you already have a digital copy of a 2×2 photo with a white background on your PC. You should also be in collared attire in the photo. If you are wearing glasses in the photo, the photo will not be accepted. Those with long hair should also make sure that their ears are visible in the photo.
Sometimes, you may get an error when uploading a photo in the PRC online registration portal (LERIS). Your photo needs to be in the shape of a square to be accepted by the system. You can crop your photo using free tools like Canva to make it fit the requirements of the system.
Step 4: Schedule an Appointment to the Local PRC Office
You will be able to schedule an appointment with the PRC Office of your choice through LERIS after you have completed your registration.
To schedule a visit to your local PRC office, go back to your profile and click on the “Select Transaction” Button. This can be found in the sidebar on the upper right side of the screen:
By clicking on the “Select Transaction” button, you will open a pop-up with multiple tabs. Click on the Examination Tab as seen below:
After filling up the required information, click on the “Proceed” button in the bottom right part of the popup.
Another popup will show wherein you will be able to choose a PRC office location, date of transaction, and your preferred payment method:
Step 5: Make Payment in your Chosen Payment Method
After following the instructions above, a reference number will be assigned to your transaction. Take note of this reference number because you will need it when making the payment to your preferred payment option. As of the writing of this article, the examination fee for the PLE is P900.
In our case, Land Bank Online Payment was the only available option. Through this payment option, you can pay using your ATM card and GCash. PRC does state that there will be more payment options on the way.
Regardless of your chosen payment option, you will need to keep a receipt of your payment as proof. Your LERIS will update automatically after a day of two of payment.
Step 6: Go to the PRC Regional Office on your Schedule
After completing the LERIS application and setting an appointment, you will have to go to your chosen PRC office on your schedule to submit the documentary requirements. The required documents are listed below.
At the end of the application process in the PRC office, you should receive your Notice of Admission (NOA). This piece of paper is your ticket to the exam venue. Keep it safe because you will not be allowed in the examination room without it.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
Filipino Citizen with a Medical Degree from Philippine Medical Schools:
- PSA Birth Certificate
- PSA Marriage Contract (for married female applicants)
- Transcript of Records (TOR)
- Diploma of MD Degree or its equivalent
- Certificate of Post Graduate Internship issued by a hospital accredited by the Association of Philippine Medical College (APMC).
- Examination Fee Receipt (Step 5)
- Two (2) Certificates of Good Moral Character from any two (2) of the following:
a) Medical School where he/she graduated from
b) Hospital / Institution where he/she completed his/her internship
c) Indigenous Community/Parish where he/she belongs
- PSA Birth Certificate
- PSA Marriage Contract (for married female applicants)
- Diploma of MD Degree or equivalent;
- Original or authenticated copy of the TOR or equivalent document of the course for the licensure examination issued by the institution of higher learning where the applicant graduated;
- Certificate of Equivalency issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) stating that the course taken by the applicant is equivalent to the Doctor of Medicine course offered in Philippine Schools of Medicine; and
- Certificate of Post Graduate Internship issued by a hospital accredited by the Association of Philippine Medical College (APMC) or Certificate of Equivalency issued by CHED.
- Examination Fee Receipt (Step 5)
- Two (2) Certificates of Good Moral Character from any of the following:
Step 7: Prepare for the Physicians’ Board Exam
When you have the Notice of Admission or NOA, you are eligible to take the exam.
To prepare for the exam, you must first collect your notes on all the subjects covered by the exam. The Physicians’ Licensure Exam is composed of 12 subjects distributed in four days. Consult the list below for the list of subjects covered by the exam:
What are the subjects covered in the Physicians’ Licensure Exam?
COVERAGE OF PLE:
1. BIOCHEMISTRY (Day 1)
2. ANATOMY AND HISTOLOGY (Day 1)
3. MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY (Day 1)
4. PHYSIOLOGY (Day 2)
5. LEGAL MEDICINE, ETHICS AND MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE (Day 2)
6. PATHOLOGY (Day 2)
7. PHARMACOLOGY AND THERAPEUTICS (Day 3)
8. SURGERY AND OPHTHALMOLOGY, OTOLARYNGOLOGY AND RHINOLOGY (Day 3)
9. MEDICINE (Day 3)
10. OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY (Day 4)
11. PEDIATRICS AND NUTRITION (Day 4)
12. PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH (Day 4)
What is the Physician’s Board Exam Passing Rate?
To pass the board exam, the test taker must score an average of 75% with no rating of less than 50% in the subjects enumerated above.
What to Wear During the Exam?
To avoid headaches, you should also prepare the things you need in advance. This includes your clothes for the exam date. On the day, wear your school uniform.
How many times can you take the PLE?
You will need to take a refresher course after failing the PLE three times.
What should you bring to the Physicians’ Licensure Exam (PLE)?
- Notice of Admission (NOA) – see Step 6
- Two or more Number 2 pencils
- Official receipt
- Black ballpen
- 1 Long Brown Envelope
- 1 Transparent Plastic Envelope
- **Exams held during the global pandemic required examinees to show a negative RT-PCR test result and/or vaccination card. Please consult the local PRC office if this is still required during your exam.
Regional PRC Offices Contact Information
If you have concerns and you need help from the local PRC Offices, you may want to call them through these numbers:
NCR – [email protected]
BAGUIO – [email protected] Tel No. (074) 665-4338, 661-9105, 665-4335
BUTUAN – [email protected]
CAGAYAN DE ORO – [email protected] Tel No. (08822) 712-772
CEBU – [email protected] Tel No. (032) 2535330
DAVAO – [email protected] Tel Nos. (082) 234-0007 to 08 (082) 234-0006
GENERAL SANTOS – [email protected]
ILOILO – [email protected] Tel Nos. (033) 3292730, (033) 3292733, (033) 3293705
LEGAZPI – [email protected] Tel No. (052) 4813079
LUCENA – [email protected] Tel No. (042) 3737316
PAGADIAN – [email protected] Tel No. (062) 9250080
ROSALES PANGASINAN – [email protected] Tel No. 09065686215
SAN FERNANDO – [email protected]
TACLOBAN – [email protected] Tel Nos. (053) 3239729, (053) 8322519, (053) 8322520
TUGUEGARAO – [email protected] Tel No. (078) 3040701
Do You Need Technical Assistance with Your PRC website account?
If you have technical concerns with the PRC websites including resetting your password, mismatched record edit, and other related concerns, you may email them at: