MLE vs NLE: Midwifery vs Nursing Board Exam and Career
MLE vs NLE: Midwifery vs Nursing Board Exam and Career
Midwifery and nursing are both PRC-licensed health professions, but the exams, scope of practice and career paths differ.
At a glance
| MLE (Midwifery) | NLE (Nursing) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can take it | Midwifery graduates, or registered nurses, with notarized case records | BS Nursing graduates |
| Format | 5 subjects, 2 days, 2 hours each, paper-based | 5 Nursing Practice tests, 2 days, 2 hours each, paper-based |
| Passing rule | 75% general rating, no subject below 50% | 75% general average, no test below 60% |
| If one test is low | Below 50% in any subject is a fail | Average 75%+ with one test below 60%: retake only that test |
| PRC exam fee | ₱600 | ₱900 |
| Recent pass rates | 42.42%–57.60% (Apr 2025 to Apr 2026) | 44.24%–90.04% (May 2025 to Aug–Sep 2026) |
| Examinees in 2025 | 7,180 | 55,962 |
| Sittings per year | Two | Two |
Sources: PRC results releases, PRC exam programs and requirement lists, RA 7392 Sec. 16, RA 9173 Sec. 15.
What each exam covers
MLE: Obstetrics; Fundamentals of Health Care; Infant Care and Feeding (Day 1); Primary Health Care; Professional Growth and Development (Day 2).
NLE: NP I Community Health Nursing; NP II care of mother and adolescent, with growth and development; NP III surgery, oxygenation, fluids and electrolytes, immunologic response and cellular aberrations (Day 1); NP IV nutrition, GI, metabolism and endocrine, neuro and sensory; NP V psychiatric nursing plus acute, critical and emergency care (Day 2).
Maternal and newborn care is the core of the MLE but only one part of the NLE (mainly NP II).
Scope of practice
Midwives (RA 7392) focus on women through normal pregnancy, labor, delivery and the postpartum period, newborn care, family planning and community maternal and child health. Complications are recognized and referred.
Nurses (RA 9173) practice across all areas of care: hospital wards, critical care, operating rooms, community health, mental health and more.
Career paths
Midwives: rural health units and barangay health stations, lying-in and birthing clinics, hospital delivery rooms, and DOH and LGU posts.
Nurses: hospital nursing in every specialty, clinics, community and public health, school and occupational health, and government posts. A government Nurse I post is Salary Grade 15, ₱42,178 a month (step 1) in 2026; Nurse II is SG 16, ₱45,694.
Government midwife pay depends on the salary grade printed on each post. Private pay for both varies by employer, and overseas work needs separate licensing in the destination country.
Which to choose
Midwifery suits you if you want to focus on mothers and newborns, like community-based work, and want a program built around that.
Nursing suits you if you want the widest scope of practice, more hospital specialties, and a broader range of overseas licensing routes.
Some midwives later complete a BS Nursing degree and take the NLE. Registered nurses can also take the MLE if they meet the case-record requirements.
Where Super Tutor fits
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