Parent Budget Guide for Board Exam Review
Parent Budget Guide for Board Exam Review
If you're paying for your child's board exam review, the budget is bigger than the review package alone. Here's a simple way to plan it.
The main review options
| Approach | What you're paying for |
|---|---|
| Self-study with printed reviewers | Books and practice sets |
| Self-study with a reviewer app | A subscription |
| Review center | Lectures, handouts and a fixed schedule; packages vary a lot by center, exam and format |
| One-on-one tutoring | A tutor's time, usually by the hour or by the package |
Review center prices change every cycle and differ by city, exam and whether classes are online or face-to-face. Ask each center for a written quote that lists what's included (handouts, mock exams, refresher classes) and what costs extra.
The official fees
These are fixed by the agencies, so you can budget them exactly.
PRC licensure exams (PRC Citizen's Charter 2026):
- Application fee: ₱900 for most exams that need a bachelor's degree (such as LET, NLE and the engineering boards), ₱600 for non-baccalaureate exams (such as Midwifery)
- Retaking only the subjects you failed (conditional or removal exams): ₱450
- Registration after passing: ₱1,050 (baccalaureate) or ₱870 (non-baccalaureate), which covers the ID and certificate of registration
Civil Service Exam: ₱500.
College entrance tests:
- UPCAT: no application fee for Filipino citizens
- USTET: ₱600 for Filipino applicants from local schools
- FEU-CAT: ₱500
- MSU-SASE: ₱300 testing fee
- Private schools must waive the entrance test fee for students covered by RA 12006 (the Free College Entrance Examinations Act): natural-born Filipinos in the top 10% of their graduating class whose families are below the poverty line.
Costs families forget
Beyond the review itself, budget for:
- Transport to and from the review center, every week of the review
- Meals on review days
- Mock exams, if the center charges for them separately
- Extra books and practice sets beyond what the center gives
- Documents such as the PSA birth certificate, transcript and photos for the application
- Travel and lodging for exam days, if the testing center is far from home
- Lost income, if your child stops working to review
These can add up to a big share of the total, so list them before you compare options.
How to think about the payoff
A license often leads straight to a higher-paying job. Two government examples for 2026 (monthly basic pay at Step 1, third tranche of EO 64, DBM National Budget Circular No. 601):
- A new public school teacher (Teacher I, SG 11) starts at ₱31,705 a month. Teachers need to pass the LET.
- A new government nurse (Nurse I, SG 15) starts at ₱42,178 a month. Nurses need to pass the NLE.
Private-sector pay varies by employer, city and role, so compare real job postings for your child's field.
When to spend more
A more expensive option can make sense when:
- Your child has struggled to study alone before
- Specific weak topics need live teaching (common in computation-heavy boards)
- Your child is retaking the exam and the last approach didn't work
When to spend less
A cheaper option can make sense when:
- Your child already studies consistently on their own
- The family budget is tight
- Your child did well on practice tests already
A middle path
Many families combine options: a review center for structure plus self-study materials for daily practice. Or self-study for most of the review, with a short refresher class near the exam. Price each combination with the full list of costs above before deciding.
What to avoid
- Paying for extras you won't use. Ask what each package tier actually adds.
- Paying for a long package before checking the fit. Ask whether your child can try a class or a sample first.
- Relying on one source only. Keep a backup plan if the center or the approach doesn't work out.
Where Super Tutor fits
Super Tutor has reviewers for Philippine college entrance, civil service and licensure exams, including UPCAT, the Civil Service Exam, LET, NLE and the Civil Engineering board, with CPALE and more PRC boards coming soon. Each reviewer has chapter lessons in 11 study formats, practice quizzes at three difficulty levels, flashcards and an AI tutor. Full mock exams are available for UPCAT, CSE Professional, LET Elementary, NLE, Midwifery, Civil Engineering and Geodetic Engineering.
Plans start at ₱249 a month with auto-pay (cancel anytime) or ₱299 to pay once, and ₱1,999 covers a full year, paid once. See every exam Super Tutor covers or start free — 5-day trial, no card needed.
What to read next
Reviewing for a Philippine exam?
Super Tutor has reviewers for 23 Philippine exams — college entrance, civil service and PRC board exams — with every chapter in 11 study formats, practice quizzes and an AI tutor. Start free with a 5-day trial, no card needed.
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