Midwife Licensure Exam Reviewer 2026

Answer: A. Fetal condition, Progress of labor, Maternal condition

Step 1: The partograph is organized into three 'families' of information plotted against time. Step 2: The TOP section records FETAL CONDITION — fetal heart rate, amniotic fluid status, and moulding. Step 3: The MIDDLE (central) section records PROGRESS OF LABOR — cervical dilatation, descent of the fetal head, and uterine contractions. Step 4: The BOTTOM section records MATERNAL CONDITION — pulse, blood pressure, temperature, and urine. Step 5: Options B, C, and D each list only individual parameters within one section, not the three main sections themselves.

Answer: B. 60 mg elemental iron + 400 mcg folic acid once daily

Step 1: The DOH standard prenatal supplement combines iron and folic acid in one tablet. Step 2: The correct dose is 60 mg ELEMENTAL iron (not total iron salt) plus 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of folic acid. Step 3: It is given ONCE daily, starting at the first prenatal visit and continued throughout pregnancy and for 3 months postpartum. Step 4: Option A is too low (30 mg / 200 mcg) — this is not the Philippine standard. Step 5: Option C doubles the folic acid and the frequency unnecessarily; Option D doubles the iron — this higher dose is only used for diagnosed severe anemia under protocol, not routine supplementation.

Answer: A. MNCHN (Maternal, Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition)

Step 1 – Identify the question: It asks for the overall DOH strategy for reducing maternal and neonatal deaths. Step 2 – Recall the definition: MNCHN (formalized under A.O. 2008-0029) is the umbrella strategy that defines service packages across the reproductive continuum AND organizes facilities into a network. Step 3 – Eliminate distractors: EINC is a specific newborn care protocol; BEmONC is a facility-level service standard; FHSIS is the recording and reporting system. Step 4 – Conclusion: MNCHN is the correct answer because it is the overarching strategy, while the others are components within it.

Answer: A. RA 2644

Step 1 — Know the timeline: Before RA 7392 (1992), the practice of midwifery in the Philippines was governed by RA 2644, the Philippine Midwifery Act of 1960. Step 2 — RA 7392 modernised the profession: It updated educational requirements, examination standards, and penalties, effectively replacing the older 1960 law. Step 3 — Eliminate wrong choices: RA 9173 is the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 — a different profession entirely. RA 10912 is the CPD Act of 2016, which came much later. RA 1080 is the Civil Service Eligibility for board exam passers — not a midwifery-specific law. Step 4 — Key memory tip: 1960 → RA 2644 (old law); 1992 → RA 7392 (current law). The year 1992 in the law's title helps you anchor the correct answer.

Answer: B. Abnormal FHR; this is below the lower limit of normal

Step 1: The normal fetal heart rate range on the partograph is 110–160 beats per minute. Step 2: A rate of 105 bpm falls BELOW 110 bpm, which is the lower limit of normal — this is bradycardia. Step 3: An FHR below 110 bpm is a danger sign suggesting possible fetal distress. Step 4: The midwife's action is to reposition the mother to her left side, encourage hydration, and REFER to a BEmONC/CEmONC facility. Step 5: Options A and C use incorrect lower limits (100 bpm is not the standard); Option D is dangerous because no abnormal FHR should be dismissed as 'acceptable.'

Answer: C. Before conception and during the first trimester

Step 1: Neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida and anencephaly occur very early — the neural tube closes around days 24–28 after conception, often before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Step 2: Folic acid must be present BEFORE conception and in the FIRST TRIMESTER to provide protective benefit during this critical window. Step 3: Starting folic acid only in the second or third trimester is too late to prevent NTDs, because the neural tube has already formed (or failed to form properly) by that point. Step 4: The midwife should counsel all women of reproductive age planning pregnancy to take folic acid early — this is a key counseling point on the MLE.

Answer: C. 7

Step 1 – Recall the BEmONC standard: The current WHO/DOH standard lists 7 signal functions for a BEmONC facility. Step 2 – List the 7: (1) parenteral antibiotics, (2) parenteral oxytocics, (3) parenteral anticonvulsants (MgSO4), (4) manual removal of placenta, (5) removal of retained products (MVA), (6) assisted vaginal delivery (vacuum extraction), (7) basic newborn resuscitation. Step 3 – Note the common trap: Older Philippine references list only 6, excluding newborn resuscitation, but the current standard includes it as the 7th. Step 4 – Distinguish from CEmONC: CEmONC performs all 7 PLUS cesarean section and blood transfusion = 9 total. Answer is 7.

Answer: A. Three (3): a Chairman and two members

Step 1 — The law is clear: RA 7392 creates the Board of Midwifery composed of a Chairman and two (2) members — a total of three (3) persons. Step 2 — All three must be registered midwives of good standing and are appointed by the President of the Philippines. Step 3 — Why not 5 or 7? Those numbers apply to larger regulatory boards in other professions (e.g., the PRC itself has more commissioners). The midwifery board is intentionally small and focused. Step 4 — Exam tip: Always remember the formula — 'Chairman + 2 members = 3 total.' This is a very common MLE question.

Answer: B. The expected rate of the slowest normal labor — 1 cm per hour

Step 1: The alert line is a diagonal line on the partograph's labor progress grid. Step 2: It begins at 4 cm (start of active phase) and rises at a rate of 1 cm per hour until full dilatation (10 cm). Step 3: This line represents the MINIMUM acceptable rate of cervical progress — the slowest a normal labor should go. Step 4: If the woman's cervical dilatation (the 'X') crosses to the RIGHT of the alert line, it means labor is slower than even the slowest normal — a WARNING to arrange referral. Step 5: The action line (not the alert line) is where decisive/mandatory action is required; the alert line is the EARLY warning signal.

Answer: B. 200,000 IU — given within the early postpartum period

Step 1: High-dose Vitamin A is CONTRAINDICATED during pregnancy because of its teratogenic risk, but postpartum supplementation is safe and beneficial. Step 2: The DOH postpartum dose is 200,000 IU, given within the early postpartum period (within the first 4 weeks / while still lactating-amenorrheic) to build the mother's stores and enrich her breast milk. Step 3: 100,000 IU is the dose for infants 6–11 months — not for postpartum mothers. Step 4: 400,000 IU exceeds the recommended dose and is not the DOH protocol. Step 5: Waiting until 6 weeks is incorrect; the supplementation should be given early while she is still lactating and amenorrheic to maximize benefit to the nursing infant.