Midwife Licensure Exam Midwifery Law, Scope & Community Role (RA 7392) Reviewer 2026

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: 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: A. The President of the Philippines

Step 1 — Constitutional principle: Under Philippine law, members of professional regulatory boards under the PRC are appointed by the President of the Philippines. This applies to the Board of Midwifery as well. Step 2 — Why not the Secretary of Health? The DOH handles public health programs, but does not appoint PRC board members. Step 3 — Why not the PRC Chairperson? The PRC supervises the boards but the appointing authority is the President, not the PRC head. Step 4 — Why not CHED? CHED regulates higher education and midwifery school standards but has no power to appoint board members. Step 5 — Key rule to remember: All PRC regulatory board members = appointed by the President. This is a consistent rule across all licensed professions in the Philippines.

Answer: A. Graduate of a government-recognised midwifery programme

Step 1 — The law requires that an MLE candidate must be a graduate of a midwifery programme from a school recognised by the government (through CHED). This is the core educational requirement. Step 2 — Other requirements include: Filipino citizenship (or reciprocity), good moral character, and no conviction for an offence involving moral turpitude. Step 3 — Why not a hospital internship in a Level 3 hospital? RA 7392 does not specify this as a standalone prerequisite — the clinical training is embedded in the midwifery curriculum itself. Step 4 — Why not age 25? There is no minimum age of 25 in RA 7392. Step 5 — Why not a nursing licence? Midwifery and nursing are separate professions with separate boards and licensure exams. You do NOT need a nursing licence to take the MLE.

Answer: A. Registered Midwife (RM)

Step 1 — RA 7392 is explicit: upon passing the MLE and taking the professional oath, a midwife receives a Certificate of Registration (COR) and a Professional Identification Card (PIC), and may lawfully use the title 'Registered Midwife' abbreviated as RM. Step 2 — 'Licensed Midwife (LM)' is not the correct Philippine title — it is used in some other countries. Step 3 — 'Registered Nurse (RN)' is the title for nurses under RA 9173 — a different profession with a different board. Step 4 — 'Certified Midwife (CM)' is not a title recognised under RA 7392. Step 5 — Practical importance: Using the correct professional title matters legally. Using a title you are not entitled to, or misrepresenting your registration status, can lead to administrative or criminal liability.

Answer: A. Every three (3) years

Step 1 — PRC rules set the renewal cycle for the Professional Identification Card at every three (3) years for all regulated professions, including midwifery. Step 2 — Renewal is not automatic: a midwife must also meet the required Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units under RA 10912 (CPD Act of 2016) to qualify for renewal. Step 3 — Why not every year? Annual renewal would be impractical and is not how the PRC system works. Step 4 — Why not every 5 years? That would be too long a gap, risking outdated practitioners remaining unchecked. Step 5 — Key distinction: RA 7392 creates the licence; RA 10912 governs its renewal through CPD. A midwife who skips CPD or lets the PIC lapse is technically practising unlawfully, even if she is clinically skilled.

Answer: A. RA 10912

Step 1 — RA 10912 is the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016. It applies across all PRC-regulated professions and requires professionals to earn CPD units/credits before they can renew their licence. Step 2 — RA 7392 (Midwifery Act of 1992) governs the profession itself but does not contain the CPD renewal requirement — that came later with RA 10912. Step 3 — RA 9173 is the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 — an entirely different profession. Step 4 — RA 2644 is the old 1960 midwifery law, already repealed. Step 5 — Exam tip: Examiners frequently test whether students know the difference between the law that created midwifery regulation (RA 7392) and the law that mandates ongoing professional development (RA 10912). Keep these two separate in your mind.

Answer: A. Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude

Step 1 — RA 7392 lists specific grounds for the Board to suspend or revoke a Certificate of Registration. Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude is one of the clearest grounds listed. Step 2 — Other valid grounds include: gross negligence or malpractice, fraud in obtaining the licence, immoral or dishonourable conduct, practising beyond the legal scope of midwifery, and mental incompetence. Step 3 — Missing a single outreach programme is not a revocation ground — it may reflect poor community commitment but it is not a statutory basis for losing your licence. Step 4 — Referring patients and working in a lying-in clinic are both lawful, appropriate professional acts — in fact, referring is what a competent midwife is supposed to do. Step 5 — Key concept: Revocation is a serious administrative sanction. The grounds are specific and serious — they relate to dishonesty, negligence, criminal conduct, or practising outside your scope.

Answer: A. RA 9173

Step 1 — RA 9173 is the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002. It governs the practice of professional nursing in the Philippines and created the Professional Regulatory Board of Nursing. Step 2 — RA 7392 governs midwifery (1992) — a different profession with a different board, scope, and educational path. Step 3 — RA 10912 is the CPD Act of 2016 — it applies to all PRC professions including both midwifery and nursing, but it does not govern nursing practice specifically. Step 4 — RA 2644 is the old (repealed) midwifery law of 1960. Step 5 — Why this matters: On the MLE, examiners test whether you can correctly match laws to professions. The formula to memorise: Midwifery = RA 7392 (1992) | Nursing = RA 9173 (2002). Note that nursing law came 10 years after the midwifery law.

Answer: A. Normal maternal and child health care and community health

Step 1 — RA 7392 defines midwifery as focused on normal maternal and child health: prenatal care, conducting normal spontaneous deliveries, postnatal care, newborn care, family planning, and community MCH services. Step 2 — The key word is NORMAL. A midwife is an expert in normal births and healthy mothers and babies. When a case goes beyond normal (e.g., eclampsia, obstructed labour, severe PPH), the midwife's duty is to DETECT and REFER — not to manage the complication independently. Step 3 — 'Broad general nursing care across all ages' describes nursing (RA 9173), not midwifery. Step 4 — Surgical procedures and anaesthesia are medical (physician) functions — completely outside midwifery scope. Step 5 — Diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medications are also physician functions. A midwife may administer certain medications within protocols (e.g., oxytocin, MgSO4 loading dose for referral), but independent prescription is not part of the midwifery scope.

Answer: A. Conducting a normal spontaneous vaginal delivery of a low-risk woman

Step 1 — Recall the core rule: A midwife's independent scope under RA 7392 covers NORMAL, low-risk maternal and newborn care. Step 2 — Option A is correct because conducting a normal spontaneous vaginal delivery is the signature act of midwifery practice. Step 3 — Option B is wrong: caesarean section is a surgical procedure that only a physician can perform; it is always beyond a midwife's scope. Step 4 — Option C is wrong: severe pre-eclampsia is a high-risk complication that must be referred, not managed independently by the midwife. Step 5 — Option D is wrong: prescribing antibiotics is a medical act that falls under the Practice of Medicine, not midwifery.

Answer: B. Stabilise the patient and refer immediately to a physician or hospital

Step 1 — Identify the problem: BP of 170/110 mmHg with severe headache and blurred vision are classic signs of severe pre-eclampsia, a HIGH-RISK complication. Step 2 — The midwife's duty is the 'recognise-and-refer' principle — detect the abnormal and hand it off in time. Step 3 — Option B is correct: stabilise first (position, maintain airway, keep calm) then refer promptly. Step 4 — Option A is wrong: ignoring danger signs violates the midwife's legal and ethical duty and could lead to eclampsia (seizures) and maternal death. Step 5 — Option C is wrong: independently administering MgSO4 and managing the delivery goes beyond the midwife's legal scope. Option D addresses only a partial assessment and ignores the emergency at hand.