A board exam is the PRC licensure examination you must pass to practice a regulated profession. Most board exams are held once or twice a year and last one to three days.
Common board exams:
- LET (Licensure Examination for Teachers) — twice a year (March and September in 2026)
- NLE (Nurse Licensure Examination) — twice a year (February and August in 2026)
- CPALE (CPA Licensure Examination) — twice a year (May and October in 2026)
- Engineering boards (CELE, ME, ECE, REE) — twice a year each
- CLE (Criminologist Licensure Examination) — twice a year
- PhLE (Pharmacist Licensure Examination) — twice a year
Passing rules are set by each profession's law, so they differ:
- LET: 75% general average, no test below 50%
- NLE: 75% general average, no test below 60%
- CPALE: 75% general average, no subject below 65%
- Most engineering boards: 70% (ECE needs 70% in each subject)
Recent pass rates also vary widely — for example, 56.03% for LET Elementary (March 2026), 76.69% for the NLE (August 2026) and 30.83% for the CPALE (May 2026).
What it means for you:
- Know your board's exact passing rule — the subject floor matters as much as the average
- You can retake a board exam if you don't pass
- Passing and registering makes you a licensed professional in your field