Ultimate Guide: How to Pass Board Licensure Exam?

How to pass the board or licensure exam? A question that is as tricky as passing or failing the test.

Talking vaguely, if the examinee comes prepared mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, the majority will say, “nothing to worry about.” Just wait for the announcement of results, with confidence that your name is included in the list of passers, or if you’re much luckier, also in the list of topnotchers.

But the main questions remain: How should one prepare? What does one need to do to be called a “Licensed Professional”? What is the formula for acing the board examinations?

Nobody knows the answers except those who have already overcome the sleepless nights that accompany preparation, review, and waiting for exam results.

We ran a call from our Facebook Page members (mostly PRC board passers and previous examinees) on their ideas, tips, and suggestions on how to pass the board licensure examination. First-timers will learn from this ultimate guide. Here are the tips on passing the board exams, in no particular order.

SEE ALSO: How does an Examinee Prepare for the Board Exam?

1. Set your mind that you are taking the exam.

“Review only when your mind is ready, do not push yourself too hard. I adhered to that while having my self-review and along the process, I learned to control pressure and master focus. Of course I prayed a lot. I didn’t settle to trusting my self alone, I held onto Him and it gave me enough confidence to pass the exam.” – Jek Rebancos

2. Have a self discipline.

“As much as possible get rid of distractions like social media. Free yourself from negativism. Be optimistic. Humble yourself. Be open to new knowledge and don’t act that you know everything. Don’t be easily discouraged. Accept the fact that there are people better than you. Just be yourself. To God be the glory!” – Hannah Elizabeth Caintic 

3. Be resourceful in having review materials.

“If you are in a tight budget and cannot afford to send yourself to a review center, I suggest to barrow a reviewer from your friends and set a time table when to review. Do it as your daily routine ,just keep on reading and practicing it. Surely you can pass, that’s what I did.” – Phil De Souza

“I would like to encourage those who can’t afford to pay review centers like me to take a risk. Ask them if you can borrow and photocopy their notes and books, focus on your major ????, don’t force yourself to review when you’re not in mood, always eat chocolates but not too much, avoid bad vibes, do pre-test, read read read, then post test, then read again, then post test again, (biggest tip for self reviews, join group reviews, it is the main reason why i passed the LET) and most of all pray to our Almighty God, seek him with all your heart and he will grant your dream” – John Francis Masmela Ortiz 

4. Preparation is always the key.

“Preparing for a licensure examination is tough. To succeed, you need to be prepared by reviewing and taking care of yourself holistically. Eat healthy and exercise. Physical activity is important to prevent sickness and ensure your body is well-oxygenated. Our brain needs more oxygen to function properly. Aim for the top. Your goal should be to top the examination not only to pass it. If you aim higher, you will review even harder. Remember, it wouldn’t hurt to want to be on top because if you fail, you’re sure to pass. Take practice tests every day. This will not only improve your test-taking strategies but will also prepare you for the long hours of the actual examination. Don’t forget to take a break. Always dedicate a day to pampering yourself. Read a book, watch a movie, and play sports with your friends! Reward yourself for the hard work you do on your reviews. This can help you breathe and prevent burnout. Lastly, and the most important thing to remember, Pray. Pray not only to pass the examination but pray for God to sustain you while reviewing and give you the strength and wisdom in taking the examination.” – Raizelyn Guinto Nagallo

“Mental hygiene first.Practice EFT emotional freedom technique to shed off anxiety. Aim for an A so study for an A.  Study smart. Write key concepts, our memory receptors are in our fingerstips. I have notebook for each subject….PRAY and Novena.” – LeyYah Bautista

“Study hard but not too hard. You can start alloting an hour per day then gradually increase it. Find your peak time, think of your reasons. Lastly, pray that you’ll be granted with the blessing to pass the boards cause He knows that you did your part as well.” – Kristhyl Mae Caneda

“Study well. As a passer who self-reviewed, I forced myself to study-memorize and familiriaze- all possible questions. During the exam, I wasn’t nervous at all because I also prayed to Him to guide me. There were difficult questions but always have sound bases in selecting your answers. Be calm so you can think clearly. The right answer will show itself to you.” – Zeus Ian A. Duarte

Passing the board exam isn’t like winning in the lotto where you just bet for your favorite numbers without taking so much effort. Preparation is always the key. – Anonymous

5. Review and keep on reading.

“Don’t end the day without reading some of your notes. Keep on reading and reading… work for it. Do that as your daily routine.Work for it as if everything depends on work and pray harder as if everything depends on prayer. Remember 1% is your effort on reading and 99% is prayer.” – Krys Tal 

“There’s no exact routine that someone can give to another because we all have different ways to be efficient and effective but maybe the basic of it all would be, 1. If you’re not confident enough with your foundation after graduation, go for a reputable review center because they could give you better handouts and lecturers. 2. Your focus on the review will come naturally and other pressures will fade away as you go on by so don’t be afraid, just study. Exception is, you don’t want to pass the board exam or you have too much distractions in your head. 3. Enjoy the review process. How? You do what makes you happy. Social media, eating, watching tv shows, etc. and simultaneously, study for the board exam. When you feel like studying, study and when you feel tired and you want to do your hobbies, then do them. Unless, you’re that serious like you want to top the board. It’s your call. 4. I am not for praying but to tell you, I did pray the evening before the exam date. So pray that you’ll be given peace of mind and that nothing else would hinder you from answering the exams.” – Lorence Dave De Castro 

“Your brain is your primary weapon in this battle. Be sure that it is well fed. Supply your brain with nutritious foods you eat and drink a lot of water to keep you hydrated. Don’t forget to pray, it is very powerful indeed.” – Vindell Singco

“We have 24 hours a day, divide it by 3, 8 hours for sleep, 8 hours for other things and another 8 hours for reviewing/studying/solving. Use your time wisely.” – Louie Albert Galila

Exam Proper. “Reading without moving your lips is better than reading aloud because you read faster. This is important especially when you take speed test like LET and Civil Service Exam.” – Abdulbasit Lain

6. Be confident and optimistic that you will make it.

“If you have a dream, go for it, hold on to it. Keep trying and don’t give up until you reach it. Always remember that there’s no limit to what you can do if you keep believing in yourself.” – Khen De Ocampo 

“Just be yourself in taking the exam and do not be too much confident because, at the end if you fail, it’s so embarrassing and its true! do whatever you can do, accept the outcome wether you pass or not, lastly, the most important thing is do not give up if you fail..Just try and try until you pass, God has its purpose for everything.” – Charmain Pinote

“Review when you feel like doing it, do not force yourself. Find your most convenient time of reviewing do not imitate others learning style, we are individually different. Before the day of the exam just relax and worry nothing, cast all your worries to the Lord. Be confident of what you know and the love of God to you. Be confident but be humble, pray for your success and your fellow takers.” – Abigale Sabado Tagala

7. Relax your body and mind and don’t be pressured.

During exam. Just relax your mind. Don’t be pressured. Consume your time wisely. Make sure that all numbers have shaded letter. Pray before you read the first question. If you are in a rush and have many questions to answer, shade only one letter for all unanswered questions. If you are a first-time taker, it’s better for you to enroll in a review center to know the do’s and don’ts during exams. You also need to be knowledgeable about the focused areas and possible questions. Above these, all have faith in God. He will guide you during the exam. God is the best! Trust him – Joy Ann Advento 

Schedule the time on what subjects to review, divide the time according to the weights of the subjects. If your body and heart doesn’t feel like reviewing, don’t. Don’t push yourself, it would be useless. Don’t be pressured by your peers, you know your learning style. For once in a while, take breaks. Eat, sleep, do nothing, our body and mind needs rest and treats too, it can also help you emotionally. The Law of Attraction, positive thoughts lead to positive outcomes. And just keep the faith and always pray. Keep yourself healthy holistically. – Schwyn Sagosa Sarabia

8. Always be humble.

“How to attain success? Pray to God, never pull other people down, never think that life is a competition, help, coordinate and cooperate, put your feet on the ground, remember where you came from, give yourself a break, remember that there are a lot of people behind you, cheering for you. Believe that with God nothing is impossible and never give up.” – Randolf Pad Re Quitevis 

9. Know a little bit of everything

“Not everything you studied in the review center comes out in the actual board exams, so it is important that you have an idea of everything. Always go back to your foundations. The questions are purely basic but too hard to comprehend.

In answering, eliminate the two obviously wrong choices first, so you have a 50% chance of getting the correct answer. When choosing between the two remaining answers, always choose the one that is completely and closely related. (This applies when you don’t know the topic.) The bottom line is: Always know the basic concept of the topic.

On the day of the board exam, pray first. Be early in the testing site. Tone down your anxiety by smiling or praying in your seat. Avoid unnecessary talks with people who release their anxiety because anxiety is contagious. Follow instructions. Be careful with your answer sheet. Read the question carefully as much as possible. Read it louder where you can hear it, so the comprehension is better, but not loud enough that it may disturb others. As much as possible, rationalize your answer if unsure. Don’t change your first answer. (Especially if it is a guess) Your first answer is an instinct, an answer that your brain remembers. Trust your instincts. Answer that is closely related to the question. Encircle the clue words, and underline the main question in the question.

If nerves attack while answering, pause for a minute, take a deep breath, and answer again. Focus is much needed. Avoid questioning the question. To avoid sleepiness, don’t lean on the back of the chair as much as possible. Seat only leaning on your arm but not on your back. Have your watch facing you so you can monitor the time. Lastly, pray before passing your sheet and in all circumstances. Because in the end, only God will determine if you will pass or not. Always answer within the concept, and you can never go wrong.” – Fam Fam

10. Know the methods of previous passers.

“One of the best methods that I’ve learned is to look not for the answer right away. Try to look first for the wrong choices. Because if you know what is wrong from the choices then there will a greater chance that you can get the correct answer. Aside from that, weigh your answer. If you don’t know the answer, follow your guts. Follow what your heart is saying because most of the time it is correct. The most important thing is that you should have faith. Have faith in your self that you can, don’t ever doubt and have faith in God. He will help us. He will give us what we ask for. He will always be there for us. Just pray and believe.” – Samantha Castillo Escabosa

11. Don’t forget to pray.

“Prayer is the key. I don’t really have time to study that much because of my hectic schedule. But one thing that I never forgotten — to PRAY. Humbling myself in front of the Lord admitting that I cannot pass the exam without His mercy and by surrendering everything in His hands.” – Christine Carino Latuga

“Seek the Lord’s guidance. Pray before, during and after the exam. Believe in God that you can do it, believe also in yourself. Stay fit. Eat healthy and rich in protein foods, stay out of junk food and soft drinks while reviewing and sleep early, wake up early.  Focus. Put your mind in the present situation and always remind yourself of your goal, to pass the board exam.  Laugh. Loosen up and give yourself sometime to recreate like watch a comedy show, listen to comforting music or play small games.Comprehend. Understand what you’re reading don’t just memorize but find creative ways to remember easily what you already studied. like mnemonics. As long as you put your mind into it, you can do it. What the mind conceive the body achieves.”  – Keziah Galay

“First, pray before anything else. Discipline yourself to focus on the subjects that you are weak. Clear up your mind by not thinking stressful events in your life. Have a balanced diet. Make friends because laughter is the best medicine and most of all enjoy yourself reading a lot of books that can add knowledge to your brain.” – Rachel Padron

“Ask it from our Savior. Don’t let your plans, dreams and goals be the like instead make it happen, turn it into reality. Be optimistic and prayerful at all times. Keep the faith, positive attitude and tenacity burning. If u really want to pass or more than that, dont waste time. Prepare now! In the end, if it is yours, it will always be yours.” – Qarlisle Blü

“Be physically, mentally, emotionally, and most especially spiritually ready. No challenges are big if you let God handle your fears. Train and discipline yourself to be devoted and motivated in passing the exam look for something or someone that inspires you the most to do what it takes to pass.” – Arlene Grace Castro

“Never give up. Pray to God” – Alma Cailo Egot

Share us your tips

You may agree or disagree to these ideas but if you have reactions or something to share, feel free to use the comment box below.