The MTLE explained7-minute readFor graduates planning their sitting
The MTLE schedule and exam day: dates, timetable and checklist
The MTLE schedule explained: two sittings a year, the two-day timetable of six papers, the exam-day checklist and how to plan backwards from your date.
The MTLE schedule has two parts that people mix up: when the sittings happen in the year, and how the two exam days are laid out. For 2026, PRC listed a March sitting and an August sitting, and a recent program shows three papers a day over two days.
This post gives the 2026 dates and filing windows from PRC, the timetable and checklist from a recent program, and a way to plan backwards from your date. It also says what we do not know, including any dates beyond the ones PRC has published.
What is the MTLE schedule for the year?
PRC's 2026 schedule lists the MTLE twice: 5 to 6 March (Thursday and Friday) and 15 to 16 August (Saturday and Sunday). This comes from PRC's 2026 Schedule of Examination, which also gives the filing windows.
| Sitting | Exam dates | Days | Filing window |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | 5 to 6 March | Thursday and Friday | 5 December 2025 to 3 February 2026 |
| August 2026 | 15 to 16 August | Saturday and Sunday | 15 May to 17 July 2026 |
The same pattern, a March and an August sitting, appears in PRC's results releases from 2023 through 2026. Your own application deadline is the filing window for your sitting, so check PRC's page before you assume a date. The original text of RA 5527 describes one annual examination in August or September, which is not how the sittings run today.
We have no PRC dates for later sittings in our sources, so none are stated here.
Where are MTLE examinees assigned?
PRC's 2026 schedule lists sixteen testing venues for the MTLE: NCR, Baguio, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Koronadal, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga.
That is a long list compared with the single sitting in three cities that RA 5527's original text describes, so the statute's wording should not be read as today's arrangement. Your assigned room and venue come from PRC's notice of admission and room assignments for your sitting.
The page does not state a computer-based format for the MTLE, and nothing in our sources says one way or the other. We therefore do not describe the format beyond the timetable below. If you need to know how answers are recorded, read the PRC instructions issued for your own sitting.
What is the two-day MTLE timetable?
A recent program shows three 2-hour papers on each of two days. The timetable below is from the August 2025 sitting as relayed by Exams Pinas, a secondary source that says it passes on PRC guidelines. It is not an official 2026 rule.
| Day | 8:00 to 10:00 AM | 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM | 2:00 to 4:00 PM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Clinical Chemistry | Microbiology and Parasitology | Clinical Microscopy |
| Day 2 | Hematology | Blood Banking and Serology | Histopathologic Techniques, Medical Technology Laws and Ethics |
The same source lists general instructions at 7:00 to 7:45 AM. The statute's own name for the last paper is "Histopathologic Technique", in Section 17 of RA 5527, where the weights are also set. Our subjects and weights post covers what each paper is worth.
What should you bring on exam day?
The recent program, as relayed by Exams Pinas, lists these items: two pencils, a black-ink ballpen, a long brown envelope, a long transparent plastic envelope and one non-programmable calculator that is inspected and reset. It also said to report before 5:30 AM on day 1.
| Bring | Notes from that program |
|---|---|
| Two pencils | Listed as required |
| Black-ink ballpen | Listed as required |
| Long brown envelope | Listed as required |
| Long transparent plastic envelope | Listed as required |
| One non-programmable calculator | Inspected and reset |
The same program prohibited books, review materials, programmable calculators, smartwatches, mobile phones, bags and other unauthorized aids. That is a list for a recent sitting, relayed by a secondary source. PRC's own program and notice of admission for your sitting are the rules that apply.
How do you plan backwards from your sitting date?
Start from the exam date, subtract your filing deadline, then fill the remaining weeks with subject blocks and full rehearsals. For an August sitting, PRC's 2026 filing window closed on 17 July, which is about four weeks before the exam, so documents come first and study intensity second.
A workable sequence has four stages:
- Confirm the filing window on PRC's page and gather your documents early.
- Spend the first two-thirds of your review on subject blocks, weighted by the subject percentages.
- Spend the next stretch sitting full two-day rehearsals, three 2-hour papers a day.
- Taper in the final week and protect your sleep.
The 12-week study plan puts weeks against each stage. TerumoEdge's five board-length sets of 100 items per subject, which are the product's design, give you enough to rehearse each paper more than once. Try the free demo first.
What does a sample exam-day morning look like?
Work backwards from the reporting time. The recent program says to report before 5:30 AM on day 1, with general instructions at 7:00 to 7:45 AM and the first paper at 8:00 AM. That leaves a long wait before the first question, so plan for it.
Here is a structural example, not a PRC rule. Pack the night before and lay out the envelopes, pencils, pen and calculator in one place. Sleep early, eat something familiar, and leave home with time to spare for travel to your assigned venue. Bring nothing from the prohibited list, so you do not spend the morning arguing at the gate.
On arrival, check your room assignment and settle. Use the wait to breathe and not to cram, since books and review materials were prohibited in that program anyway. Rehearse the morning once at home, including the alarm, the route and the meal, so that day 1 holds no surprises beyond the exam itself.
How do you stay steady across both days?
Treat day 1 and day 2 as one job with a night between them. Three 2-hour papers back to back is a long day, and the second morning begins with Hematology at 8:00 AM on the recent program.
Practise the shape, not just the content. Sit one paper at the real time of day, eat the way you plan to on exam day, and rehearse the break between the 1:00 PM end of one paper and the 2:00 PM start of the next. The last paper of the day starts after a full morning of work, so train for that slot on purpose.
Between the two days, rest and avoid reopening the whole of day 1. A short review of the next morning's subject is enough. Our test anxiety post covers a reset routine for the moments when focus breaks.
What happens after the second day?
Results come out a few working days after the last exam day. PRC's August 2026 release says results were out in five working days, and its March 2026 release says three. Both are linked from our passing rates post.
After results, PRC's releases mention online registration for the ID and certificate. For August 2026 it opened on 15 September 2026, and for March 2026 on 14 April 2026. Those are dates for those sittings and not a promise for yours.
Plan the waiting days. Do not schedule a job start, a trip or a celebration that depends on the outcome, and do not spend the days reopening every item you doubted. If you need something to do, rest, and decide in advance who will check the PRC page with you. If the result is short of passing, the passing score post explains the rule you will be measured against.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next MTLE?
Our sources show only PRC's 2026 sittings: 5 to 6 March and 15 to 16 August. They show no dates for later sittings, and we do not state any. Check PRC's schedule of examinations for the next published dates and filing windows.
How many days is the MTLE?
Two days. PRC's 2026 schedule lists each sitting over two consecutive dates, and a recent program shows three 2-hour papers on each day, six in total. Confirm the timetable in the PRC program for your sitting.
What should I bring to the MTLE?
A recent program, relayed by the secondary site Exams Pinas, lists two pencils, a black-ink ballpen, a long brown envelope, a long transparent plastic envelope and one non-programmable calculator. Follow the PRC program and your notice of admission for your own sitting.
Are phones allowed in the MTLE room?
The recent program relayed by Exams Pinas listed mobile phones among the prohibited items, along with books, review materials, smartwatches and bags. That is a secondary source about one sitting, so check PRC's instructions for yours.
Sources
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About this article
Written by the TerumoEdge editorial team, who build the TerumoEdge MTLE Ex-Sim. Exam facts are checked against RA 5527, the Philippine Medical Technology Act of 1969, Professional Regulatory Board of Medical Technology resolutions and PRC announcements, and every article lists its sources. How we write and check our articles.
First published .