Licensure examinations for 15 professions scheduled to be held in the last quarter of the year have been moved back by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to 2021.
The decision, which is expected to affect around 65,000 aspiring professionals, was made amid the prevailing nationwide community quarantine due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has restrained public movement and gatherings.
In an SMS, PRC Chairman Teofilo S. Pilando Jr. told the BusinessMirror the rescheduling was based on the recommendation of concerned Professional Regulatory Boards and stakeholders “due to lack of time to prepare for exams because of the community quarantines.”
He also noted the safety of the examinees and PRC personnel, as well as the “complexity of exam administration due to guidelines adopted against Covid-19” were also taken into consideration for the resetting of the exam dates.
Among the exams which will be affected by the new development are those for chemical engineers (October 2, 3, and 4, 2020); naval architects and marine engineers (October 6, 7, and 8, 2020); metallurgical engineers (October 6, 7, and 8, 2020); certified public accountants (October 10, 11, and 17, 2020); optometrists (written: October 13, 14,and 15, 2020) (practical: October 18, 19, 20 and 21, 2020); ocular pharmacologists (October 13, 2020); chemists (October 20 and 21, 2020); chemical technicians (October 22, 2020); electronic engineers (October 24 and 25, 2020); electronic technicians (October 26, 2020); geodetic engineers (October 28 and 29, 2020); fisheries technologists (October 28 and 29, 2020).
The test for customs brokers (November 4 and 5, 2020) and agriculturists (November, 10, 11, and 12, 2020) will also be affected by the new arrangement.
“The examinees are advised to check the PRC web site and social-media accounts for important updates,” PRC said in its advisory.
For additional inquiries on changes on the dates of the said exams, applicants could send an e-mail to PRC Licensure Division at licensure.office@prc.gov.ph and licensure.division@prc.gov.ph. Samuel P. Medenilla