ALE ROOM ASSIGNMENTS January 2026 Architect

MANILA – The path to professional architecture in the Philippines sharpens into focus as the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) officially released the long-anticipated room assignments for the January 2026 Architect Licensure Examination (ALE). Marking a pivotal moment for thousands of candidates, this announcement sets the stage for the rigorous two-day assessment scheduled on January 20 and 22, 2026.

The examination will be conducted across a expansive national footprint, underscoring the PRC's commitment to accessibility. Aspiring architects can sit for the boards in thirteen key locations: Metro Manila (NCR), Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, and Zamboanga.

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A Canvas of Professionalism: The Mandated Dress Code

In a move emphasizing professionalism and exam integrity, the PRC has issued a precise and non-negotiable dress code. The directive calls for a uniform of focused simplicity:

Male Examinees: A plain, tuck-in polo t-shirt (without any logo) paired with comfortable, decent pants or slacks.
Female Examinees: A white blouse or shirt with a collar, worn with comfortable slack or decent pants.

This standardized attire is designed to eliminate distractions, promote equality among examinees, and maintain a serious, formal testing environment conducive to concentration.

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The Forbidden Toolkit: A Clear Border on Examination Aids

The PRC bulletin details a stringent list of prohibited items, drawing a firm boundary around permissible examination aids to safeguard the sanctity of the licensure process. Candidates are urged to review this list meticulously:

Advanced Calculators: A specific ban is placed on calculators with embedded programs, explicitly naming the CASIO FX991ES and CASIO FX-991ES plus models, or any similar device capable of storing formulas or data.

All Study Materials: Books, notes, reviewers, and any printed materials containing coded data, information, or formulas are strictly forbidden. The sole exception is the official reference: Rules VII and VIII of the 2004 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of P.D. No. 1096 (the 1977 National Building Code of the Philippines).

The Digital Blackout: The modern examinee must fully disconnect. Apple, Samsung, and all smartwatches, cellular phones, wireless earplugs (like earbuds), and any electronic communication or recording device are absolutely prohibited inside examination classrooms.

Bags of Any Kind: Examinees must make alternative arrangements, as carrying bags into the testing room is not allowed.

Unspecified Aides: A catch-all clause empowers proctors to disallow any other item not explicitly permitted in the examination program, emphasizing that only authorized materials are welcome.

Final Call to Focus

With room assignments now public, the final countdown begins for what is arguably the most significant professional hurdle for future Filipino architects. The PRC’s detailed protocols highlight an uncompromising standard for both professional decorum and academic honesty.

Examinees are strongly advised to:

Verify their specific room and school assignment on the official PRC website immediately.
Plan their travel and accommodation, considering traffic and logistics for their chosen testing location.
Assemble their allowed materials—valid IDs, official receipts, black ballpoint pens, and the permitted IRR document—well in advance.
Leave all prohibited items at home or with a companion. Storage facilities at testing venues are not guaranteed.

The January 2026 ALE represents more than an test; it is a gateway to shaping the nation’s skylines and communities. By adhering strictly to these guidelines, candidates can ensure their journey to licensure is built on a foundation of preparation, integrity, and respect for the profession they seek to join.

PROFESSIONAL REGULATORY BOARD OF ARCHITECTURE
PROGRAM FOR THE JANUARY 20 & 22, 2026 LICENSURE EXAMINATION FOR ARCHITECTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2026

7:00 A.M. - 7:45 A.M. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND FILLING- OUT OF FORMS

8:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.HISTORY & THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE, PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING & ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE........... 30%

2:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.UTILITIES, STRUCTURAL CONCEPTUALIZATION, BUILDING MATERIALS &TECHNOLOGY............... 30%

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2025

8:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. - ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND SITE

PLANNING..................................................... 40%

TOTAL 100%

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Check or verify your school/building assignments at the PRC official website (www.prc.gov.ph) or through the Notices/Announcements to be posted at the PRC premises two (2) to three (3) working days before the date of examination.

2. Report to the school/building assignment before 5:30 AM on the first day of the examination to verify your room and seat number. Be punctual. Late examinees will not be admitted.

3. Examinees are required to wear the following attire every examination day:
Male Examinees - White polo shirt with collar (without any seal, logo or mark)
Decent pants or slacks
Female Examinees - White blouse or shirt with collar (without any seal, logo or mark) Decent pants, slacks or skirts

4. Bring the following on examination day:
a. Notice of Admission
b. Official Receipt
c. One (1) piece metered-stamped window mailing envelope
d. Two (2) or more pencils (No. 2)
e. Ballpens with black ink only
f. One (1) piece long brown envelope
g. One (1) piece long transparent/plastic envelope (for keeping your valuables and other allowed
items)
h. Packed snacks, meals, and necessary medications, including hygiene and sanitary kits, in TRANSPARENT/CLEAR containers/cellophanes, with sufficient drinking water supply for the day. The proctors/room watchers shall not allow any person, including food delivery service, to give or distribute food to any examinees while the examination is in progress. Except for restroom necessities, no examinee shall be allowed to leave the examination room during the conduct of the examination
i. NON-PROGRAMMABLE CALCULATORS (Please refer to the updated Commission
Resolution No. 1809-2024 or the List of Non-Programmable Calculators allowed to
be used in the Licensure Examinations).

Note: ONLY ONE CALCULATOR SHALL BE ALLOWED INSIDE THE EXAMINATION ROOM. ALL CALCULATORS SHALL BE INSPECTED AND HAVE TO BE RESET BEFORE THE START OF THE EXAMINATION.
5. The following are PROHIBITED inside the examination premises/rooms:
a. Books, notes, review materials, and other printed materials containing coded
data/information/formula (except Rules VII and VIII of the 2004 Revised IRR of P.D. No. 1096/1977
NBCP as qualified below)
b. PROGRAMMABLE CALCULATORS
c. APPLE, SAMSUNG AND OTHER SMART WATCHES, CELLULAR PHONES, EAR PLUGS,
TRANSMITTERS, PORTABLE COMPUTERS, BLUETOOTH AND OTHER ELECTRONIC
GADGETS/DEVICES WHICH MAY BE USED TO RETRIEVE DATA/INFORMATION AND/OR
TO COMMUNICATE FOR WHATEVER PURPOSES
d. Bags of any kind (ladies bag, shoulder bags, attache case, backpacks, etc.)
e. Other examination aides not stated on this program.
The rules on the conduct of bodily search, inspection of personal belongings of the examinees, and the
seizure/confiscation of prohibited items during the licensure exam (Annex A of PRC Memorandum Order No. 57 (s. 2020) shall be strictly observed.
6. Examinees and examination personnel are encouraged to observe the minimum health standards per DOH Circular No. 0324 (s. 2023)1 throughout the conduct of the examination.
7. Read carefully and follow the instructions on your NOTICE OF ADMISSION.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:
1. On the second day of the examination (January 22, 2026), every candidate is required to bring the
following:
a. architect scales (English and Metric Scales)
b. 30 x 60 and 45 degree triangles
c. protractors
d. NON-PROGRAMMABLE CALCULATOR
e. pencils, drawing pens, erasers, and other tools for sketching purposes
f. graphing paper or bond paper
g. printed copy of Rules VII and VIII of the 2004 Revised IRR of P.D. No. 1096 or the “1977
National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP)”. The printed copy shall be subject to
inspection during the examination. This will be confiscated in the event that any markings
are found thereon.
h. all PAPERS such as graphing papers, bond papers, printed copy of Rules VII and VIII etc., shall
be surrendered to the room watchers after conduct of examination. No papers of whatever form or
type (both for Day 1 and 2) shall be allowed to be brought out of the examination room by the
examinee.

NOTE: PERSONAL BELONGINGS BROUGHT BY AN EXAMINEE SHALL BE FOR HIS/HER OWNACCOUNT. THE PRC WILL NOT BE ANSWERABLE FOR ANY SUCH ITEM OR PERSONAL BELONGING THAT MIGHT BE LOST DURING THE EXAM WITHOUT FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE ON ITS PART.

Manila, Philippines
November 12, 2025
APPROVED:
ROBERT M. MIRAFUENTE
Chairperson
CERTIFIED CORRECT:
Atty. Lovelika T. Bautista
Chief, PRB Secretariat Division

I. LEGAL BASES:

Republic Act No. 89811 mandates the Professional Regulatory Boards (Boards) to regulate the practice of their professions in accordance with the provisions of their respective professional regulatory laws. Corollary to the Boards’ regulatory mandate is the power to admit or exclude certain individuals from the practice. The Boards are, as such, vested with the power and duty to hear and investigate cases arising from violations of the professional regulatory laws, rules and regulations, including violations of the general and special instructions to examinees, among others.2 Incidental in the implementation of security measures during the conduct of the licensure exams is the inspection of the examinees and the personal belongings that they bring inside the exam venues. While the Constitution guarantees the right of an individual against unreasonable searches and seizures, it does not forbid those which are carried out for valid reasons and in a lawful manner. There are at least two (2) justifications that will uphold the reasonableness of the bodily search and inspection of the personal belongings of examinees, namely: to ensure the safety of the examinees and the exam personnel and to safeguard the integrity of the licensure exams.

II. DEFINITION OF TERMS:

As used in this Memorandum Order, the following terminologies shall be construed to
mean as:
a. Moral Turpitude refers to an act of baseness, vileness, or depravity in the private
and social duties which a man owes to his fellowmen, or to the society in general,
contrary to the accepted and customary rule of right and duty between men and
conduct that is contrary to justice, modesty, or good morals.3

b. Cheating refers to any act or omission which is designed or calculated to impair
the integrity and credibility of the licensure exam, and which shall include but not
be limited to the following:
 Impersonation or employing another person to take the exam in
his/her behalf;
 leakage of exam questions, including the act of taking out from the exam room any question in the exam, copying and/or divulging the content of the exam to any individual or entity;
 collusion with any exam personnel of the Commission or third person
for the purpose of obtaining favorable results in the exam or gaining
access thereto through illegal means;
 possession or use of codigo, crib sheets or other exam paraphernalia such as books, notes, review materials, and other printed materials containing principles or excerpts thereof, coded
data/information/formula that are not authorized by the Board; prohibited calculators (including programmable calculators, calculators with embedded functions and specific calculator models
as may be prescribed by the Board); cellular phones; Bluetooth earplugs; transmitters; beepers; smart watches; portable computers or other similar electronic gadgets/devices which have photographic
features or which are capable of communicating or transmitting information;
 passing of notes or other suspicious objects to other examinees during the exam;
 engaging in conversation, including helping or asking help from any person, by means of words, signs, gestures, codes and other similar acts in the course of the exam for no valid reason;
 copying or referring to any solution, answer or work of another
examinee or allowing another examinee to copy or refer to his/her solution, answer or work;
 employing fraud in accomplishing and/or submitting exam records
(includes tampering of exam records/documents, attaching fake picture in the seat plan, etc.);
 switching of exam papers and/or seats or examinee number switching;
 making or leaving any distinguishing mark in the exam answer sheet;
 continuous answering of the exam after the announcement by the proctor that the time is up; and
 giving or receiving money, food or any consideration for the purpose of extending undue favor, advantage or treatment to any examinee.

c. Prohibited Acts refer to those acts which may not qualify as cheating as defined in
these guidelines but by themselves constitute violation of the exam rules and regulations:
 Bringing of deadly weapons inside the exam venue. The prohibition applies even to those who have permits to carry firearms outside of their residence;
 Bringing and/or drinking alcoholic drinks and/or smoking cigarettes within the premises of the exam venue;
 Entering the exam venue under the influence of liquor, illegal drugs or other intoxicating substance;
 Accepting or receiving anything, including food, from any person while the exam is in progress;
 Loitering, talking or discussing the test questions and/or answers inside
or near the exam room which tend to distract or disturb the conduct of the exam;Engaging in any violent, indecent, disorderly, threatening or offensive behavior or language (e.g. bullying, harassment, etc.) within the exam premises, whether directed to a co-examinee or exam personnel, while the exam is ongoing; and

 other analogous acts.

It is understood that the acts or omissions defined in Part II (b) and (c) hereof may be committed by any examinee, exam personnel or person/entity not necessarily connected with the Commission or the conduct of the licensure exam.

III. EXAM MEASURES:

Exam Measures shall refer to those actions which may be taken or resorted to by the
Boards when circumstances arise that could materially affect the eligibility of an
examinee or registrant to be admitted to the exam or the practice, as the case may be.

A. Before the Licensure Exam

Admission to the licensure exam shall be based on strict compliance with the qualification requirements under the pertinent professional regulatory law and issuances of the Board concerned. In no case shall a Notice of Admission (NOA) be issued without validation of the examinee’s qualifications by the
application processor, issuing officer and, in appropriate cases, the Board. In case there will be an issue4 on the propriety of the admission of an examinee to the licensure exam after his/her NOA has been issued, he/she shall be required to submit his/her answer or explanation within three (3) days from notice but in no case later than the finalization of the room and seating assignment. Failure of the applicant to answer within the prescribed time or when the answer or explanation offered is not satisfactory, the Board shall order for the cancellation of the examinee’s NOA. Once the room and seating assignment have been finalized, any such issue raised against an examinee shall not be a ground to prevent him/her from taking the examination. This is however without prejudice to such other action that the Board may take with respect to his/her exam after investigation.Mere pendency of a legal case shall not cause the disqualification of an examinee from taking the licensure exam or the cancellation of the NOA that has been issued to such examinee, except when:

 the case involves an act of cheating or a violation of the exam rules and regulations as herein defined or which relates to the practice of the profession (e. g. illegal practice); and
 there is already a formal case lodged with the Commission or the courts, as the case may be, against the examinee at the time of filing of the application for the examination.

B. During the Licensure Exam

If in the course of the exam, an examinee is reported to have committed an act of cheating or a violation of any of the exam rules and regulations as herein defined, the exam personnel shall prepare an incident report, using the prescribed template, for submission to the Board. The examinee shall be allowed to continue with the exam but will be advised that he/she cannot take the next exam subject (if
applicable). He/she shall likewise be informed that the incident will be subjected to formal investigation.

ALE ROOM ASSIGNMENTS January 2026 Architect

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