What is the Civil Engineering Board Exam?
The Civil Engineer Licensure Examination (CELE) is the PRC board exam every civil engineering graduate must pass to become a registered civil engineer. It is given by the Board of Civil Engineering under RA 544, the Civil Engineering Law, usually twice a year. It has three problem-solving subjects taken over two days.
The exam format
| Licensing body | PRC, Board of Civil Engineering |
|---|---|
| Law | RA 544 (Civil Engineering Law, 1950), as amended |
| Subjects and weights | Principles of Structural Analysis and Design 35%; Applied Mathematics, Surveying, Transportation and Highway Engineering, and Construction Management and Methods 35%; Hydraulics and Principles of Geotechnical Engineering 30% (PRC exam programme, September 2026) |
| Schedule | Two days; recent sittings were in March and September 2026 |
| To pass | Commonly reported as a 70% general weighted average, with no subject below 50%. Check the current PRC exam programme. |
| Who may take it | A Filipino citizen at least 21 years old, of good reputation and moral character, and a graduate of a four-year civil engineering course from a recognised school (RA 544, Section 12) |
| Recent results | September 2026: 17,062 examinees, 6,337 successful. March 2026: 18,370 examinees, 6,438 successful. |
What the exam covers
- Applied mathematics: algebra, trigonometry, analytic geometry, calculus, differential equations, statistics and engineering economy.
- Surveying: levelling, taping corrections, traverse computations, areas, stadia and horizontal curves.
- Transportation and highway engineering: stopping sight distance, superelevation, vertical curves, traffic flow and pavements.
- Construction management and methods: CPM and PERT scheduling, estimating, equipment output, concrete practice and procurement.
- Hydraulics: fluid statics, buoyancy, continuity, Bernoulli, pipe friction, open channels, pumps and the rational method.
- Geotechnical engineering: phase relationships, Atterberg limits, permeability, effective stress, bearing capacity, earth pressure and consolidation.
- Structural analysis and design: beam and truss analysis, stresses, columns, and reinforced concrete and steel design under the NSCP 2015.
Free official resources, and what we add
The PRC publishes the exam programme, schedules and results, and RA 544 is free on lawphil.net. The NSCP 2015 is published by the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines. There is no official question bank. We add 114 original practice problems written and checked against the exam coverage and the NSCP, with every calculation worked out step by step.
How to prepare
- Start with the free 5-question sample to see the style.
- Learn the core formulas until they are automatic, then practise them in timed sets.
- Give structural design the time it needs: it carries 35% of the rating.
- Know your NSCP 2015 numbers: load combinations, strength reduction factors, β1, minimum steel and concrete cover.
- Watch your units. Most wrong answers come from mixing kN and N, or metres and millimetres.
- Take timed mock exams in the final weeks and review the working of every miss.
Practice questions with answers
Tap a question to see the correct answer and explanation.
Given y = 3x⁴ − 2x² + 5, what is dy/dx at x = 1?
- 10
- 8
- 6
- 12
Answer: B, 8. dy/dx = 12x³ − 4x. At x = 1: 12 − 4 = 8. 12 forgets the −4x term, and 6 is the value of y − 0 at x = 1 (3 − 2 + 5 = 6). Source: PRC CE exam coverage (Applied Mathematics, Surveying, Transportation and Highway Engineering, Construction Management and Methods); differential calculus, power rule.
A backsight of 1.250 m is taken on a benchmark of elevation 100.000 m, then a foresight of 2.430 m on point P. What is the elevation of P?
- 103.680 m
- 98.820 m
- 101.180 m
- 98.750 m
Answer: B, 98.820 m. Height of instrument HI = BM elevation + BS = 100.000 + 1.250 = 101.250 m. Elevation of P = HI − FS = 101.250 − 2.430 = 98.820 m. 103.680 m adds the foresight instead of subtracting it. Source: PRC CE exam coverage (Applied Mathematics, Surveying, Transportation and Highway Engineering, Construction Management and Methods); differential levelling.
A car travels at 80 km/h on a level road. With a perception-reaction time of 2.5 s and a coefficient of friction of 0.30, what is the stopping sight distance?
- About 56 m
- About 84 m
- About 168 m
- About 140 m
Answer: D, About 140 m. v = 80 / 3.6 = 22.22 m/s. Reaction distance = 22.22 x 2.5 = 55.6 m. Braking distance = v² / (2gf) = 22.22² / (2 x 9.81 x 0.30) = 493.8 / 5.886 = 83.9 m. SSD = 55.6 + 83.9 = 139.5 m, about 140 m. 84 m and 56 m are the two parts on their own. Source: PRC CE exam coverage (Applied Mathematics, Surveying, Transportation and Highway Engineering, Construction Management and Methods); stopping sight distance.