Senate bill seeks free board, bar exams for qualified indigents

Qualified indigents may soon be exempted from paying board and bar examination fees under Senate Bill No. 2035, or the proposed "Free Professional Examinations Act,” filed by Senator Erwin Tulfo.

The measure aims to ease the financial burden on Filipinos seeking professional licenses by removing examination fees, which Tulfo said often prevent graduates from pursuing careers aligned with their education.

“It is a reality for many Filipinos to finish school but never get the license they worked hard for due to a lack of funds. Instead of paying for licensure exam fees, they tend to start working—often becoming underemployed—just to get by,” Tulfo said in a statement on Sunday.

The proposed law would cover:

• Licensure examinations administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)
• Civil service eligibility examinations conducted by the Civil Service Commission (CSC)
• Bar examinations

To avail of the benefit, applicants must present a certificate of indigency from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in lieu of examination fees.

Under the bill, qualified indigents may avail of free examinations once a year.

For 2026, PRC examination fees range from P900 to P1,300. The Supreme Court currently sets the Bar examination fee at P12,800, while the CSC charges P500 for civil service examinees.—MCG, GMA News