PRC ALE study guide
PRC ALE · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Architect Licensure Examination (ALE) is the Philippine board examination administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) through the Professional Regulatory Board of Architecture. Passing it, together with the PRC's other registration requirements, is the route to becoming a licensed architect and lawfully using the title Architect in the Philippines. The PRC ALE study guide has 6 sections and about 1,989 words.
01History and Theory of Architecture
History items in the ALE are largely recall: name the period, the movement, the architect, or the building. Sort your memory chronologically.
328 words, about 2 min02Principles of Planning
Almost every planning question is answered by PD 1096 (National Building Code) and its 2005 IRR, the local zoning ordinance derived from the CLUP, BP 344 (Accessibility Law) and RA 9514 (Fire Code). Learn the vocabulary precisely: allowable maximum building footprint , percentage of site occupancy (PSO) , impervious surface area (ISA) , floor area ratio (FAR) , building height limit (BHL) , and the required yards/setbacks for front, side and rear.
340 words, about 2 min03Architectural Design and Site Planning
Expect items on the design sequence: pre-design (site and program analysis), schematic design, design development, contract documents, bidding, construction, post-occupancy. Know the tools of each: the program , the adjacency matrix (which spaces must be near or apart), the bubble diagram , the zoning/blocking diagram , and the parti .
323 words, about 2 min04Structural Design
The structural items are conceptual rather than computational, but the vocabulary is exact. Governing reference: NSCP 2015.
311 words, about 2 min05Building Materials and Construction
Know Ordinary Portland Cement types: Type I general, II moderate sulfate resistance, III high early strength, IV low heat of hydration, V high sulfate resistance. Concrete is specified by f′c at 28 days, with the water–cement ratio controlling strength and durability and the slump test controlling workability at placement.
336 words, about 2 min06Professional Practice
RA 9266 (Architecture Act of 2004) and its IRR govern practice. Administering bodies: the PRC and the Professional Regulatory Board of Architecture (PRBoA).
351 words, about 2 min