How to Prepare for the LEC: A 12-Week Plan
A step-by-step plan for the months before the board exam, from your first practice quiz to what to bring on exam day.
Watch for the schedule first
In 2026, the PRC gave the exam twice, in February and August. Watch prc.gov.ph for the 2027 schedule and filing deadline so you can apply on time, then use the plan below for your review.
Four steps to a better score
Know the weights
Criminal Law, Crime Detection, and Criminology are worth 20% each, so they deserve the most time. See every topic in LEC Subjects and Weights.
Find your weak spots first
Before you study anything, take a short quiz in every subject. Your scores show where to start, so you don't review everything equally.
Learn from every mistake
Read why the right answer is right, even when you got it. Board questions often test the same law or principle in a different way, so understanding beats memorizing.
Practice in real exam blocks
Morning subjects run 3 hours and 30 minutes, and afternoon subjects 2 hours and 30 minutes. Take each subject's mock exam in one sitting, so a full block feels normal on exam day.
A 12-week study plan
This plan fits about an hour or two of study a day. If you have more time before your exam, stretch out the middle weeks.
| Weeks | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Take a short quiz in every subject to find your weak spots. Set a weekly schedule split by subject weight. |
| 3–6 | Work through the topics of the three 20% subjects: Criminal Law and Jurisprudence, Crime Detection and Investigation, and Criminology. |
| 7–9 | Cover Law Enforcement Administration, Forensic Science, and Correctional Administration, and go back to your weakest topics. |
| 10–11 | Take the timed mock exam for each subject in its real time block, then review every question you missed. |
| 12 | Light review only. Get enough sleep, visit your testing venue, and prepare what you'll bring and wear. |
Follow this plan in the app
Topic quizzes, mastery by subject, and a timed mock exam for each subject.
Tips for each subject
Criminal Law and Jurisprudence
Know the circumstances that affect criminal liability under the Revised Penal Code (justifying, exempting, mitigating, aggravating, and alternative) and the elements of common crimes. For evidence and procedure, focus on the Rules of Court, including arrests, searches, and bail.
Law Enforcement Administration
Learn the main PNP laws: RA 6975, RA 8551, and RA 11200, which set the current police ranks. Know how the PNP, NAPOLCOM, and other agencies relate, and study RA 11917, the private security law, for industrial security.
Crime Detection and Investigation
Master crime scene procedures: search methods, sketching, and chain of custody. For legal medicine, learn the signs of death. Know RA 9165 on dangerous drugs and RA 10175 on cybercrime.
Forensic Science
Learn fingerprint patterns and ridge characteristics, the parts of a firearm and cartridge, and how questioned documents are examined. This subject rewards knowing terms, so short daily reviews work well.
Criminology
Know the major schools of thought and theories of crime, and who proposed them. For juvenile delinquency, study RA 9344, the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.
Correctional Administration
Know the difference between institutional and non-institutional correction, which agency handles which offenders (BuCor, the BJMP, and the Parole and Probation Administration), and the basics of probation and parole.
Exam-day checklist
Check your school and room assignment on the PRC website two to three working days before the exam, and visit the venue.
Report before 6:30 a.m. on the first day. Late examinees are not admitted.
Bring your Notice of Admission, at least two No. 2 pencils, and black ballpoint pens with a transparent casing. Sign pens, friction pens, and technical pens aren't allowed.
Bring a long brown envelope, and a long transparent envelope for your valuables and allowed items.
Bring an ordinary magnifying glass or a horseshoe microscope. Digital or modified magnifiers aren't allowed.
Pack your meals, snacks, medicine, and enough drinking water for the day in transparent containers.
Wear a tucked-in white collared shirt or blouse with no logo, with decent pants or slacks (or a skirt). Tie long hair in a ponytail.
Leave calculators, phones, smartwatches, earplugs, Bluetooth devices, review materials, and bags at home.
This checklist is based on the PRC's program for the August 2026 exam. Check the program for your exam, since details can change.
TOPNOTCHER LEC Reviewer is an independent reviewer and is not affiliated with the PRC or the Board of Criminology.