MANILA, Philippines – Thousands of aspiring lawyers took the 2024 Bar examinations during its first day on Sunday, September 8.
As of July, the court received a total of 12,246 applications for the exams chaired by Supreme Court Associate Justice Mario Lopez. The next set of exams will be held on Wednesday, September 11, and Sunday, September 15.
The Bar chairperson is expected to give updated numbers on Bar examinees later on Sunday.
“You’re on the brink of turning your dreams into reality. You’ve come this far because you already have what it takes. By this time, believe in the power of your preparation and the strength of your resilience and perseverance,” Lopez said in his message to the Bar takers.
“The #BarNiJLo2024 will be neither difficult nor easy; it will be ‘eksakto lang (just right).’ The exams are designed to bridge the gap between the study and the practice of law. They will guide you in your transition from law students to fundamentally ‘practice-ready’ and ‘potentially capable’ lawyers,” the Bar chairperson added.
Like in the past years, the exams remained digitized and regionalized. This year was the fourth time the exams were digitized — different from the traditional handwritten tests. Regionalization means the exams will be held in testing centers across the country.
Bar candidates took the examinations in the following local testing centers, with San Beda College Alabang as the chosen headquarters for this year:
Metro Manila
- University of the Philippines Diliman
- University of Santo Tomas
- San Beda University
- Manila Adventist College
- University of the Philippines Bonifacio Global City
- San Beda College Alabang
Luzon
- Saint Louis University
- University of Nueva Caceres
Visayas
- University of San Jose Recoletos
- Central Philippine University
- Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation
Mindanao
- University of San Jose-Recoletos
- Central Philippine University
According to the Supreme Court, the exams were divided into six core subjects. Here are their corresponding schedules and weight:
September 8
- AM: Political and Public International Law – 15%
- PM: Commercial and Taxation Laws – 20%
September 11
- AM: Civil Law – 20%
- PM: Labor Law and Social Legislations – 10%
September 15
- AM: Criminal Law – 10%
- PM: Remedial Law, Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises – 25%
Last year, 3,812 out of 10,387 examinees passed the Bar exams, with a passing rate of 36.77%. This was lower than the 2022 passing rate of 43.47%, or 3,992 out of 9,183 examinees. University of Santo Tomas’ Ephraim Bie topped the last Bar exams with a grade of 89.2625%. – Rappler.com