The Philippine Bar Examination is the professional
licensure examination for lawyers exclusively supervised by the Supreme Court
of the Philippines through the Supreme Court Bar Examination Committee and not
administered by the Professional Regulation Commission.
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
- Professional degree holder in law from an accepted law school in the Philippines.
- Bachelor’s degree holder with academic credits in certain required subjects from distinguished college or university in the Philippines or abroad.
NON-ACADEMIC
- Must be a Filipino citizen
- At least twenty-one (21) years of age.
- Must be a resident of the Philippines.
- Must have a satisfactory evidence of good moral character (usually a certificate from the dean of law school or an immediate superior at work).
- No charges involving moral turpitude have been filed against the candidate or are pending in any court in the Philippines.
DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS for Supreme Court of the
Philippines
A. New Applicants (Without Cases)
1. Birth Certificate (issued by the NSO and Local Civil
Registrar)
-Original or Certified True Copy
-Must be legible
-In the absence of a Birth Certificate, submit a
Certificate of Late Registration
-In case of discrepancy in the entries in the Birth
Certificate and Transcript of Records (TOR, applicant is required to submit a
corrected Birth Certificate or corrected TOR as the case may be.
2. Marriage Certificate for Married Female Applicants
(issued by the NSO or Local Civil Registrar)
-Original or Certified True Copy
3. Two (2) Testimonials of Good Moral Character
executed by a Member of the Philippine Bar
4. Official Pre-Law Degree Transcript Original or
certified true copy in case Rizal course is integrated with another subject/s,
applicant is required to submit a certification from his/her school to this
effect.
5. Official Law Degree Transcript Original or
certified true copy
6. Certificate of No Derogatory Record
7. Certification by the School Registrar executed under
oath and noted by the Law Dean that the applicant graduated a four (4) year law
course and that his/her name is included in the LEB Certification [per
Resolution No.2012-06 by the Legal Education Board (LEB)]
8. Three (3) copies of latest un-retouched photos with
name IMPRINTED thereon (1%x1%)9)Self-addressed stamped envelope
B. New Applicants (With Cases)
In addition to the above-enumerated requirements,
applicant shall also submit:
1. PENDING CASES (Civil, Criminal, Administrative,
including those filed with the Prosecutor’s Office and the Office of the
Ombudsman)
-Certified True Copy of Complaint/Information
-Certification as to the pendency and status of the case
2. DECIDED CASES (Civil, Criminal, Administrative,
including those filed with the Prosecutor’s office and the Office of the
Ombudsman)
-Certified True Copy of the Decision
-Certificate of Finality of the Decision
-Clearance from the Court, Prosecutor’s Office or
Office of the Ombudsman, as the case may be
C. Repeaters (Without Cases)
FILING FEE (PHP 3,500.00 plus
PHP 200.00 for every unsuccessful attempt)
1. Two (2) Testimonials of Good Moral Character
2. Three (3) copies of latest un-retouched photos with
name IMPRINTED thereon (1% X1%)
3. Self-addressed stamped envelope
D. Refreshers (Without Cases)
COVERED BY SECTION 16 RULE 138 OF THE RULES OF COURT
OR THOSE WHO FAILED THE BAR EXAMINATION FOR THREE OR MORE TIMES FILING FEE (PHP
3,500.00 plus PHP 200.00 for every unsuccessful attempt)
In addition to the above-enumerated requirements,
applicant shall submit:
1. Completion of Refresher Course
a. Individual Certification under oath by Professors
that the applicant passed the following subjects and indicating therein the
grades obtained:
-Political/Constitutional Law Review
-Labor Law Review
-Civil Law Review 1
-Civil Law Review 11
-Taxation Law Review
-Commercial Law Review
-Criminal Law Review
-Remedial Law Review
b. Certification under oath by the Law dean or School
registrar that the Professors mentioned are bona fide professors of the school
where the refresher course was taken.
2. Enrollment in a Pre-Bar Review Course Certification
executed under oath by the School Registrar that the applicant is currently
enrolled in and is regularly attending the Pre-Bar Review Course
3. Completion of Pre-Bar Review Course Certification
executed under oath by the School Registrar that the applicant completed the
Pre-Bar Review Course (to be submitted after completion of the course)
E. Repeaters/Refreshers (With Cases)
In addition to the above-enumerated requirements,
applicant shall also submit:
1. PENDING CASES (Civil, Criminal, Administrative,
including those filed with the Prosecutor’s Office and the Office of the
Ombudsman)
-Certified True Copy of Complaint/Information
-Certification as to the pendency and status of the case
2. DECIDED CASES (Civil, Criminal, Administrative,
including those filed with the Prosecutor’s office and the Office of the
Ombudsman)
-Certified True Copy of the Decision
-Certificate of Finality of the Decision
-Clearance from the Court, Prosecutor’s Office or
Office of the Ombudsman, as the case may be
To get to know more about the other details of the
requirements and updates you may visit there site
http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/baradmission/.
Coverage and Scope
The Philippine Bar Examination includes the following
topics and their associated subtopic, commonly known as the Bar Subjects. The
eight bar topics are separately graded. Each topics contributes to the general
average in the following percentage.
-Political Law (15%)
-Labor Law (10%)
-Civil Law
(15%)
-Taxation
(10%)
-Mercantile Law (15%)
-Criminal Law (10%)
-Remedial Law (20%)
-Legal and Judicial ethics (5%)
Passing Grade
The passing average fixed by law is 75%, with no grade
falling below 50% in any bar subject.
The passing average is the minimum grade in the exam
required to be admitted to the practice of law. The passing rate is the
proportion of total number of bar passers in relation to the total number of
bar examinees. It is usually computed on two levels-the national level or the
national bar passing rate and the law school level or the law school passing
rate.
Tips
In order for you to pass the Philippine Bar
examination you must be open and be ready for the possible things that could
help you along the way in reaching your aspiration.
1. Preparing on a bar exam you must set and
strategize your Goal. Manage your resources needed for your review references
maybe you could enroll in a review centers or have a self-study review. You
must analyze first the things that you might get the easier ways of reviewing.
You can also get some advice, opinions and pros and cons from the professors or
some people you may know that already passed the latest Bar Examination as they
are considered the most reliable judges of law reviewers.
2. Manage your time based on the weight of the
subjects because not all bar subjects are not created evenly. Arrange your
review schedule or maybe you can regulate your body clock by sleep early or
start early. In this, your mind and body can practice this kind of review habit
but don’t forget to take a pause and have a rest. One must simply have the
self-discipline and drive to study one bar subject at a time. When you enrolled
in a bar review center harmonize your schedule with bar review center’s
schedule or else you will not be reviewing efficiently.
3. Just do your best and think positively. You can
only trust yourself because you are the anchor of your own ship. You are
responsible on things you are going to make, it is not the matter how ready and
prepared you were before the upcoming examination, it’s all about giving your
best of your 100% in answering those questions. You must forget your
hesitations and be the best version of yourself because in the end you are
going to reap what you sow. Just like the saying goes “Always put your best
foot forward.”
4. In this battle of yours, you are not alone, God is
always with us. Don’t forget to pray for his guidance and support to pass the
Bar Examination. Even if you have the hard times to study because the numerous
subjects given, you just trust our Lord God and in this you could never go
wrong. Just pray hard but study harder.
Contributor : Rhea E.