10,483 applicants take the bar exam this year

September 8, 2024 | 3:20 p.m.

MANILA, Philippines – More than 10,000 applicants will take the bar examinations today and in the following days, Bar Association 2024 Chairman and Associate Justice Mario Lopez said on Sunday, September 8.

Further exam days are planned for September 11th and 15th.

Lopez said there were initially over 12,000 applicants, but many dropped out for various reasons. Some of them were still in their final year of law school and others were unable to graduate.

“From the initial pool of over 12,000 applicants, 10,483 candidates appeared today. This shows the unwavering commitment of those who continue with the bar examinations despite the turmoil,” Lopez said in a press conference.

According to Lopez, 5,234 of this year’s participants are newcomers, 4,060 are veterans and 1,189 are repeat participants.

“The gender distribution is also remarkable: 6,108 female candidates and 4,375 male candidates. In addition, we accommodated 155 senior citizens and 313 candidates with special needs to ensure that everyone has a fair chance to demonstrate their qualifications,” Lopez said.

The youngest candidate is 23 years old while the oldest is 78 years old, the Supreme Court judge added.

Lopez also urged the candidates to take care of their mental and physical health, as the bar exams are among the toughest in the country.

This year, the exams are expected to be conducted more quickly as there are six testing centers in Metro Manila, two more in Luzon, three in Visayas and two in Mindanao, Lopez said.

They also managed to digitize the exams and employ multiple examiners for each subject, Lopez said.

“Therefore, we expect to release the bar exam results in early December,” Lopez said.

The Supreme Court and the Office of the President of the Bar Association have also prepared contingency plans for possible emergencies such as tropical cyclones, floods and earthquakes.

Lopez will retire next year and expressed hope that this year’s bar exams will be part of his legacy.

“I have been working at the university for more than 20 years. And that is one of the main reasons why I was appointed chairman. And that is why I am preparing this as my legacy,” the judge said.