MANILA, Philippines – A total of 10,816 candidates are expected to take the 2023 Bar Examinations on Sunday, September 17, marking the three-day examinations that will be held this month alone.

The Supreme Court (SC) released the number of Bar examinees this year through the Office of the 2023 Bar chair. Of this number, 5,832 will take the qualifying exams for lawyers for the first time, while 4,984 will be taking the Bar for at least the second time.

The next set of exams will be held on Wednesday, September 20, and Sunday, September 24.

In 2022, a total of 9,821 candidates took the Bar exams, which makes this year’s number around 10% higher than last year’s. The 2020/2021 Bar Exams still have the highest number of candidates in the last four years with a total of 11,402 examinees. 

Meanwhile, the SC said 2,571 Bar personnel will be deployed to the 14 local testing centers across the country. Based on the High Court’s earlier announcement, the local testing centers are as follows:

Metro Manila:

• San Beda University – Manila
• University of Santo Tomas
• San Beda College – Alabang
• University of the Philippines Diliman
• Manila Adventist College
• University of the Philippines Bonifacio Global City

Luzon:

• Saint Louis University
• Cagayan State University
• University of Nueva Caceres

Visayas:

• University of San Jose – Recoletos
• University of San Carlos
• Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation

Mindanao:

• Ateneo de Davao University
• Xavier University

The SC said this year’s examinations were divided into six core subjects, determined and approved by the High Court’s en banc:

• Remedial Law, Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises – 25%
• Commercial and Taxation Laws – 20%
• Civil Law – 20%
• Political and Public International Law – 15 %
• Labor Law and Social Legislation – 10%
• Criminal Law – 10%

“We connect with the Bar takers through the hard work that we share. To be with our baristas is our way of giving them a feeling of enlightenment, comfort, a boost of confidence, and a push to proceed and succeed,” Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, the 2023 Bar chair, said.

After the three-day Bar exams, the SC will disclose the date of the results announcement. Last year, a total of 3,992 hopefuls passed the Bar. – Rappler.com