Success rate in law exams ‘less than 20%’

By Jomar Canlas/Manila Times

The passing rate in last year’s bar examinations has been less than 20%.

According to a well-placed source in the Supreme Court, the passing rate has been low in the 2012 Bar Examinations. This includes the actual passing rate of the examinees who took the exams in 2012.

However, the court insider said that it still depends on the tribunal en banc whether to increase the passing rate or not.

“As of now, the actual passing percentage is below 20%. It is a bit low but it will now be up to the court en banc whether or not it will increase the same,” the source said. Aspiring lawyers will have to wait until the third week of March to know how they have fared in last year’s examinations.

“As per Justice Martin Villarama Jr, chairman of the 2012 Bar Exams, barring unforeseen circumstances, results will be out before the Holy Week (March 25 to 29),” the Supreme Court’s Public Information Office said in a statement.

Justices of the Supreme Court will meet on March 20 to discuss the results of the 2012 Bar Examinations via a special en banc session.

High Court’s Public Information Office Chief Theodore Te, however, refused to provide details regarding the session.

In recent years, the special session was called for the decoding of the results by the Office of the Bar Confidant. This process involves matching of the examination numbers with the names of the examinees.

The office announced that the oath taking of new lawyers is scheduled for April 24 at the Philippine International Convention Centre.

The 2012 examinations, chaired by Villarama Jr, were held on four consecutive Sundays (October 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2012) at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.

Last year, 5,686 law graduates took the bar examinations. Associate Justice Arturo Brion willl chair the upcoming 2013 Bar Examinations.

In determining the average score, subjects in the examinations are given the following relative weights: Political and International Law, 15%; Labor and Social Legislation, 10%; Civil Law, 15%; Taxation, 10%; Mercantile Law, 15%; Criminal Law, 10%; Remedial Law, 20% and Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises, 5%, for a total of 100%.

The score garnered in the multiple-choice portion of each subject accounts for 60% of the examinees marks for the subject while the score received for the essay portion accounts for 40%. The Rules of Court provides that “a candidate may be deemed to have passed his examination successfully if he has obtained a general average of 75%.”