Bar exam takers can now claim test permits - SC

Examination permits for the 2011 Bar can now be claimed at the Office of the Bar Confidant at the Supreme Court-Court of Appeals multi-purpose building along Padre Faura street in Manila. An advisory from the SC on Friday said that permits for Bar examinee numbers 1 to 5000 are already available for pick-up. However, those with examinee numbers above 5000 must first call the Office of the Bar Confidant at 5268122 and 5257929 to check if they can already claim their permits. This year's Bar examinations will be held at the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila on all four Sundays of November. Exams coverage The first day will cover the following subjects: political and international law, labor and social legislation, and taxation. Civil law and mercantile law will be covered on the second day while remedial law, legal ethics and forms, and criminal law will be tackled on the third day. The fourth day will cover trial trial memorandum and legal opinion. The first three Sundays will be for multiple choice questions, the fourth Sunday for essays. "One such essay examination will require the candidate to prepare a trial memorandum or a decision based on a documented legal dispute. This essay will account for 60 percent of the exam's essay portion," the SC advisory said. The remaining 40 percent will be covered by an essay which will require the Bar candidate to prepare a written opinion sought by a client concerning the potential legal dispute facing him or her," the advisory added. For the overall computation of the candidate's final grade, the multiple-choice examinations have a weight of 60 percent while the essays have 40 percent. Tough test Every year, thousands of law graduates take the Bar examination, perceived as among the most difficult licensure exams in the country. Only 982 out of 4,847 examinees passed the 2010 Bar exam, bringing the passing rate to 20.26 percent, the second lowest in the last 10 years. Associate Justice Roberto Abad chairs this year's Committee on Bar Examinations. Click here for the rules governing the conduct of the 2011 Bar exam. — ELR, GMA News