BAR Matter No. 2265

Reforms in the 2011 Bar Examinations.

One recommendation concerns the description of the coverage of the annual bar exams that in the past consisted merely of naming the laws that each subject covered. This has been regarded as too general and provides no specific understanding of the entry-level legal knowledge required of beginning law practitioners. A second recommendation addresses the predominantly essay-type of bar exams that the Court conducts. Because of the enormous growth of laws, doctrines, principles, and precedents, it has been noted that such examinations are unable to hit a significant cross-section of the subject matter. Further, huge number of candidates taking the exams annually and the limited time available for correcting the answers make fair correction of purely essay-type exams difficult to attain. Besides, the use of multiple choice questions, properly and carefully constructed, is a method of choice for qualifying professionals all over the world because of its proven reliability and facility of correction. A third recommendation opts for maintaining the essay-type exams but dedicating these to the assessment of the requisite communication skills, creativity, and fine intellect that bar candidates need for the practice of law.