The Supreme Court will conduct mock Bar examinations involving 120 students divided in four testing sites on January 31, 2020 in preparation for the digitized Bar Examinations in November 2021.
In a Bar Bulletin No. 17, S. 2021, Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, Court’s 2020/21 Bar Examinations chairperson, said that the high tribunal, in coordination with the Philippine Association of Law Schools, The Asia Foundation, and ExamSoft, will hold Pilot (Mock) Bar Examinations in Baguio City, Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao as testing sites.
“The Pilot (Mock) Bar Examinations will be a small-scale simulation of the actual Bar Examinations using computer software, proctored both physically and virtually,” Leonen said.
“The goal of this exercise is to improve on procedures and technical specifications for the first-ever digital and localized Bar Examinations in November 2021,” he added.
The SC magistrate explained that pre-selected students will have to apply through the Supreme Court’s online portal, which will open starting January 12, 2021. The deadline for applications for the pilot bar examination will be on January 20, 2021.
“The examinees’ “grades” for the Pilot (Mock) Examinations will not be part of the actual Bar Examinations. No merit or demerit shall be received by students who participate in the Pilot (Mock) Bar Examination should they later take the actual Bar Examinations,” Leonen explained.
According to Leonen, the procedure and timeline for this year’s Bar Examinations shall be announced soon after the conduct of the pilot mock Bar Examinations, but not later than February 14, 2021.