BAR EXAMINATION SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES

LLB LEGAL RESEARCH

PHILIPPINE BAR EXAMINATIONS PREPARATIONS

JAKE CIMAFRANCA
UNIVERSITY OF THE VISAYAS GULLAS LAW SCHOOL

KAREN FAITH C. CALISO

406-D

2014
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

ABSTRACT

I DEFINITIONS

II HISTORY

III LEGAL BASIS

IV TEN THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT LAW SCHOOL

V TIPS ON STUDYING BAR EXAMINATIONS

VI GUIDELINES IN PASSING TIPS THE BAR EXAMINATIONS

VII HOW TO TOP THE BAR EXAMINATIONS?

CONCLUSION

BIBILIOGRAPHY
ABSTRACT

This research seeks to give information how to prepare the Philippine Bar Examination. This
consist the definitions which defines the different terms to be use in this research, brief history of
the Philippine Bar Examination to have background and be guided in reading. The 1987
Constitution provides the legal basis of the Philippine Bar Examinations. Tips and guidelines to
study, pass and top the Philippine Bar Examinations which provide basic information to laws
students for future guidelines.

INTRODUCTION

Last March 2014, the Supreme Court of the Philippines announced the official results of the October
2013 Bar Examinations, considered by many Filipinos as the hardest professional examination in
the country as the number of passers is just a little percentage for the actual number of examinees.
Passing the Bar Examination will entitle any Law graduates to practice his or her position as a
lawyer in the Philippines and admitted in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the national
organization of lawyers in the country. This is big challenge for the law student on how to beat the
odds despite the difficult examinations.

I. DEFINITION
1
Bar- in a ​legal​ context has three possible meanings: the physical division of a courtroom between
its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to ​practice law​; and the legal profession, may
also refer to the qualifying procedure by which a lawyer is licensed to practice law in a given
jurisdiction.

Bar Examination- is a test intended to determine whether a candidate is qualified to ​practice law​ in
a given jurisdiction.

The ​Philippine Bar Examination​ -is administered once every year on the four Sundays of November
(September before 2011). It covers eight areas of law: political law, labor law and social legislation,
criminal law, civil law, commercial law, taxation law, remedial law, and legal ethics and practical
exercises

1
Free Wikipedia, from the Encyclopedia., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_(law)
 2
law school - a graduate school offering study leading to a law degree ​school of law​, graduate
school, ​graduateschool​ a school in auniversity offering study leading to degreesbeyond the bachelor'
s degree.

II. HISTORY
3
The first bar exam was held in 1900, with 13 examinees, while the 2008 bar examination is the
107th (given per Article 8, Section 5, 1987 Constitution). The 2001 bar exam had the highest
number of passers—1,266 out of 3,849 examinees, or 32.89%, while 2006 had the highest
examinees -.6,187. However, the Supreme Court of the Philippines' Office of the Bar Confidant
announced that (a new and official record of) 6,533 law graduates will take the 2008 Bar
examinations.

The most notable was the 1999 bar examinations which recorded the lowest passing rate of 16.59%
or with a total number of 660 successful examinees. Also, the 2003 bar exam was marred by
controversy when the Court ordered a retake of the Mercantile law due to questionnaire leakage. In
2005, the High Tribunal implemented the "five-strike" rule, which disqualifies five-time flankers
from taking future bar exams.

III. LEGAL BASIS

4
The specific authority given to Supreme Court to promulgate rules governing the
Integrated Bar of the Philippines renders all constitutional arguments both against the
authority of the Supreme Court to integrate the Bar and against the concept of
integration.

IV. TEN THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT LAW SCHOOL

2
​Princeton University, Farlex Inc.,.Based on WorldNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012
3
Supreme Court of the Philippines, from Wikipedia, free Encyclopedia.,
http://scph.thebarandtheboards.com/p/brief-history-of-bar-exam.html
4
Fr. Joaquin Bernas., the 1987 Constitutions of the Republic of the Philippines A Commentary 2009 edition of
Article 8 of Sections 5, 1008 pp.
 5
1. Law school is not graduate school.

Ever felt like taking a walk down memory-lane? Well, you’re in luck because the law school
experience has more in common with middle school than it does with other graduate programs. On
the first day, you enter the building like you own the place. You naively think you already
understand the true meaning of life. And then very quickly you discover that you’re actually just an
awkward and lowly 6th grader all over again. Thank goodness you can drink this time!

2. Be nice to everyone, and be careful with whom you trust.

Unfortunately, a large group of wannabe lawyers necessarily leads to some vicious drama (like I
said, welcome back to your middle school cafeteria). And since gossip spreads like wildfire,
everyone in your class will know whether you have a good or bad reputation by the end of the first
semester.

3. There will be some reshuffling of friend groups several months into the semester.

Bonds made during orientation will weaken, and you’ll eventually figure out where you fit in. Don’t
feel bad when you realize you’re not going to be lifelong BFFs with the person you thought was
your soul-twin. It happens to most everyone considering how much time you will end up spending
getting to know your classmates.

4. Be cautious about who you sit next to during the first week of classes.

Most professors assign a seating chart based on the spot you choose. So think twice before grabbing
the seat next to the total babe you thought you hit it off with at the first bar review. No one wants a
daily meeting with an awkward situation.

5. On that note, if you hook up with a person in your section….well, don’t.

Convinced they are the love of your life? Congratulations, and all the best. You’ve officially been
warned.

5
​Rachel Myers​,​ ​Cataloged in​ ​College​ ​degree​., ​Education​ ​Graduate​, ​Knowledge​ ,​Law​, ​Law School​, ​Lawyer​,
Student​.,​ J​ ANUARY 21, 2014.,
HTTP://THOUGHTCATALOG.COM/RACHEL-MYERS/2014/01/10-THINGS-TO-KNOW-BEFORE-STARTING-LAW-SCHOOL
/
6. Force yourself to spend time outside of the law school environment.

When law students are together, the conversation rarely deviates from the underlying theme of
how stressful school is. If you would like to avoid a mental breakdown, find friends who aren’t in
law school and commit to not talking about school.

7. Lose the ego.

No one wants to know about your great scholarship or how high your LSAT score was. In fact, it is
totally uncool to talk about. Law school is graded on a curve and can be quite competitive. Don’t
voluntarily add fuel to the fire. Isn’t anybody got time for that.

8. Don’t be a gunner.

No one likes a know-it-all. However, if you can’t help but mentally masturbate during a lecture, do
us a favor and keep it in the classroom. Your law school friends definitely don’t want to talk about
how much better you could teach the material. Obviously you were smart enough to get into law
school, so you should be smart enough to answer that hypothetical on your own time.

9. It’s okay to be shy.

If you’re an introvert, don’t let all the extroverts scare you into thinking you made the wrong choice
in attending law school. While, you’ll initially feel as if you want to crawl under a rock and die every
day for the next three years of your life, success in both law school and the legal profession requires
a tremendous amount of alone time. Also, how much someone talks during class does not predict
how well they will do on the exam.

10. Try not to become an alcoholic.

Naturally, law students find fun and relaxation in social activities that mostly involve copious
amounts of alcohol. Alcoholism is far more prevalent in the legal profession than it is in the general
population. And while I think it’s totally cool that my school hosts a keg on campus every Thursday,
addiction to alcohol is not totally cool.
IV. TIPS FOR STUDYING FOR THE BAR EXAM
6
These eight bar exam study tips will help you design and stick to a successful study schedule. With
this bar exam advice in hand, you can design a schedule that helps you gain the knowledge and
skills you need to perform well on the bar exam.

1. Make a detailed written daily study schedule and commit to sticking to it.

Account for every minute. If you are taking a bar review course, as you should be, include class time
and commuting time in your plan. Plan every day, day in and day out, from now to the bar exam.
Plan your life, live your plan. Post your schedule on your bathroom mirror, on your door, and on
your refrigerator. You must have iron commitment.

2. Include study for every part of the bar exam every day.

Don't just do MBE questions, do everything, every day. Spend time on the MBE, time on outlining
essays, and time on studying your lecture notes. If your state has an additional part like the New
York Multiple Choice questions, spend time preparing that.

Stick rigidly to your time limits. Students go over their time limits trying to "finish" a single subject,
and then they find that they have neither mastered that one subject nor accomplished anything else.
Spend only the time you have planned to spend. It suggests that students should get a big wall
calendar covering their two-month study period. They should post the calendar conspicuously and
assign each subject to specific days, being careful not to leave a new subject until the last few days
before the bar. I return below to how to distribute the subjects in your schedule.

3. Make sure every activity on your schedule will pay off in the ability to recite black letter law.

Activities that do not result in your knowing more black letter law are a waste of time.

The bar exam graders are looking for evidence that you know the black letter law and can apply it
in a logical way, reasoning from law to conclusions. You must be constantly adding to your
inventory of black letter law, quizzing yourself, reciting law from memory, and practicing applying
law logically. Merely recognizing law will get you nowhere. Shotgun, random, fact-based, "issue
spotting" will get you nowhere.

Some activities feel like hard work, and they are hard work, but they don't help raise your grade,
and so they are a waste of time. Many students like re-reading their notes, but re-reading is
worthless if no new law remains in your memory. Some students like to re-type class lecture notes,
but when I ask such students what they have learned afterwards, they don't have an answer. In
other words, re-typing notes feels like a lot of work, and it is, but it does not result in your knowing
more law. That means it is a waste of time.

6
Dramatically raised your bar examination score with Barwrite’s supplemental classes and booth camps.,
http://www.barwrite.com/Tips-for-Studying-for-the-Bar-Exam-Study.html
4. Focus on reviewing the most-heavily tested areas of law and on learning the most-heavily tested
rules of law.

Study several areas of law every day. It is foolish to think that you will remember much law if you
study nothing but torts or nothing but contracts for several days. Learn the most-heavily tested
rules by heart.

5. Read every set of lecture notes four or five times, with days off, before the bar exam.

Research shows that we learn best by lightly repeating information over a long period of time,
rather than by cramming. No matter how intensively you study, you will remember nothing unless
you repeat what you learn in a few days, and then in a few more days, and so on.

6. Use a system for keeping track of how many times you study every set of lecture notes.

Make a chart that lists in the left-most column every bar-review lecture. That is, about forty rows.
Make at least five columns. In the row next to each lecture, in the first column, write the date when
you first reviewed that lecture. Every time you review a lecture, note that date on your grid. You
should review every lecture four or five times.

7. Exercise vigorously for one full hour every day.

The bar exam is a physical challenge. Exercise will not only make you feel better, it will make it
easier for you to learn the law. Exercise will make you strong enough to complete the exam. It will
keep you calm. It will keep you sane. It will make you mentally sharp. It will help you sleep. It will
make you cheerful.

Make that strenuous exercise. Walking is not enough. Go to the gym. Go running. Climb up to the
roof in your building and run downstairs again. You will be tempted to skip exercise. Don't worry.
You can memorize flash cards while you exercise.

8. Use every minute of every day for study.

Use meal times for memorizing rules of law. Use morning and evening bathroom breaks for
memorizing. Use any commuting time between your bar-review class and home or your study
location and home for memorizing. Take your flash cards to bed with you. Plan for just one evening
of relaxation a week, perhaps on Sunday night. You can relax after you become a member of the bar.

Need Help Studying for the Bar Exam?

We hope you found these bar exam study tips to be helpful. If you would like help in preparing for
the bar exam, please give us a call at (212) 327-2817.
V. HERE ARE FIVE MORE TIPS TO HELP PASS THE BAR EXAM
7
1. Sign up for a bar review course.

You may wonder why after three years of very expensive schooling you are now expected to pay
even more money to learn what you thought you were supposed to be learning during law school. I
know. Believe me, I know.

But now is not the time for you to worry about the cost of bar exam prep. Be as economical as
possible, by all means, but think about what it would mean to you, financially, to fail the bar, face
employers without a license to practice law, and have to pay to take the bar exam again. If you are
really strapped for cash, there are special bar exam loans available exactly for this purpose.

Why sign up for a bar review course? Well, those who take bar review courses have great passage
rates for a reason--the course employees study and analyze exams so they know what examiners
are likely to test on and what they are looking for in answers; they can steer you to "hot topics" and
train you how to deliver the right answers, and that is what is most important during the bar exam.
Yes, you need to know and understand the fundamentals of the main areas of law, but all the legal
knowledge in the world won't help if you don't know how to frame your answer as the graders
want to read it.

2. Tell everyone you know not to expect to see you for two months.

That's a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. Do not plan on doing anything else during those
two months between graduation and the bar exam except study. Yes, you will have nights off and
even whole days off here and there, which are essential for relaxing your brain, but don't schedule
work, planning of family events, or other serious obligations during the two months before the bar
exam.

Quite simply, the bar exam should be your full-time job during those months of studying; your
promotion will come when you get the results that you passed.

3. Make a studying schedule and stick to it.

Your bar review course will most likely provide you a recommended schedule, and if you manage to
abide by it, you'll be doing well. The main subjects tested on the bar exam will be the same basic

7
Michelle Fabio.,​How to Pass the Bar Exam., About.com Law School.,
http://lawschool.about.com/od/barexam/a/barexamprep.htm
courses you took first year, so be sure to dedicate huge chunks of time to Contracts, Torts,
Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Property, and Civil Procedure. States vary as to
the other subjects tested, but by signing up for a bar review course, you'll have the inside track on
those as well.

A very basic bar exam prep study schedule can set aside a week to study each topic, including
practice questions. That will leave you two weeks to devote time to trouble areas and to more
nuanced areas of law that might be covered on your state's bar exam.

One tip here on studying: think about making flashcards. In the process of writing them, you'll be
forced to condense rules of law into short snippets to fit on a card, exactly as you'll need to provide
them in bar exam essays--and they just might sink into your brain as you write.

4. Do practice bar exams.

A large part of your preparation time should be spent taking practice bar exams, both multiple
choice and essays, under exam-like conditions. You don't need to sit down and take an entire two
days every week to take practice bar exams, but be sure you are doing enough multiple choice
questions and essays so you have a good feel for the exam structure. Just like when you were
preparing for the LSAT, the more comfortable you become with the test and its format, the more
you'll be able to concentrate on the material and getting the answers correct.

Start doing practice questions even as early as the first week of studying; no, you won't get
everything right, but if you pay attention to what you got wrong, those principles are likely to stick
in your head even more than if you had simply tried to memorize them through studying. And, as an
added bonus, if the questions were included in bar prep materials, they are also likely to be similar
to those that will appear on the bar exam.

5. Think positively.

If you graduated in the top half of your law school class, chances are extremely good that you will
pass the bar. If you graduated in the next quartile, the likelihood that you'll pass is still pretty good.
Why? Because bar exams, no matter what state, test your competence to be a lawyer and not how
great a lawyer you will be--and that means you need only earn a solid C on the exam to pass. If
you've passed law school, there's no reason you can't pass the bar exam on the first try.

This doesn't mean you should rest on your law school accomplishments and assume you'll pass, of
course. You still need to put the time and effort into learning and applying the materials, but the
odds are in your favor that you'll pass--most states have higher than 50% pass rates--so remember
those numbers when stress starts setting in.
And remember that it will all be over in mere weeks. With the right bar exam prep, you'll never
have to go through it again.

VI. HOW TO TOP THE BAR EXAM

This is the mark of a confident examinee, someone with a strong drive to make it to the top. As the
cliche goes, when you dream, dream big. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.

8
Make an honest assessment of all subjects​.
For subjects that you’re good at, you could put them last so that you’ll have some leeway should
you exceed your limit in other subjects. Allocate more time for the subjects that is the least familiar
to you. This is crucial in drafting your study schedule.
Choose the review classes you want to attend
Ask around who are the better lecturers. Some simply repeat what they wrote in their books or
would waste your time with jokes. If you add up the time spent in going to the lecture venue, the
time you wait for the lecturer to arrive, the jokes, the useless talks, you’d realize that you could
cover more topics when reading alone.
Don’t compare your pace with others
Unless you’re ahead that the rest of the reviewees, comparing your pace with that of others will
only add up to the intense pressure. This is the reason why I never studied in the student lounge.
Gauge your progress with your study schedule.
Pay attention to your handwriting
Your answer, even if correct, will get you nowhere if the examiner can’t read it. I suggest spending
some time every day – every day – to write the alphabet as if you’re back in Grade 1 (a a a a a, b b b
b b b). You’ll realize, however, that you’ll most likely revert to your usual handwriting as soon as
you get to question No. 2 in Political Law. At least try.
Focus on understanding the law, more than memorizing it
There are enumeration-type questions, true, but these questions are integrated in a problem. You
can’t give an enumeration unless you understand the problem given. You’re not required to cite a
specific provision or case.
Read recent jurisprudence
If there’s a bar ops supporting your group, ask for digests. While you don’t have to attend all
review/lectures, as stated in No. 2 above, get the materials because updates on jurisprudence are
usually included in these materials.
Relax and pray
Preparing for the bar examination is pressure-packed. It’s not known as the most difficult exam, at
least under the Philippine sun, for nothing. From time to time, go to the beach or watch a movie.
Maybe you’ve heard of the law on diminishing returns (it won’t be asked in the bar exams; it simply
means that after a certain point, your brain will absorb less even if you push harder). If you feel
guilty when going out, bring a codal. By the way, if you don’t believe in a God, you could meditate.
Go through the Answers of the previous bar exams

8
Atty. Fred, How to Top the Philippine Bar Examination.,July 5,
2007.,http://attyatwork.com/how-to-top-the-bar-exam/
There’s a book published by the UP Law Center. If you don’t have the time to get it or read it, at least
be familiar with the style in answering bar questions. You can’t just write everything you know and
hope that the examiner will find the answer or the patience to go over everything you wrote. The
3-part answer worked for me. Start with: “Yes (or no), the accused is correct (or wrong) in arguing
that his arrest is unlawful” (there’s no such thing as “it depends”). Second, give a short discussion
on the instances of warrantless arrests. Third, explain shortly why the facts don’t fall under any of
the instances (or why it falls under one). Assuming that your conclusion is wrong, at least the
examiner will see that you know the law. Maybe you’ll get a point for the second part.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, the author of this research by following the guidelines and tips given with
determinations, dedications, and prayer shall lead to success. There are no shortcuts, no rituals to
follow and certainly no prescribed good luck charms to use when taking the Bar. The only way to
face it, or even top it, is to study really hard and follow a systematic review system. The Bar exams
is considered to be the most difficult professional licensure exam in the country.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

■ Free Wikipedia, from the Encyclopedia.,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_(law)

■ Princeton University, Farlex Inc.,.Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. ©
2003-2012
■ Supreme Court of the Philippines, from Wikipedia, free Encyclopedia.,
http://scph.thebarandtheboards.com/p/brief-history-of-bar-exam.html
■ Fr. Joaquin Bernas., The 1987 Constitutions of the Republic of the Philippines A
Commentary 2009 edition of Article 8 of Sections 5,1008 pp.
■ Rachel Myers​,​ ​Cataloged in​ ​College​ ​degree​., ​Education​ ​Graduate​, ​Knowledge​ ,​Law​, ​Law
School​, ​Lawyer​, ​Student​.,​ J​ ANUARY 21, 2014.,
Http://Thoughtcatalog.Com/Rachel-Myers/2014/01/10-Things-To-Know-Before-Starting-
Law-School/
■ Dramatically raised your bar examination score with Barwrite’s supplemental classes and
booth camps., ​http://www.barwrite.com/Tips-for-Studying-for-the-Bar-Exam-Study.html
■ Michelle Fabio., ​How to Pass the Bar Exam., About.com Law School.,
http://lawschool.about.com/od/barexam/a/barexamprep.htm
■ Atty. Fred, How to Top the Philippine Bar Examination.,July 5,
2007.,http://attyatwork.com/how-to-top-the-bar-exam/