The Supreme Court Announces Application Period and Procedures for 2024 Bar Examinations

The Supreme Court (SC) declared on Thursday that the application window for individuals intending to take the 2024 Bar Examinations is set from January 15 to April 5. According to a bulletin, prospective applicants, including new candidates, previous exam takers, and refreshers without existing accounts on the Supreme Court's online platform, Bar Applicant Registration System and Tech Assistance (BARISTA), are required to create individual accounts at https://barista.judiciary.gov.ph/.

All applicants must complete or update their profiles, fill out the application form, upload or re-upload digital copies of the required documents, and pay the PHP12,800 application fee exclusively through BARISTA's provided modes.

Within 10 calendar days from the notice of approval, applicants must submit printed and signed copies of their application forms, along with physical copies of mandatory documentary requirements, to the Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC). Additionally, applicants need to upload digital copies and submit physical copies of deferred documentary requirements to BARISTA and OBC, respectively, by October 15.

For new applicants failing to complete their Law degree and refreshers who didn't finish refresher courses or take their pre-Bar review course, a request for a refund of the application fee can be made until September 6.

The 2024 Bar exams, chaired by Associate Justice Mario Lopez, are scheduled for September 8, 11, and 15. The SC will establish various local testing centers (LTCs) in key cities across the National Capital Region, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, allowing applicants to choose three cities in order of preference for venue assignment. The venue assignment process will consider preferences based on slot availability and commence after the application deadline. Applicants can check their assigned LTCs in BARISTA.

Further details on guidelines and rules of conduct for the 2024 Bar Examinations will be communicated through subsequent Bar bulletins. The Court emphasizes that only information posted on the 2024 Bar microsite (https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/bar-2024/) and its online platforms is accurate and authentic.(PNA)