The Office of the Bar Chair, in conjunction with the Supreme Court (SC), announced on December 5 that 3,812 out of 10,387 examinees successfully passed the 2023 Bar Examinations. This year’s passing rate of 36.77% marks a decrease compared to the previous year’s rate of 43.47%.
Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, the 2023 Bar chair, released the results after a special en banc session of the SC. The announcement followed the tradition of displaying the list of successful candidates on a large screen at the SC grounds. This event is often attended by exam hopefuls and their families, eagerly awaiting the results.
In addition to the public announcement, the list of successful examinees was also published on the SC’s website and its social media accounts, including X, Threads, Facebook, and Instagram. The oath-taking ceremony and roll signing for the new lawyers are scheduled for December 22 at the SMX Convention Center Manila in Pasay City.
Notably, the 2023 results were released in one of the quickest turnarounds in recent years, just months after the exams were held. The Bar exams, which were conducted digitally for the third year since their digitalization in 2020/2021, took place over three days in September, with tests held in 14 centers nationwide.
This year’s exams saw over 10,300 candidates complete the tests out of the 10,816 expected participants. The new batch of lawyers will be the second to adopt the revised lawyer’s oath, emphasizing justice, authored by Senior Associate Marvic Leonen.