SC scraps Top 10 list for Bar exams

MANILA, Philippines — For the first time, the Supreme Court (SC) will forgo the traditional announcement of the Top 10 passers for the 2020-2021 Bar examinations as it will focus on recognizing top performing law schools nationwide instead.

In an 11-page Bar bulletin sent to reporters yesterday, the SC said the country’s condition brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic “will make it inequitable to adhere to exacting, minute distinction for exemplary performance.”

The non-recognition of top 10 passers will only be for the 2020-2021 Bar exams, which will be held at 24 testing sites nationwide during four Sundays of November.

In shifting the focus to law schools, the SC hopes that it will encourage “deep-seated and wide-ranging improvements in legal education” by uplifting their entire studentry rather than select examinees.

The schools will be listed from the most to the least percentage of passers among their first-time examinees.

The SC said it lowered the passing score to 75 percent but will continue to recognize those who get a weighted average score of more than 85 percent.

The SC canceled the 2020 Bar examinations when the country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.