see- http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view/20101202-306511/Bar-exams-twice-a-year-why-not
Bar exams twice a year, why not?
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:32:00 12/02/2010
THIS REFERS to House Resolution 537 which calls for the holding of the bar examinations in three places—Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Manila, instead of having them only in Manila. The main objectives of the proposal is to avoid overcrowding and untoward incidents at the bar site, and to enable bar examinees and their families to save on expenses.
For greater impact, the resolution may include the proposal to conduct the bar exams twice a year on two successive days—on the first Sundays and Mondays of July and December every year. The two-day bar exams is patterned after the bar exams in the United States, where most states conduct the essay portion (multiple essay examination or MEE) and the multiple choice portion (multistate bar exams or MBE) on the last Tuesdays and Wednesdays of February and July of every year. Consider, too, that the Philippines’ equivalent exams for other professions like medicine, engineering, accounting and nursing are held twice a year, or even more, in selected cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. There is no reason, therefore, why the same cannot be done with the bar exams.
The above proposal may seem too drastic and radical considering that the present system has been in place since 1901 or for more than a century. But precisely because of this, reform has become an imperative, more so because of modern technological advances.
The two-day exams schedule may be too hectic, but this could also be a test of the bar examinees under pressure which all practicing lawyers are expected to handle well. Supreme Court Justice Roberto Abad, chairman of the 2011 bar committee, is thinking of requiring the bar examinees to write and draft pleadings, motions, appeals, writs and memoranda, etc. in next year’s bar exams, in addition to the new multiple choice questions.
It is suggested, too, that law deans and bar organizations encourage the establishment of bar review centers, like the UP Review Center, in strategic places in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Also, the Supreme Court, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police and all other law enforcement agencies should see to it that only bar examinees are allowed inside a perimeter of about 1,000 meters around the examination sites and that the same should be secured and off-limits to fraternity groups, well-wishers, etc.
Lastly, it is suggested that the Supreme Court exempt from the bar exams the top 50 percent of the law graduates from the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University or possibly San Beda College who got high passing grades in previous exams, provided that they are certified as having done so by their law deans and faculty. They must also successfully pass a rigid and thorough written and oral exams conducted by the law school or its review center. This practice is patterned after that of the University of Wisconsin law school, whose graduates are allowed to practice law without taking the bar exams.
— NICASIO D. TAN,
Minglanilla, Cebu
Addendum:
SC prepares multiple choice questions for 2011 Bar exams
By Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 14:14:00 11/29/2010
MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court has started filling up its data bank for possible questions in the 2011 Bar examination, which, for the first time will be a multiple choice type of examination.
Record from the high court’s dialogue with officers and members of the Philippine Association of Law Schools stressed on the need to build up a data bank that would contain at least about 200 topic items per subject where some 300 items could be later drawn for the construction of 200 multiple choice questions (MCQs) for each of the Bar examination subjects. These subjects include Remedial Law, Civil Law, Mercantile Law, Labor Law, Criminal Law, Taxation, Political Law and Legal Ethics.
“We have so far put in our data bank our coverage index. This is the coverage of the Bar exams by subject… but the topics in our coverage index are still few and too broad for writing the needed MCQs,” Associate Justice Roberto Abad, chairman of the 2011 Bar examination told officers and members of the Philippine Association of Law Schools.
The coverage index, Abad discussed during the dialogue will be expanded to a “coverage roll” to include sub topic items.
“The random selection of topic items shall span the length of the coverage of each subject, taking into account the importance of each of its subdivisions to beginning practitioners,” Abad said.
On July, the high court will conduct a “run-through test” as part of its preparation for the September examinations.
In the run-through test, participating law schools will send about 20 incoming 4th year students who will take the exam. Results of the “mock Bar” exam, the high court said will be used to help the high court establish the reasonable passing rate for MCQ exams.
Law schools all over the country have contributed MCQs which will be included in the data bank. Such questions will be segregated per topic and will be included once a raffle list has been made for the preparation of the MCQs for the September exam.
This is the first time that the high court will use the MCQ type of examination for aspiring lawyers. Abad said the MCQ exams will assess the three main skills of examinees including knowledge and recall; comprehension or understanding and analysis and application.
However, if a student fails in the MCQ examination, the essay will no longer be corrected.
Since 1901, the high court has used the essay type of examination in the Bar examinations which takes almost a year to be corrected manually by the examiners of each subject.
see - http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/topstories/topstories/view/20101129-305999/SC-prepares-multiple-choice-questions-for-2011-Bar-exams
