Bar Exam Controversy: 5 Candidates Removed Despite Completing the Test
BAR EXAM – Five aspiring lawyers who completed the 2025 Bar Exam were disqualified after failing to submit the necessary documents, according to Bar Chairperson Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier.
Five individuals who completed the 2025 Bar Examinations were officially disqualified after failing to submit the required documents, according to Bar Chairperson Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier. The announcement clarified a discrepancy in the final number of examinees who were considered valid takers of the highly anticipated licensure exam for aspiring lawyers.
In a press briefing held on Wednesday, January 7, Lazaro-Javier explained that the five examinees were removed from the official count because they were “not able to comply with the requirements.” As a result, the number of Bar exam takers was reduced from the previously reported 11,425 to 11,420.
“Documents were not submitted,” Lazaro-Javier said, emphasizing that compliance with application requirements remains a strict and necessary part of the Bar examination process.
She further explained that while the five individuals were allowed to take the exams, their situation remained conditional. Their answer booklets were accepted during the examination period, but these were ultimately excluded from evaluation. According to Lazaro-Javier, their answers were “taken but not checked” because the examinees failed to complete their documentation despite repeated allowances.
The Bar chairperson noted that the Supreme Court made significant efforts to accommodate examinees who encountered difficulties, particularly those related to time constraints. She shared that deadlines were adjusted, and in some cases, applicants were even allowed to submit missing requirements after the examination period had already ended.
“Alam mo, we have to be kind to them, eh. Sometimes their problem is the time constraint. So, bibigyan mo sila ng time kahit na nag-e-exam na sila,” she explained.
(You know, we have to be kind to them. Sometimes their problem is the time constraint. So, you give them more time even while they are already taking the exam.)
The 2025 Bar Examinations were conducted on September 7, 10, and 14. On the first day, Lazaro-Javier reported that out of 13,193 admitted examinees, only 11,437 actually took the test.
By the final day, the Supreme Court announced that 11,425 examinees had completed all three days of examinations across 14 local testing centers nationwide. However, following the validation of records and requirements during the release of the results, the final and official count was adjusted to 11,420 qualified examinees.
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