March 26, 2015, 10:42 p.m. – THE UNIVERSITY recorded a
lower passing rate in the October 2014 bar exams, with no Thomasian entering
the top 10.
The UST Faculty of Civil Law registered a 59.13-percent
passing rate or 68 passers out of 115 examinees, lower than last year’s 63.67
percent or 47 passers out of 75 examinees, exam results showed.
Former Varsitarian associate editor Roman Loveria was among those who passed.
Irene Mae Alcobilla of San Beda College topped this year’s
bar exam, with a score of 85.5 percent. Christian Drilon of Ateneo de
Manila (84.45%) and Sandra Mae Magalang
of University of the Philippines-Diliman (84.60%) placed second and third,
respectively.
The national passing rate dropped to 18.82 percent or 1,126
passers out of 5,984 examinees, from last year’s 22.18 percent or 1,174 out of
5,293 examinees.
The 2014 bar exams were held in UST during all four Sundays
of October. Essay-type questions accounted for 80 percent of the exams. The
remaining 20 percent were multiple choice questions.
According bar exam rules, a bar examinee is “deemed to have
passed his examinations successfully if [he or she] has obtained a general
average of 75 percent.” However, the Supreme Court en banc has the discretion
to lower the passing grade, upon recommendation of the bar exam committee
chairperson.
For the 2014 exams, the court adjusted the passing rate to
73 percent. The High Court lowered the passing rate to 70 percent in 2012 and
73 percent in 2013.
This year, the court decided to move the bar exams to
November to give way to law schools that will change their academic calendars
in preparation for ASEAN integration.
UST will host the 2015 bar exams anew. Arianne F. Merez
