UST WILL be the new venue of this year’s bar examinations, which will take place in November or two months later than usual.
Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina said the Supreme Court had decided to transfer the bar exam to UST in November, after the monsoon season. This gives aspiring lawyers more time to review.
“It’s perfect and very timely since it coincides with our Quadricentennial year,” Divina added.
The implementation of a multiple-choice exam will also start this year, as earlier proposed by former Civil Law dean Roberto Abad, now associate justice at the Supreme Court.
“The first three Sundays will be allotted to the multiple-choice questions while the fourth will be dedicated to the essays,” Divina said.
Divina said a contract has been signed between UST and the Supreme Court, which makes the campus the exam venue only for this year.
“We’re not yet sure for next year but I’m sure UST is a priority. The contract should be subject to acceptable terms and conditions,” Divina said.
Safer venue
The Supreme Court picked UST over Adamson University and the Philippine International Convention Center after De La Salle University declined to host the bar exams this year.
Court spokesman Midas Marquez said the transfer had nothing to do with the grenade blast that injured 44 people in last year’s exams.
Divina said UST is a “safer” venue and has better facilities for the 5,000 bar examinees each year.
“The University has a lot of space for the students. Bar takers can be better prepared and conditioned because we have the Santisimo Rosario Parish and the UST Hospital just in case,” Divina said.
