First day of 2026 Bar exams underway
The 2026 Philippine Bar examinations have commenced across 15 testing centers nationwide with over 13,000 applicants. The exams are digitized and will take place over three days to test candidates on various legal subjects.
Why it matters
The Bar exam is a critical milestone for the Philippine legal profession, and the decentralized, digitized format reflects ongoing modernization in professional certification.
MANILA, Philippines - The first day of the three-day 2026 bar examinations in local testing centers across the country began on Sunday, Sept. 6.
A total of 13,441 applicants are expected to take the exam across 15 local testing centers nationwide, according to the Supreme Court.
"This is not a test for the weak," Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, 2026 Bar exam chairperson, told examinees.
"Yet you are here, not by chance, but by choice, because you believe in the power of your purpose."
"The decision to pursue a career in law is not one made lightly. It has cost you years of your life and pieces of yourself you may never get back," Gaerlan said. "Your time is NOW."
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