Philippine Supreme Court Application Requirements for the 2023 Bar Examinations
The Application Form for the 2023 Bar Examinations shall be accomplished only through Bar Applicant Registration Information System and Tech Assistance (BARISTA), the Court’s new online application platform. Once the application
periods below commence, applicants may access BARISTA here.
The supporting documentary requirements are as follows, depending on the type of applicant –
- NEW APPLICANTS : Those who will take the Bar examinations for the first time.
- Check list of documentary Requirement
- Please refer to the attached Annex A.
- PREVIOUS TAKERS: Formerly referred to as “Repeaters”; Those who will take3 the Bar examinations for the second or third time. Please refer to the attached Annex B.
- REFRESHERS :Those who will take the Bar examinations for the fourth time or more.
- Please refer to the attached Annex C.
In addition, ALL applicants must submit within the prescribed period, the documents enumerated in the attached Annex D.
Application Schedule
Online Application Forms shall be filed within the following periods, depending on the applicant type:
Applicant Type Application Period
NEW APPLICANTS January 8, 2023 to April 30, 2023
PREVIOUS TAKERS and REFRESHERS May 1, 2023 to July 8, 2023.
The hard copies of the Application Form and supporting documentary requirements laid out per applicant type in Annexes A, B, and C must subsequently be submitted through private courier services (e.g., LBC, Ninja Van, etc.) to the
Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC), within ten (10) calendar days upon receipt of an email notification from BARISTA approving the application.
Further, ALL applicants are required to submit, through the online application platform and through courier service, the supporting documentary requirements listed in Annex D beginning August 1, 2023 but no later than October
24, 2023, or thirty (30) calendar days from the last day5 of the 2023 Bar Examinations. Failure to submit these documents within the prescribed period will result in the disqualification of the applicant and the immediate stoppage of the checking of his or her examination answers.
These periods and deadlines shall be strictly observed to enforce efficiency in administrative processes. Application Forms and supporting documentary requirements filed outside the periods set above shall not be
entertained, and the applicants thereof shall not be allowed to take the 2023 Bar
Examinations or shall be disqualified, as the case may be.
Bar Application Fee
The 2023 Bar Application Fee is Php12,800.00.6 The application fee was reasonably adjusted to partially cover the increased costs of software licensing, venue rentals for local testing centers, and safety measures, among others, due to
inflation.
The rest of the expenses will be shouldered by the Supreme Court. Each applicant shall pay this amount individually and exclusively through the online payment facilities made available in BARISTA.
Applicants who have previously applied for the 2022 Bar Examinations but deferred from taking the same due to the effects of the onslaught of severe tropical storm “Paeng,” must still pay the above application fee and instead request in
writing for a refund of the 2022 Bar Fee. Specific refund mechanics shall be addressed in a separate notice from the OBC.
Once paid, the 2023 Bar Application Fee is non-refundable.
However, requests for refund may be instituted by New Applicants who, after payment of the Bar Application Fee, eventually fail to complete their law degrees or on such other ground as may be approved by the Court En Banc. The
refund of these paid Bar Application Fees may be applied for through the 2023 Bar Examinations Helpdesk of the OBC, available here.
An applicant is deemed conditionally admitted to take the 2023 Bar Examinations upon his or her complete and timely submission of the requirements enumerated in Annexes A, B, and C and payment of the Bar Application Fee. The
applicant shall then be allowed to take the 2023 Bar Examinations.
However, to reiterate, the failure of an applicant to submit on time the documents enumerated under Annex D shall result in his or her disqualification and the immediate stoppage of the checking of his or her examination answers.
An application submitted under any of the following circumstances shall be considered NOT filed:
a. Application Form contains blank spaces that are not properly filled;
b. Details supplied on the Application Form do not strictly comply with the prescribed format;
c. Incomplete documents and papers;
d. Alteration, revision, or deletion made on the Application Form or
on any of the required documents to be submitted;
e. Non-payment of the Bar Application Fee; or
f. Submission of the required papers and documents beyond the deadlines set by the Court.
