NO MORE PEN-AND-PAPER: SC affirms digital, regional Bar exams for next three years

By Gerome Dalipe IV

The Supreme Court has confirmed that the Philippine Bar Examination will remain digital and regionalized for the next three years, ruling out a return to the traditional pen-and-paper format in the immediate future.

At a press briefing, Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier, chair of the 2025 Bar examinations, said the High Court resolved to retain the current exam setup to ensure stability for examinees.

“Our commitment and the resolution of the Court is that within the next three years, the Bar will be the same,” she said.

“No new rules. No further innovations.”

The ruling affirms the shift adopted in 2021, when the Bar Exam was redesigned into a “digitalized, localized, and proctored” format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of handwriting answers at a single national site, candidates now use Wi-Fi-enabled laptops at designated testing centers near their home regions.

Lazaro-Javier emphasized that although the exams are digital, they are not remote, as examinees are still physically proctored to maintain exam integrity.

Court officials said the regionalized format reduces travel-related costs and barriers, leveling the playing field for aspiring lawyers from outside Metro Manila.

The Supreme Court said the three-year continuity offers predictability and allows examinees to prepare without concerns about sudden changes in the testing format.

The policy is also aligned with the judiciary’s broader modernization efforts and commitment to equitable access to licensure.

Lazaro-Javier assured that any future revisions would be announced well in advance, but for now, law schools and students can plan based on the digital, proctored model.