MANILA, Philippines – Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) law school has dominated the Bar Examinations once again.
In the 2024 Bar exams results released on Friday, December 13, the Jesuit-run university topped the list of law schools with more than 100 candidates both in the first-time candidates and all candidates categories.
A total of 159 passers out of 169 examinees or 96.36% passed the examinations from Ateneo for first-time candidates, while 169 out of 176 or 96.02% for all candidates.
ADMU has consistently been topping the qualifying exams for lawyers in the past years. Ateneo was also the top school in the 2023 Bar exams with a 94.08% passing rate for first-time takers, and 93.18% for all candidates. Ateneo law school was also the top among schools in the 2022 Bar exams.
Meanwhile, state university Polytechnic University of the Philippines topped the schools with 51 to 100 candidates for the first-time candidates with 88.52% or 54 passers out of 61 takers, while Ateneo de Davao University topped the all candidates category with 51 to 100 candidates with a rating of 94.55% or 52 passers out of 55.
At least 10 of the top schools in all brackets and categories are based from the provinces.
Below is the full list of top schools:
In total, 3,962 examinees passed the 2024 Bar Examinations, with a passing rate of 37.84%. The rate still translates to around four passers in 10 examinees, and a bit higher than the passing rate of 36.77% in 2023.
2024 Bar chairperson Associate Justice Mario Lopez said the SC en banc unanimously approved to adjust the passing grade from the usual 75 to 74.
“As I have said a while ago, I was prevailed upon by the generosity of the justices. Hence, I cannot do otherwise because we are acting as a body. I am not acting alone. Even if I am the chairperson, I cannot by myself decide the outcome of the bar exam,” Lopez told reporters.
“This is still considered as a collective efforts of the justices. That is why, when it was voted that the general average of 74 shall be adopted as the passing grade, then, that is it. I have to respect the decision of the court because I have been included in that decision,” he added.
So far, the average passing rate of the Bar exams since 2009 is at 32.21%. The highest since 2009 was still the 2020/2021 Bar exams chaired by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, which garnered 72.28% passing rate.
Meanwhile, University of the Philippines’ (UP) Kyle Christian Tutor led the pack of topnotchers with a grade of 85.77%, followed by Ateneo’s Maria Christina Aniceto with 85.54% rating. Six each from UP and Ateneo were part of the top 20 examinees.
Below is the full list of topnotchers:
– Rappler.com
