MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) released on December 5 the full results of 2023 bar exam, including the list of topnotchers.
SC successfully conducted the 121th Philippine bar exam on September 17, 20, and 24, 2023 in 14 local testing centers nationwide. A total of 10,387 of the original 10,791 Bar applicants took the challenge of the grueling exams for future lawyers.
RELATED RESULTS
SUPREME COURT OF THE PHILIPPINES
TOPNOTCHERS: 2023 BAR EXAM RESULTS
PREVIOUS EXAMINATION
In the previous exams, simultaneous with the release of successful bar passers, Supreme Court also announced the list of topnotchers.
In the 2022 bar exam, University of the Philippines College of Law alum Czar Mathew Gerard Torres aced 2022 bar exam with 88.8083%. The top 5 examinees with the highest scores came from UP.
In the 2020/2021 bar exam, the high court hailed 14 bar takers for their excellet performance. University of the Philippines (UP) has four excellent passers, while Ateneo de Manila University and University of San Carlos (USC) have two each.
In the 2019 bar exam, Mae Diane Azores of the University of Santo Tomas in Legaspi aced the bar with a rating of 91.0490%.
In the 2018 exams, Sean James Borja of the Ateneo de Manila University aced the bar with 89.306%. University of San Carlos (USC) alum Marcley Augustus Nau-El followed with 87.53%. Other schools in the top 10 spots were University of the Philippines and De La Salle University - Manila.
In the 2017 bar exam, graduates of provincial law schools dominated the list of topnotchers. Mark John Simondo of University of St. La Salle (USLS) in Bacolod, Negros Occidental led the passers with a grade of 91.05 percent.
In the 2016 exams, all topnotchers came from the provincial schools, a first without the usual top-performing NCR-based schools. USC's Karen Mae Calam topped the list with a rating of 89.05%.
Meanwhile, UP College of Law alum Rachel Angeli B. Miranda earned the top spot in the 2015 Bar Examinations with a rating of 87.40%.
Here's the summary of topnotchers during the past bar exams:
BAR EXAM OVERVIEW
The Philippine bar examination is a professional exam not handled by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). It is exclusively supervised by the Supreme Court.
The SC conducts the Bar examinations pursuant to Article VIII, Section 5 of the Constitution which provides that it shall have the power to promulgate rules governing the admission to the practice of law.
Some Filipino lawyers say the bar exam is hard because it is centralized on wide-range bar subjects, with the expected annual passing rate of 20% to 30%.
— The Summit Express
SC successfully conducted the 121th Philippine bar exam on September 17, 20, and 24, 2023 in 14 local testing centers nationwide. A total of 10,387 of the original 10,791 Bar applicants took the challenge of the grueling exams for future lawyers.
RELATED RESULTS
- MAIN PAGE: 2023 Bar exam results
- A-G Passers: September 2023 Bar Exam Results
- H-O Passers: September 2023 Bar Exam Results
- P-Z Passers: September 2023 Bar Exam Results
- Top performing law schools: 2023 Bar Exam Results
SUPREME COURT OF THE PHILIPPINES
TOPNOTCHERS: 2023 BAR EXAM RESULTS
PREVIOUS EXAMINATION
In the previous exams, simultaneous with the release of successful bar passers, Supreme Court also announced the list of topnotchers.
In the 2022 bar exam, University of the Philippines College of Law alum Czar Mathew Gerard Torres aced 2022 bar exam with 88.8083%. The top 5 examinees with the highest scores came from UP.
In the 2020/2021 bar exam, the high court hailed 14 bar takers for their excellet performance. University of the Philippines (UP) has four excellent passers, while Ateneo de Manila University and University of San Carlos (USC) have two each.
In the 2019 bar exam, Mae Diane Azores of the University of Santo Tomas in Legaspi aced the bar with a rating of 91.0490%.
In the 2018 exams, Sean James Borja of the Ateneo de Manila University aced the bar with 89.306%. University of San Carlos (USC) alum Marcley Augustus Nau-El followed with 87.53%. Other schools in the top 10 spots were University of the Philippines and De La Salle University - Manila.
In the 2017 bar exam, graduates of provincial law schools dominated the list of topnotchers. Mark John Simondo of University of St. La Salle (USLS) in Bacolod, Negros Occidental led the passers with a grade of 91.05 percent.
In the 2016 exams, all topnotchers came from the provincial schools, a first without the usual top-performing NCR-based schools. USC's Karen Mae Calam topped the list with a rating of 89.05%.
Meanwhile, UP College of Law alum Rachel Angeli B. Miranda earned the top spot in the 2015 Bar Examinations with a rating of 87.40%.
Here's the summary of topnotchers during the past bar exams:
| YEAR | TOPNOTCHER | SCHOOL | RATING |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Czar Mathew Gerard Torres | University of the Philippines | 88.81% |
| 2020-2021 | No top 10 list (but named 14 excellent passers) | ||
| 2019 | Mae Diane Azores | University of Santo Tomas - Legaspi | 91.05% |
| 2018 | Sean James Borja | Ateneo de Manila University | 89.31% |
| 2017 | Mark John H. Simondo | University of St. La Salle - Bacolod | 91.05% |
| 2016 | Karen Mae L. Calam | University of San Carlos | 89.05% |
| 2015 | Rachel Angeli B. Miranda | University of the Philippines | 87.40% |
| 2014 | Irene Mae B. Alcobilla | San Beda College - Manila | 85.50% |
| 2013 | Nielson Pangan | University of the Philippines | 85.80% |
| 2012 | Ignatius Michael D. Ingles | Ateneo de Manila University | 85.64% |
| 2011 | Atadero, Raoul Angelo D. | Ateneo de Manila University | 85.54% |
BAR EXAM OVERVIEW
The Philippine bar examination is a professional exam not handled by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). It is exclusively supervised by the Supreme Court.
The SC conducts the Bar examinations pursuant to Article VIII, Section 5 of the Constitution which provides that it shall have the power to promulgate rules governing the admission to the practice of law.
Some Filipino lawyers say the bar exam is hard because it is centralized on wide-range bar subjects, with the expected annual passing rate of 20% to 30%.
— The Summit Express
