MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) will open the online application for the 2025 Bar Exam on January 8, 2025 (Wednesday) until March 17, 2025 (Monday). Check here for the complete schedule and step-by-step guide.
Following the reforms in the 2020/2021 to 2024 bar exams, the 2025 Bar examinations shall remain digitalized and localized in a condensed three-day schedule.
The 2025 Bar Exam will be conducted on September 7, 10 and 14, 2025 (Sunday) in local centers across the country.
Application Period for 2025 Bar Exam
The online application for the 2025 Bar Examinations via BARISTA shall be accessed through the Philippine Judiciary Platform (PJP).
The application period will start at 8:00 a.m. on January 8, 2025 (Wednesday) and shall end at 3:00 p.m. on March 17, 2025 (Monday).
Step-by-step Application Process
Step 1 – Access BARISTA via PJP or Creation of PJP Account
An applicant must first create an account in the PJP which can be accessed at https://portal.judiciary.gov.ph/ before he or she can access BARISTA.
The applicant must use his or her personal e-mail address, not his or her school or work e-mail address. This rule applies even to applicants who are employees of the Philippine Judiciary.
Previous takers and refreshers who uploaded their requirements under Bar PLUS, the Supreme Court’s online bar examination application platform for the 2020/2021 and 2022 Bar Examinations, must create a new account under the PJP.
For applicants who have existing accounts in BARISTA, register using the same e-mail address. For any concerns regarding access to existing accounts, you may reach out to the Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC) Help Desk which can be accessed at bit.ly/2025BarExamsHelpdesk.
Step 2 – BARISTA Profile and Application Details
After successfully logging in to the PJP, the applicant must choose the BARISTA icon. The application for the 2025 Bar Examinations shall be accomplished exclusively through the BARISTA.
Click “Apply Now” to start the application. Select the 2025 Philippine Bar.
The applicant will then be directed to the BARISTA dashboard. Thereafter, he or she must complete his or her profile and application details in the BARISTA.
Step 3 – Submission / Uploading of Appropriate Documentary Requirements
The application shall be supported by documentary requirements. The appropriate documentary requirements to be submitted will depend on the applicant type i.e., New Applicant, Previous Taker, or Refresher.
Please see below for the full details of checklist and guidelines of uploading files:
Bar Bulletin No 2 Series of 2025 December 16 2024
Step 4 – Payment of Application Fee
The 2025 Bar Examination Fee in the amount of PHP 12,800.00 must be paid exclusively through the payment channel provided in BARISTA.
Note that the Bar Examination Fee is non-refundable.
In the event that a New Applicant is unable to complete his or her law degree, a request to refund the application fee should be submitted to the OBC through the OBC Help Desk at bit.ly/2025BarExamsHelpdesk under “Payment-Refund Requests” on or before September 1, 2025 (Monday). The Refund Mechanics will be released on a later date according to SC.
Note: The date when successful payment is made is the date of filing of the application for the purpose of determining whether the same was timely filed.
Step 5 – Application / Document Processing
Within 10 calendar days from the notice of approval, all applicants must submit the printed and signed copies of their application forms, together with the physical copies of the mandatory documentary requirements to the Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC).
The uploading and submission to the OBC of the deferred documents will start on June 16, 2025 (Monday) and may be submitted until October 14, 2025 (Tuesday). Applicants need not wait for the online processing to submit the physical copy of the deferred documents.
Failure to upload and/or submit the physical copy of the documentary requirements may result in disqualification, and the examination answers of non-compliant applicants will not be checked.
Step 6 – Indication of Preferred Testing Area
In accomplishing the Application Form, applicants must indicate their preferred testing area for taking the 2025 Bar Examinations based on the selection provided in BARISTA.
The applicant will select three cities/localities from the cities/localities provided under BARISTA, regardless of their proximity to his or her indicated current address.
Step 7 – Status of Application to Take the 2025 Bar Examinations
Applicants will be notified of the status of their Applications to Take the 2025 Bar Examinations through BARISTA and their designated e-mail address.
2025 Bar Exam Coverage and Syllabus
The six core subjects and their relative weights will be retained with the following schedules:
| Examination Day | Schedule | Subject | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Day September 7, 2025 Sunday |
AM | Political and Public International Law | 15% |
| PM | Commercial and Taxation Laws | 20% | |
| Second Day September 10, 2025 Wednesday |
AM | Civil Law | 20% |
| PM | Labor Law and Social Legislations | 10% | |
| Third Day September 14, 2025 Sunday |
AM | Criminal Law | 10% |
| PM | Remedial Law, Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises | 25% |
The six core subjects covered in the 2025 Bar Examinations shall be distributed over three days of examination. Two subjects shall be taken per examination day, each in the morning and afternoon periods. The morning period shall begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 12:00 noon, and the afternoon period shall begin at 2:00 p.m. and end at 6:00 p.m.
Please see attached for the comprehensive syllabi. SC said all examination questions shall be sourced only from laws, rules, issuances and jurisprudence as of June 30, 2024.
Bar Bulletin No. 1 on Modality Schedule Coverage and Syllabi
Updates and Concerns
For any concern, you may contact the OBC Help Desk at bit.ly/2025BarExamsHelpdesk or call (02) 8552 9690.
From time-to-time, The Summit Express will also update this page for any updates related to the 2025 bar exams.
— The Summit Express
Good luck to all future lawyers!
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