MANILA, Philippines – The list of bar topnotchers (top 10 passers) will not be released for the 2020-2021 bar exam but the Supreme Court will instead recognize examinees who recorded “exemplary performance” in the licensure test.
This was confirmed last year by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, 2020/2021 Bar chairperson, saying that an examinee who obtains an 85 percent or higher weighted score in the exam shall be recognized for exemplary performance.
As announced, 8,241 out of 11,402 (72.28%) passed the first digital bar exams.
Of the 8,241 who passed the exams, there are 761 exemplary passers who got 85-90% rating in the Bar exams. Fourteen (14) Bar takers earned recognition for excellent performance, having obtained grades higher than 90 percent, Leonen said.
University of the Philippines (UP) has four excellent passers, while Ateneo de Manila University and University of San Carlos (USC) have two each, and one excellent passer each in Arellano University, Ateneo de Davao University, Far Eastern University, San Beda University, University of Cebu, and University of the Cordilleras.
UP also has the most number of exemplary passers with 147, followed by AdMU with 100, San Beda with 94, USC with 57, and Arellano with 39.
“The names of examinees who earned recognition for exemplary performance shall be made publicly available simultaneously with the list of passers, through the same media. Apart from this, no fanfare shall be devoted in releasing information on examinees who rendered exemplary performance,” Leonen added.
Leonen said this is in consideration of the different circumstances that two batches of examinees went through amid a pandemic.
The Supreme Court will release the much-awaited bar results after the special en banc session on Tuesday, April 12.
A total of 11,378 examinees took the bar exam on February 4 and 6 in 31 testing sites nationwide. This was after several postponements in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
RELATED RESULTS
SUPREME COURT OF THE PHILIPPINES
EXEMPLARY PASSERS: 2020-2021 BAR EXAM RESULTS
PREVIOUS EXAMINATION
In the past, simultaneous with the release of successful bar passers, the high court also announced the list of topnotchers.
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 nine 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%.
This was confirmed last year by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, 2020/2021 Bar chairperson, saying that an examinee who obtains an 85 percent or higher weighted score in the exam shall be recognized for exemplary performance.
As announced, 8,241 out of 11,402 (72.28%) passed the first digital bar exams.
Of the 8,241 who passed the exams, there are 761 exemplary passers who got 85-90% rating in the Bar exams. Fourteen (14) Bar takers earned recognition for excellent performance, having obtained grades higher than 90 percent, Leonen said.
University of the Philippines (UP) has four excellent passers, while Ateneo de Manila University and University of San Carlos (USC) have two each, and one excellent passer each in Arellano University, Ateneo de Davao University, Far Eastern University, San Beda University, University of Cebu, and University of the Cordilleras.
UP also has the most number of exemplary passers with 147, followed by AdMU with 100, San Beda with 94, USC with 57, and Arellano with 39.
Law Schools With Candidates With Exemplary Performance
“The names of examinees who earned recognition for exemplary performance shall be made publicly available simultaneously with the list of passers, through the same media. Apart from this, no fanfare shall be devoted in releasing information on examinees who rendered exemplary performance,” Leonen added.
Leonen said this is in consideration of the different circumstances that two batches of examinees went through amid a pandemic.
The Supreme Court will release the much-awaited bar results after the special en banc session on Tuesday, April 12.
A total of 11,378 examinees took the bar exam on February 4 and 6 in 31 testing sites nationwide. This was after several postponements in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
RELATED RESULTS
- MAIN PAGE: 2020-2021 Bar Exam Results
- A-G List of Passers: 2020-2021 Bar Exam Results
- H-O List of Passers: 2020-2021 Bar Exam Results
- P-Z List of Passers: 2020-2021 Bar Exam Results
- Performance of law schools, top schools: 2020-2021 Bar Exam
SUPREME COURT OF THE PHILIPPINES
EXEMPLARY PASSERS: 2020-2021 BAR EXAM RESULTS
PREVIOUS EXAMINATION
In the past, simultaneous with the release of successful bar passers, the high court also announced the list of topnotchers.
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 nine bar exams:
| YEAR | TOPNOTCHER | SCHOOL | RATING |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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%.
