The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has stepped in to the long-simmering debate on costs and access to the profession to confirm it will toughen the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) amid controversy regarding 99%-plus pass rates.
The BCAT was introduced in 2013 as a means of weeding out aspiring barristers with little chance of a successful career or passing the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC).
However, the new test – which students have to pay £150 to complete before embarking on vocational training – had virtually no impact the numbers taking the BPTC, with the BSB conceding the test was initially too easy to pass.
The BSB suspended the test in December amid a review of its performance. Its findings on the test, published this month, found 0.6% of those sitting the test – 13 students – were unable to pass after one or more attempts, meaning more than 99% of students passed in the test year.
The Bar watchdog concluded, however, that the test was a strong indicator of subsequent performance in vocational training and decided to retain the test with a higher pass score. The pass mark will rise from 38 to 45 – a level that the BSB estimates would lead to 16.6% of applicants failing the test. Students will be given a graded result as well, rather than a pass or fail, to give a better indication of their prospects.
Source: All text from Legal Business
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