CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL the Bar examination passers (released Wednesday, January 2, 2026. You earned this moment!
The Bar is not merely an academic hurdle; it is an emotional and moral journey—one marked by long nights, quiet prayers, patient families, and an unwavering belief that the law can still be a force for good. May you do well in the legal profession, and may you carry with you not only sharp minds, but also generous hearts.
This year, 48.98% of Bar takers passed. That is an encouraging rise from 37.84% in 2024—an increase of more than 11 percentage points. Behind that number are thousands of lives suddenly moving forward: parents relieved, dreams revived, and years of uncertainty finally given shape and direction.
“The Bar examination exists to ensure competence, but it also exists within a human system. When averages remain low, medians lower still, and variability this wide, it is reasonable—and compassionate—to ask whether consistency and fairness can be strengthened without sacrificing rigor.”
COMPLEX CYCLES
But when we step back and look at the longer view—from 2009 to 2025—a more complex picture emerges.
Across these 15 examination cycles, the average (mean) passing rate is only about 32.8%. The median, the midpoint that better reflects a “typical” year, is even lower—around 26.2%. In other words, in a normal Bar year, roughly three out of four examinees do not pass.
The variation is striking. Passing rates ranged from a low of 17.76% in 2012 to a high of 72.28% in 2020/2021. Statistically, the standard deviation is about 15 percentage points, which is unusually large for a professional licensure exam. This confirms what examinees have long felt in their bones: outcomes depend heavily on the year one takes the Bar. “Swerteang mga bar takers ngayon, malas noong nakaraan,” a common lament I heard from family and friends.
STATISTICAL ANOMALY
Indeed, there were years—2012, 2014, 2018—when barely one out of five passed. There were others—2016, 2020/2021—when hope came more easily and affirmation arrived sooner.
Yet: Same law schools. Same codal provisions. Same professors. Same aspirations. Yet vastly different results. It is a statistical anomaly.
This is not an accusation; it is an invitation to care.
The Bar examination exists to ensure competence, but it also exists within a human system. When averages remain low, medians lower still, and variability this wide, it is reasonable—and compassionate—to ask whether consistency and fairness can be strengthened without sacrificing rigor.
This becomes clearer when we look beyond our shores. In many other countries, Bar or licensure passing rates approach 90%. These jurisdictions have not abandoned standards. Their courts have not collapsed. Instead, they treat the Bar primarily as a competency confirmation, not as an attrition mechanism. Legal education does the filtering; the licensure exam certifies readiness to serve.
HUMANE BALANCE
The Philippine experience over recent years suggests that a more humane balance is possible. Higher passing rates have not weakened the profession. This happened in 2020/2021. The passers then are doing just fine. If anything, they have affirmed that excellence and empathy can coexist.
To those who passed this year: celebrate deeply. You deserve it. Enter the profession with humility, courage, and a sense of responsibility to those still waiting their turn.
To those who did not: this result does not define your worth, your intelligence, or your calling. Many outstanding lawyers once stood exactly where you are now. What matters is that the door remains open—and that you are not alone.
And to the institutions entrusted with the Bar: may data guide reform, may care guide policy, and may hope guide the future.
The law is ultimately about people.
If the Bar reflects that truth, then the profession it shapes will be stronger, fairer, and more worthy of the faith placed in it.