MANILA, Philippines?A total of 5,012 law graduates started taking the 2010 Bar examinations today at the De La Salle University on Taft Avenue in Manila.

This year?s examination which will be held on all four Sundays of September is chaired by Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales.

Deputy Clerk of Court and Bar Confidant lawyer Ma. Cristina B. Layusa said of the total 5,038 petitions to take the Bar exams, seven had been denied and 19 have been withdrawn, reducing the number of Bar examinees to 5,012.

Around 1,200 personnel, including building coordinators, superintendents, supervisors, head watchers, watchers, Bar assistants, and special assistants have been deployed by the Supreme Court to help ensure the successful conduct of the exams.

Operatives of the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Western Police District Office from its traffic, area security, bomb disposal, and mobile units, as well as medical and dental personnel have also been deployed in the area and will be deployed during all four Sundays.

A total of 121 rooms distributed in six buildings inside DLSU?St. La Salle Hall, Yuchengco Hall, St. Joseph Hall, St. Miguel Hall, Gokongwei Hall, Velasco Hall?will be used in the four-Sunday exams. Because of the higher number of examinees last year, 147 rooms were used in seven DLSU buildings.

This year?s Bar exams mark the second time that two examiners were designated in each of the eight Bar examination subjects. Thus, every Bar subject would be divided into two parts, with each designated examiner assigned a specific scope. Examinees would thus use two exam notebooks per Bar subject.

In February 2009, the high court, upon the recommendation of the Committee on Legal Education and Bar Matters, approved Layusa?s proposal to designate two examiners per Bar subject, pursuant to Paragraph 4, Part B of Bar Matter 1161.

The said number of examinees this year is lower compared to the 6,080 who took the Bar tests last year.

A total of 1,451 out of the 5,903 examinees, or 24.58 percent from 118 law schools nationwide passed the 2009 Bar examinations. A total of 1,310 out of the 6,364 examinees, representing 20.58 percent of the total number of examinees from 108 law schools nationwide, hurdled the 2008 Bar tests.

The Court 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.

The Rules of Court provide that ?a candidate may be deemed to have passed his examination successfully if he has obtained a general average of 75 percent in all subjects without falling below 50 percent in any subject.? In determining the average, subjects in the examinations are given the following relative weights: Political and International Law, 15 percent; Labor and Social Legislation, 10 percent; Civil Law, 15 percent; Taxation, 10 percent; Mercantile Law, 15 percent; Criminal Law, 10 percent; Remedial Law, 20 percent; and Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises, 5 percent, for a total of 100 percent.

The first Bar exams were held in 1901, with 13 examinees.