San Beda Alabang to serve as national HQ for 2024 Bar Exams

PHOTO FROM San Beda College Alabang’s official Facebook page.

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) announced on Wednesday that San Beda College Alabang (SBCA) will again serve as the National Headquarters (NHQ) for the 2024 Bar Exams.

The High Court said it has signed a lease contract with SBCA on the same day, designating the Muntinlupa City-based law school as the primary venue to monitor the nationwide annual examinations.

READ: SC picks San Beda Alabang as national HQ for 2023 Bar exams

“San Beda College Alabang stood out as the clear and obvious choice for the NHQ. This is because of the successful 2023 Bar Examinations, and the repeat staging of SBCA as the NHQ will not only duplicate the previous accomplishment but eventually perfect the conduct of the Bar Examinations,” said SC Associate Justice Mario V. Lope during the signing ceremony, as quoted in a statement from the SC Public Information Office.

This marks the second time that SBCA was chosen as the NHQ for the Bar Exams since it was decentralized in February 2022 for the combined 2020 and 2021 exams.

Aside from being the NHQ, the SC said that the school will also be a testing center, along with five other locations in the National Capital Region, namely:

• The University of the Philippines-Diliman in Quezon City
• The University of Sto. Tomas and San Beda University in Manila
• Manila Adventist College in Pasay City
• The University of the Philippines-Bonifacio Global City in Taguig

“Two other testing centers – Saint Louis University in Baguio City and University of Nueva Caceres in Naga City – were earlier chosen for Luzon, three for Visayas – University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu City, Central Philippine University in Iloilo City, and Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation in Tacloban City – and another two for Mindanao – Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City and Ateneo de Davao University in Davao City,” the SC said.

There are 13 local testing centers this year, compared to 14 last year.

READ: 10,816 aspiring lawyers gear up for 2023 Bar exam

This year’s Bar Exams will be held on September 8, 11 and 15 and will cover six core subjects: Political and Public International Law (15 percent); Commercial and Taxation Laws (20 percent); Civil Law (20 percent); Labor Law and Social Legislation (10 percent); Criminal Law (10 percent); and Remedial Law, Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises (25 percent).

A total of 12,246 applicants have registered during the application process.