MANILA, Philippines — An 84-year-old examinee is the oldest hopeful among those who took the 2026 Bar Examinations, highlighting the determination of aspiring lawyers across generations.
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| Photo courtesy: Supreme Court (Facebook) |
The Supreme Court (SC) reported that 13,441 examinees were admitted to take this year’s Bar Exams, with 12,029 appearing on the first day held on September 6.
The official figures released by the Bar Chairperson’s Office showed that 285 senior citizens and 304 persons with disabilities were among those who took the first day of the examinations.
Women also comprised more than half of the examinees present on Day 1, with 6,773 female candidates recorded.
The youngest examinee is 24 years old, while the oldest is 84, reflecting the wide age range of candidates pursuing admission to the legal profession.
In terms of examination status, first-time takers accounted for 45.9% of the examinees, while 29.5% were previous takers and 24.6% were refreshers.
During a press conference before the release of the official attendance figures, 2026 Bar Chairperson Associate Justice Samuel H. Gaerlan said around 11,900 examinees had shown up on the first day.
The official count, however, placed Day 1 attendance at 12,029 out of the 13,441 admitted examinees.
On the second day of the examinations on September 9, a total of 12,017 examinees, or 99.9% of those who appeared on Day 1, continued their journey toward becoming members of the legal profession.
The 2026 Bar Examinations are being administered over three days—September 6, 9, and 13—across 15 local testing centers nationwide.
SEE ALSO: BAR EXAM RESULTS 2026: List of Passers, Topnotchers
The digitalized and regionalized Bar Exams are tentatively scheduled to yield their results in early January 2027, when examinees will learn whether their years of preparation have culminated in admission to the Philippine Bar.
— The Summit Express
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