The short answer
Philippine Bar passing rates have ranged from 17.76% for the 2012 Bar to 72.28% for the combined 2020/2021 Bar. The ten Bars from 2010 to 2019 averaged about 27%; the five held since the exam went digital and regional averaged about 48%. The 2025 Bar passed 5,594 examinees, a rate of 48.98%.
Key points
- Highest: 72.28% for the 2020/2021 Bar. Lowest: 17.76% for the 2012 Bar.
- From 2010 to 2019 the rate averaged about 27%; since 2020/2021, about 48%.
- The Court lowered the passing mark below 75% in six of these years.
- The 2025 Bar passed 5,594 examinees, 48.98%, announced on 7 January 2026.
- Results came out between February and May until the 2022 Bar, and in December or January since 2023.
Every Bar since 2010
| Bar | Examinees | Passers | Passing rate | Results announced | Chair |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 4,847 | 982 | 20.26%* | 17 March 2011 | Conchita Carpio-Morales |
| 2011 | 5,987 | 1,913 | 31.95% | 28 February 2012 | Roberto Abad |
| 2012 | 5,343 | 949 | 17.76%* | 20 March 2013 | Martin Villarama Jr. |
| 2013 | 5,292 | 1,174 | 22.18%* | 18 March 2014 | Arturo Brion |
| 2014 | 5,984 | 1,126 | 18.82%* | 26 March 2015 | Diosdado Peralta |
| 2015 | 6,605 | 1,731 | 26.21% | 3 May 2016 | Teresita Leonardo-De Castro |
| 2016 | 6,344 | 3,747 | 59.06% | 3 May 2017 | Presbitero Velasco Jr. |
| 2017 | 6,748 | 1,724 | 25.55% | 26 April 2018 | Lucas Bersamin |
| 2018 | 8,155 | 1,800 | 22.07% | 3 May 2019 | Mariano del Castillo |
| 2019 | 7,685 | 2,103 | 27.36%* | 29 April 2020 | Estela Perlas-Bernabe |
| 2020/2021 | 11,402 | 8,241 | 72.28% | 12 April 2022 | Marvic Leonen |
| 2022 | 9,183 | 3,992 | 43.47% | 14 April 2023 | Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa |
| 2023 | 10,387 | 3,812 | 36.77% | 5 December 2023 | Ramon Paul Hernando |
| 2024 | 10,490 | 3,962 | 37.84%* | 13 December 2024 | Mario V. Lopez |
| 2025 | 11,420 | 5,594 | 48.98% | 7 January 2026 | Amy Lazaro-Javier |
* The Court lowered the passing mark below 75% that year: 72.5% for 2010, 70% for 2012, 73% for 2013 and 2014, and 74% for 2019 and 2024.
The 2026 Bar was taken by 12,010 examinees, the most in its history; its results are expected in January 2027. Our 2026 results page counts down to them.
What the numbers show
The rate swings widely from year to year. In the ten Bars from 2010 to 2019 it ran between 17.76% and 59.06%, and averaged about 27%. A high year can be followed by a low one: 59.06% in 2016, then 25.55% in 2017.
It has been higher since the exam went digital and regional. The five Bars since the combined 2020/2021 exam, all answered on a computer at local testing centres, averaged about 48%. The 72.28% of 2020/2021 is the highest on record here, and the four Bars since have ranged from 36.77% to 48.98%.
Far more people are passing. The ten Bars from 2010 to 2019 produced 17,249 new passers between them. The five since have produced 25,601.
Results now come out sooner. Until the 2022 Bar, results came out the following February to May. Since the 2023 Bar, they have been announced in December or early January.
What a passing rate does and does not tell you
A passing rate describes a whole cohort, not your chances. It moves with the difficulty of that year's questions, the number of first-time and repeat takers, and whether the Court adjusted the passing mark. The part that is yours is the same every year: a weighted general average of 75%, earned subject by subject. Our guide to the 2027 Bar explains how the weights work.
Where these figures come from
The passing rates are as the Supreme Court announced them, reported at the time by GMA News, The Philippine Star, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Rappler, Manila Bulletin and the Daily Tribune, and in the Court's own announcements for recent years. Examinee counts are the number who completed the exam; outlets sometimes printed slightly different counts, so the announced rate is the figure to rely on. The Supreme Court's own announcements always control.
Lagda is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Questions
What is the passing rate of the Philippine Bar?
It changes every year. The 2025 Bar had a passing rate of 48.98%, with 5,594 of 11,420 examinees passing. Since 2010 the rate has ranged from 17.76% in 2012 to 72.28% for the combined 2020/2021 Bar.
What was the lowest Bar passing rate?
Among the Bars from 2010 to 2025, the lowest was 17.76% for the 2012 Bar, even after the Court lowered the passing mark to 70% that year.
What was the highest Bar passing rate?
The combined 2020/2021 Bar, held in February 2022, had the highest rate in this period: 72.28%, with 8,241 passers.
Does the Supreme Court lower the passing grade?
Sometimes. The standard is a weighted general average of 75%, but the Court lowered it in some years, including to 70% for the 2012 Bar and 74% for the 2024 Bar.
When are Bar results usually released?
Recently, in December or early January: 5 December 2023, 13 December 2024 and 7 January 2026. The 2026 results are expected in January 2027.
Published 14 November 2026. Read how we write and check our guides in our editorial standards. The Supreme Court's bulletins and announcements always control. Lagda is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with the Supreme Court of the Philippines.