The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has angered potential barristers by more than doubling the cost of taking the new Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT), formally launched today.
Candidates were emailed yesterday informing them of the change, which raised the cost from the previously suggested fee of £67 to £150.
The previous fee was established during the consultation on the introduction of the Bar Professional Training Course, which replaced the Bar Vocational Course in 2010/2011.
The BSB has defended its decision to more than double the entrance fee. A spokesperson said: “When we were asked to provide a suggested fee, we were at a much earlier stage in the planning process. The published fee compares very well with other professional aptitude courses.
“A combination of factors affect the price: not least ensuring it is available globally, and minimising the risk of fraud.
“It is important that we recover costs and thus avoid placing a cost burden on others. We will evaluate the test carefully and ensure that the fee reflects no more than cost recovery.”
Hopeful barrristers have vented their annoyance on Twitter. Joy Lewis, a GDL student at Nottingham Law School said: “Springing the cost of the #BCAT on us at this late stage is both unnecessary and unfair. It has been a shambles from the start”.
Fellow Nottingham GDL student Tom Herbert asked: “£150 for the #BCAT on top of high course fees and £40 to even apply - is the Bar really open to all?”
The price hike has prompted questions on the overall price of taking the BCAT as only a small proportion of graduates go on to become barristers. Students also questioned the practice of not limiting the number of resists per candidate.
Cambridge graduate Cathy Jaquiss tweeted: “Unsure about a £150, take-as-many-times-as-you-want verbal reasoning test. How about a requirement for providers to be more selective?”
Would-be barristers now have to pass the BCAT to be admitted onto the BPTC. Applicants can register for the BCAT from 1 March and take the test from 3 April.
Chair of the BSB, Baroness Ruth Deech said: “Most students who fail the BPTC do so because they struggle with the critical thinking and reasoning required for practical elements of the course. Students role-play court room and client interactions and if someone on the course finds this difficult, it impacts on the learning of all students…
“The BCAT is a significant intervention to improve the quality of learning for all students on the BPTC. It will also save prospective candidates the cost of sitting an expensive course they are unlikely to pass.”
Last year, the BSB revealed applications to become a barrister were at a five-year high (14 November 2012).
Readers' comments (18)
N | 21-Feb-2013 10:44 am
Typical bar, jobs for the old boys, diversity what a laugh! About time this closed shop was taken to the cleaners and a truely independant organisation put in control of the bar and the law society. Whats even more funny is some of those setting the rules would never be allowed to qualify now as they dont have the academics, I can think of one prominent QC who got a 3rd at uni and others without any degree!
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Anonymous | 21-Feb-2013 12:06 pm
If you want to improve Bar Standards make the entry exam more demanding.
If you want to raise more money make the entry exam more expensive.
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Anonymous | 21-Feb-2013 4:52 pm
To qualify as a solicitor or barrister in Northern Ireland, you need to be admitted to the Institute of Legal Practice. The fee for admission, which includes a test, costs £200 for early applications, or £255 for later applications. There has been an admissions test fee in Northern Ireland for a long time (not sure how long, but definitely over ten years). Don't get me wrong, the system in Northern Ireland is far from perfect, but what it does do is avoid the horrendous oversupply of people who have forked out thousands upon thousands of pounds for LPC/BPTC equivalent courses without any realistic prospect of actually getting a job. What the BSB is doing is not without precedent, albeit I'll admit it may not be the best system.
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Dan | 22-Feb-2013 12:23 pm
BCAT fees – 150
BPTC fees – over 15,000
Let’s argue how unfair BSB is? If we win we get a reduction on the 150 pounds. John McClane would be disappointed.
How about arguing how unfair are BPTC fees compared with the chances of success in the profession?
How many hours of paid manhandling does a BCAT paper get from its very first steps – i.e. from most probably when a committee is put together to produce the questions to when the results are given? Printing?
150 for an exam fee does not seem overly expensive to me. Expensive yes but overly expensive certainly not.
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Jefrrey | 1-Mar-2013 9:25 am
It seems the principal purpose of the BCAT is to filter out candidates so bad that the BPTC providers really have no business letting them onto the course in the first place. If that bottom 10% is such a serious problem then the BSB should be taking the providers to task for not doing their job properly (for £17,000+ it doesn't seem unreasonable to expect the providers to provide an appropriate learning environment), not creating an additional cost to every applicant.
I am also curious how the providers will deal with applicants who've been made an offer, confirmed and paid their deposit but then fail the BCAT.
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Jim | 9-Mar-2013 4:06 pm
Howsabout this then: £150 knocked off the cost of the BPTC? Would you be happy then?
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Anonymous | 11-Mar-2013 7:46 pm
I'm 13 and i'm choosing my options at the moment, i am stumped on what to choose, I've always wanted to be lawyer and I don't know what GCSE'S or A-Levels to take? I was thinking, French, History, Business and enterprise, Media and ICT? please help...
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Anonymous | 20-Mar-2013 2:10 pm
There is an alternative approach to restricting the proportion of applicants to the BPTC - that is, raising the minimum degree requirement to a 2.i. This would have less of an impact on diversity as there would be minimal cost implications. Such an approach would also ensure that the best students were selected from whichever university they attended, supporting wider participation in the profession. However, this suggestion has traditionally been opposed due to variability in the academic rigour of universities and the proportions of different degree classes they award.
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