Bar Professional Training Course

The BPTC is a postgraduate course with basic entry requirements prescribed by the BSB. Most applicants should have a UK honours degree in law, normally with a minimum standard upper second-class award. However, it is possible to apply with a degree in another subject and a further qualification in law, such as the Common Professional Examination, the Graduate Diploma in Law, or the Graduate Entry LLB. The Bar Standards Board can advise on non-standard qualifications.

Additional requirements laid down by the BSB are:

• Lower second-class honours degree
• Passing the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT)
• Applying for membership of one of the four Inns of Court by the last working day of May (you can check with your chosen Inn to confirm this).

Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT)

The Bar Course Aptitude Test is designed to assess your critical reasoning skills, which are an essential attribute to success as a lawyer. It is taken before the BPTC, and is a pre-condition to starting the BPTC.

One of the entry requirements for the BPTC is that students are fluent in English. Applicants need to be able to demonstrate that their oral and written English ability is equivalent to at least one of the following:

• IELTS: A minimum score of 7.5 in each section of the test.
• Pearson Test of English: A minimum score of 73 in each part of the test.

If you are completing your qualifying law degree overseas (even if at a UK university) you will need to provide IELTS or Pearson results meeting the minimum scores required by the Bar Standards Board as proof of English language proficency. If you are made an offer further details will be provided.