Online exams for prospective barristers, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, have been banned by the Bar Standards Board (BSB)
Bar training providers were suspended in May from holding online exams in any country from August 2023. In an announcement last week, however, the BSB said: ‘Having consulted with various stakeholders and having received clear evidence of cheating which has been scrutinised by information security experts, we have now decided that suspension of online exams by Bar training providers will now remain in place for the foreseeable future.’
Written exams will therefore be taken by pen and paper only and at training providers’ invigilated exam halls. The BSB said its decision will not affect the provision of reasonable adjustments for students whose needs are specified in documented learning agreements with their providers.
