The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has announced the introduction of the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) as an entry requirement for the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC).
A BCAT pass is now a necessary entry requirement onto the BPTC, an essential step towards becoming a barrister. Applicants can register for the BCAT from 1 March 2013 and take the test from 3 April 2013.
The BCAT will test students' critical thinking and reasoning, the core skills required for the BPTC. It is not a test of knowledge and so no studying is required, although practice tests will be available to help students get used to the sort of questions that will be asked.
Applicants will sit the tests in assessment centres located across the UK. Practice tests will be available on the Bar Standards Board website from April 2013.
Prospective students can register to take the BCAT from 1 March 2013 and sit the test from 3 April 2013. Students hoping to start their BPTC in 2013 will have until the end of July to pass the BCAT. However, students are advised to take the test sooner rather than later to allow time for retaking the tests.
The test is priced at £150 for UK applicants which is higher than originally predicted. Applicants will be able to take the BCAT as many times as they need to, subject to a fixed interval in-between retakes.
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