What is Bar Exam?
A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction.
How Long Is The Bar Exam In South Africa?
The steps for becoming an attorney are as follows:
1. Passing matric with the right marks
To pass to the next step in becoming an attorney, you have to pass matric with the proper subjects. To be admitted to UP’s Undergraduate LLB program, you need an APS of at least 32. You must also pass English home language or first additional language with 60-69%.
However, to get admitted to the UNISA LLB program you only need an APS of 20 or higher. Additionally, you need to have achieved at least a 50% mark in the language you will study in.
Your matric can be completed at any high school in the world that qualifies for a national senior certificate or similar.
2. Studying LLB
Doing your LLB degree at any South African university that allows you to study LLB can be done right after passing matric and meeting the admission requirements of the university.
LLB at UP takes at least 4 years to complete. However, it may take you longer if you struggle to pass all of your subjects. We recommend that you study hard and try your best to pass within 4 years. This will help you to continue to the next phase of becoming an attorney in South Africa.
Unisa also takes at least 4 years to complete. However, you may take up to 10 years to complete your degree. As most students at Unisa study part-time, it usually takes more than 4 years to complete.
3. Doing vacation work at a registered law firm
Most law firms offer vacation work to aspiring attorneys in South Africa. However, most law firms only offer vacation work to 3rd and 4th-year students.
Doing vacation work in the July and December holidays will separate you from your peers. It will give you real-world experience in doing law work. This will look good on your resume which will help you get a job after graduation.
4. Doing your law articles
Doing your law articles takes 2 years of working as a candidate attorney. This has to be done at a registered law firm in South Africa. During this time you will work under the supervision of a registered attorney.
You need to have completed your LLB degree to start working as a candidate attorney and do your Articles of Clerkship. However, we recommend that you apply at these firms while you are studying in order to waste no time.
5. Preparing for the Board exams
Completing the board exams is the next step in being admitted as an attorney. You may start to prepare for these exams while you are still a candidate attorney.
The board exams consist of 4 papers that you need to complete, this includes:
- Paper 1 – Court Procedures
- Paper 2 – Administration of estates
- Paper 3 – Attorney’s Practice (Also known as the ethics paper)
- Paper 4 – Accounting
The best course to prepare for the board exams is this Attorneys’ admission exam course. It will help you to prepare for each of the exams in full with recordings and study notes from the Gawie le Roux Institute of Law.
Is there a bar exam in South Africa?
In South Africa, the board exam comprises four papers. These are Court Procedures (paper 1), Administration of Estates (paper 2), Attorney’s Practice (Ethics) (paper 3), and Accounting (paper 4). The Gawie le Roux Institute of Law will prepare you for all four of these examinations.
How many years does it take to become a lawyer in South Africa?
4 years
How long does it take to become a lawyer in South Africa? It takes at least 4 years to become a lawyer in South Africa. However, if you would like to become an attorney, you will need to complete a 4 year LLB degree and 2 years of articles for a total of at least 6 years.
What is a bar exam in law in South Africa?
A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction.