Overview
The Advocates Training Programme (ATP) is the mandatory professional stage that Kenyan law graduates complete before they can be admitted as advocates. The Bar examination at the end of the programme is run by the Council of Legal Education (CLE).
The programme lasts 18 months: 12 months of in-house training followed by 6 months of pupilage. The Kenya School of Law teaches it, full-time or part-time, in physical and online classes.
Who can apply
Admission to the training programme is through the Kenya School of Law and depends on when you were admitted to your LL.B degree.
LL.B admitted after 8 December 2014 (Kenyan graduates): at least a B (plain) in English or Kiswahili, a C+ mean grade in KCSE, and completion of the 16 mandatory core LL.B subjects.
Foreign graduates admitted after that date: the same secondary-school requirements, plus clearance from the Council of Legal Education and a pass in the Pre-Bar Examination.
LL.B admitted before 8 December 2014: the rules are more flexible and include alternative routes, such as higher qualifications or passing the Pre-Bar Examination. Check the Kenya School of Law for your case.
Exam pattern
The Bar examination has nine units. Each is a three-hour written paper, and the papers are closed-book, with these exceptions: clean copies of the Penal Code are allowed in ATP 101, and scientific calculators are allowed in ATP 106.
| Unit | Subject |
|---|---|
| ATP 100 | Civil Litigation |
| ATP 101 | Criminal Litigation |
| ATP 102 | Probate and Administration |
| ATP 103 | Legal Writing and Drafting |
| ATP 104 | Trial Advocacy |
| ATP 105 | Professional Ethics |
| ATP 106 | Legal Practice Management |
| ATP 107 | Conveyancing |
| ATP 108 | Commercial Transactions |
In most units you answer five questions out of six: one compulsory question worth 20 marks and four optional questions worth 10 marks each. ATP 106 offers seven questions, from which you answer five, with at least one from each of its three sections (accounts, human resources and office practice).
Marking and results
Regular candidates are assessed in three parts per unit: written examination (60%), oral examination (20%) and project work (20%). For resit candidates, the written mark is converted to a percentage on its own. The pass mark for each unit is 50%, and the result is recorded as pass or fail.
Important dates
Written examinations are held twice a year, on the second Thursday of April and of November, in Nairobi and Nakuru. Applications to the Kenya School of Law programme typically open in November, with classes starting in January.
Fees
Examination fees are paid through the E-Citizen platform by the deadline the Council announces for each sitting. The amount is not fixed here, so check the current notice on the CLE website.
Financial support is available. The Kenya School of Law Legal Education Fund is available through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), subject to availability and eligibility.
How to apply
For the training programme: apply online through the Kenya School of Law website.
For the Bar examination: register yourself on the CLE online Candidate Portal, upload the required documents, select the units you are sitting, and pay the examination fee through E-Citizen before the deadline.
After the exam
Passing every unit completes the Bar examination. Results and notices are published by the Council of Legal Education.
Preparation tips
Practise the compulsory question first, since it carries twice the marks of an optional one.
Prepare for the oral and project components as well as the written paper, because together they make up 40% of each unit.
Read the CLE notices for each sitting early to catch deadlines.
How long is the Advocates Training Programme?
It runs 18 months: 12 months of in-house training and 6 months of pupilage.
What is the pass mark?
50% in each unit.
How often is the Bar examination held?
Twice a year, in April and November.