Bar Course

Overview

The Bar Course is the vocational stage of training to become a barrister in England and Wales. It sits between the academic stage (usually a law degree or a conversion course) and pupillage. It is regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and taught by training organisations the BSB has authorised, which choose their own course names. The aim is to build the practical skills, knowledge of procedure and evidence, and professional attitudes that the BSB expects of a new barrister.

Who can apply

To enrol you must have completed the academic component of Bar training, be a member of one of the four Inns of Court, and be fluent in English. The BSB's standard for English is a score of at least 7.5 in each section of the IELTS Academic test, or at least 73 in each section of the Pearson Test of English Academic, with a current and valid certificate. Individual training providers may add their own admission criteria.

Exam pattern

The Bar Course combines assessments set centrally by the BSB with assessments set by each provider.

Centrally set assessments

All are multiple choice and marked electronically by the BSB. Civil Litigation is assessed in two parts, and you must attempt both and meet the pass standard to be judged competent; you cannot bank the result of one part.

Provider-set assessments

Each provider assesses the remaining subjects and practical skills of the course itself, so the format varies between providers.

Syllabus

The two centrally examined subjects are Civil Litigation and Evidence, and Criminal Litigation, Evidence and Sentencing. The BSB publishes a syllabus for each. The criminal litigation syllabus notes that its examinable material may be amended to reflect changes to the criminal justice system announced by the Ministry of Justice in December 2025.

Levels or stages

Providers offer the course in three formats.

Single-part course

One course covering the whole vocational component, taken full-time over about one year or part-time over a longer period.

Two-part course

The course is split into two parts, which may mix face-to-face teaching with self-study.

Integrated programme

An undergraduate law degree combined with extra years of vocational study. Some courses also lead to an academic award such as an LLM.

The BSB requires a Bar training course to be completed in full.

Marking and results

The centrally set assessments are assessed against a pass standard to be judged competent. The pass standard is set using a criterion-referenced method, so the raw mark needed can differ between sittings, and it is reported to providers as 60 percent.

Important dates

The centrally set assessments run several times a year. In 2026 the BSB scheduled summer sittings on 17, 19 and 21 August, with results due by the end of September 2026, and winter sittings on 10, 15 and 17 December 2026, with results due at the end of January 2027. Check the BSB manual for the full sitting calendar, which runs to 2030.

Fees

Fees are set by each training provider, not by the BSB. Compare them on the providers' own sites.

How to apply

Join an Inn of Court, meet the English language requirement, then apply directly to a training provider from the BSB's list of authorised organisations. The BSB's list shows which providers are authorised to teach the course.

After the exam

Once the vocational component is complete, the next stage is pupillage, the work-based training that leads to qualification as a barrister. The Inn of Court will call you to the Bar when the requirements are met.