Bar Council “disappointed” with decision to scrap BCAT
updated on 25 July 2022
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The Bar Council has said it is “disappointed” in the Bar Standard Board’s (BSB) decision to scrap the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) because it “no longer […] serves a useful purpose” without making sure there are alternatives in place.
The BCAT, which was introduced in 2013, will be scrapped from 31 July. Commenting on its decision, the BSB said it will “continue to monitor providers carefully to ensure that their own selection of students is fair and rigorous”.
The Bar Council had previously raised concerns that scrapping the BCAT could lead to another increase in the number of “students wasting money embarking on courses they will struggle to pass”. Mark Fenhalls QC, chair of the Bar Council, added: “We fully support the aims of making sure the Bar is accessible to people from all backgrounds and so we are disappointed that the decision to scrap the BCAT has been made without putting robust alternative provisions in place.
“The BSB should be doing more to make sure students are not being recruited onto expensive courses that do not lead to successful careers at the Bar.”
The BCAT was introduced to test aptitude for critical thinking and reasoning – key skills required for the vocational stage of barrister training, the Bar courses. The BCAT aimed to make sure that those enrolling on Bar courses had the skills to pass.
