Mixed emotions as bar exam results released: 888 fail, 251 earn top honors

The results of the Nigerian Bar exams, conducted in November 2023, have been released, revealing a mixture of success stories and dashed dreams. While 251 candidates achieved the coveted first-class distinction, a significant number, 888, were unsuccessful.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, announced the results at the Call to Bar ceremony held in Abuja, on Tuesday. While expressing pride in the high number of first-class honorees – an unprecedented achievement – Prof. Chiroma acknowledged the disappointment of those who failed.

He said, “Mr. Chairman, distinguished members of the Body of Benchers, I will be presenting at this Call to the Bar ceremonies a total of 4,412 candidates who were successful at the November 2023 Bar Final examinations as well as 14 candidates from previous Bar Final Examinations

“I am happy to report on the good performance recorded by the candidates as seen in the Executive Summary below: Outstanding/General Performance.

“Total number of students who participated in the Examinations: 5,300.

“Total number of successful candidates: 4,412

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“The Nigerian Law School is proudly happy to report that a total number of 251 candidates bagged first class grade in the last Bar final examination. This is indeed an outstanding excellent performance and, of course, unprecedented.

“These figures translate to 83.3 per cent success at the Bar final examinations.”

The high failure rate has sparked discussions about the difficulty of the bar exams and the effectiveness of law school preparation programs. Some legal professionals suggest reviewing the curriculum to ensure it adequately equips students for the rigors of the exams. Others emphasize the importance of individual student effort and focus during their studies.

The breakdown of the results paints a clearer picture. Out of a total of 5,300 candidates who sat for the exams, 4,412 passed, translating to an overall success rate of approximately 83.3%. This percentage suggests a challenging but achievable bar exam, with a significant portion of candidates demonstrating the necessary legal knowledge and skills.

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