BAR EXAM

Objectives of the Bar Exam

The objective of the Bar Exam is to examine a law graduate’s capacity to practice law in the Maldives. The exam will assess skills at a basic level by addressing a candidate’s analytical abilities and understanding of the law and is intended to set a minimum benchmark for admission to practice.

The Bar Exam will be administered once every calendar year.

Eligibility requirements for the Bar Exam

Candidates wishing to sit the Bar Exam must:

  • be a Maldivian citizen;
  • have obtained a qualifying law degree from an accredited institution (foreign graduates must have a degree which is accepted as a qualifying law degree for the purposes of licensing in the jurisdiction in which it was issued);
  • have fulfilled all applicable registration requirements; and
  • have paid the examination fees.

Further details on these will be published closer to the exam date.

Bar Exam 2023 (BE2023)

Competency Requirements for Bar Exam 2023

  1. A competent newly qualified lawyer of the Maldives must be able to apply fundamental legal rules and principles to client problems which s/he might encounter in practice.
  2. In relatively straightforward and routine cases s/he will, without assistance, must be able to conduct a case from start to conclusion. In order to do this s/he must be able to identify the main legal issues a client matter raises. S/he must then be able to apply the law to demonstrably progress the client’s matter through its various stages while protecting the client’s interests. S/he must be able to represent the client in court, putting forward the client’s case and defending it reasonably effectively.
  3. In more complex cases s/he should be able to make an initial judgement about some aspects of the case and progress more routine aspects of it. S/he may need assistance from those with more experience with aspects requiring more sophisticated knowledge of the law, greater judgement and innovative solutions.
  4. S/he must be able to recognise common situations which raise issues of ethical conduct and ensure that s/he acts in a way which upholds the ethical standards of the profession.

Structure of the Bar Exam

The Bar Exam will be a multiple-choice exam, testing the knowledge to practice in the following areas:

  1. Tort Law
  2. Criminal Law and Procedure
  3. Constitutional and Administrative Law
  4. Contract Law and Practice
  5. Land Law and Practice
  6. Maldivian Legal System

Syllabus

The syllabus for the BE2023 is attached below

BE2023_Syllabus

Reading Lists

Reading Lists for the six examinable areas have been developed to assist the preparation for the exam.

Link to Exam Reading Materials:

BE2023 Reading Lists

Disclaimer: The reading lists aim to address concerns of stakeholders regarding the lack of resources or platforms to be able to find the necessary materials for the examinees’ preparation for the BE2023. As such, the reading lists are prepared as a study aid for the BE2023.

Exam dates

Bar Exam 2023 will be held on 21 October 2023.

The exact time will be announced in due course.

Practice Questions

The following sample questions illustrate the kind of questions that appear on BE2023. Each question is followed by 4 suggested answers of which candidates should select the single best answer. The answer key is at the bottom of the PDF document.

The sample questions do not represent all the material that is covered by BE2023 and may cover material about which there are no questions in BE2023.

To model the pacing required for BE2023 these questions should be answered in 40 minutes.

Bar-Exam-Practice-Questions

Registration

BE2023 is now open for registration.

Please apply via this link: https://forms.office.com/r/DeUBZ1CyKr

You will need to upload the following documents when submitting the registration form.
1. National ID card
2. Passport photo
3. Law degree certificate or completion letter issued by the graduating institution (stamped)
4. Full transcript

Location

Based on the number of registrations the 2023 Bar Exam is now scheduled to be held only in Male’ City.

Assessment Rules and Policies and Exam Standards

Please find below the Assessment Rules and Policies and Exam Standards for the Bar Exam

Assessment Rules and Policies
BE2023_Bar-Exam-Standards

To access the relevant Google Forms, please use the provided links.

BE2023_APPEAL FORM: BE2023-Appeal Form

BE2023_MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES CLAIM FORM: BE2023-Mitigating Circumstances Claim Form

BE2023_WITHDRAWAL FORM: BE2023-Withdrawal Form

BE2023_SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION REQUEST FORM: BE2023-Special Accommodation Request Form

Updates and queries

Please keep referring to this page for updated information related to BE2023.

All Bar Exam-related queries should be sent to bar-exam@maldivesbarcouncil.org

If you are a Maldivian law student or law graduate, the Bar Council invites you to join the Aspiring Lawyers Forum, the dedicated communications platform for all those seeking to join the legal profession to communicate directly with the Bar Council regarding all aspects of legal education in the Maldives, Licensing Training, the Bar Exam, and Admission to the Bar.

The Bar Council will be using the Aspiring Lawyers Forum as its primary communications platform to disseminate information to all those seeking admission to the Maldivian Bar, so all Maldivian law students and law graduates are urged to sign up to this platform.

Sign up for the Aspiring Lawyers Forum using this link: https://forms.office.com/r/DeUBZ1CyKr