Bar codes to be used in Bar exams

For the first time in the history of the Bar exams, bar codes will be used on the booklets of the 6,344 examinees.

 

At a news briefing Friday, Supreme Court Public Information Office chief and spokesman Theodore Te said the "Bar Code System" was put in place "to modernize the conduct of the Bar exams and make the process of checking, encoding, and decoding the examination booklets faster and more secure."

 

The new system replaces the "Name Card" system used in previous Bar exams.

 

For every exam booklet, an examinee will find three bar codes, two bar codes stickered on the exam notebook and one attached to the notebook.

 

A headwatcher, after an examinee has inspected the correctness of the information contained in the third bar code, will detach the third bar code from the booklet and stick it on the seat plan, with corresponding boxes and numbers as appearing on the list of examinees.

 

The information included in the third bar code are the following: name of the examinee, name of the law school where the examinee graduated, and the room and building assignment of the examinee.

 

"By reason of the Bar Code system, only one examination notebook shall be used by every bar examinee per bar subject," said the SC in a memorandum signed by 2014 Bar chair Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta.

 

The SC said the bar codes are scratchproof, but advised the examinees not to write on it, stain it, or fold it because it might render the code unreadable by the machine.

 

In case a notebook has to be replaced, the original will have to be attached to the replacement because the bar code cannot be physically transferred to the new booklet.

Liquor ban, transparent bags

 

Te also announced that the local government of Manila would be imposing a liquor ban within 200 meters from the perimeter of the University of Santo Tomas from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the four Sundays of the Bar exams.

 

The exams will be held on October 5, 12, 19 and 26.

 

Te said of the 6,344 examinees this year, 3,115 are first-timers while 3,229 are repeat takers.

 

The latest innovation came on the heels of several Bar bulletins and guidelines issued by the SC in the past weeks in preparation for the exams.

 

Among these guidelines and policies was the use of transparent or see-through bags and containers during the test.

 

In a Bar Bulletin, the SC said the policy will be observed to speed-up the inspection of bags and personal belongings of the examinees before entering their respective room assignments.

 

The new measure was also put in place to further ensure the safety and security of the examinees and Bar personnel, the court added.

 

The high court over the weekend issued Bar Bulletin No. 20 where it listed this year's 6,344 examinees.

 

The list can be accessed from the Bar microsite of the SC's website.

 

The high court said updates and reminders are accessible on its microsite.

 

Earlier, it issued bulletins advising the public on traffic arrangements around UST during the Sundays of October when the exams will be held.  — RSJ, GMA News