The Supreme Court disclosed that an 86-year-old applicant took the 2023 Bar examinations that were concluded last Sunday, 24 September.

The oldest bar examinee took the three-day tests in San Beda College – Alabang (SBCA), while the youngest was a 23-year-old applicant assigned to the University of the Philippines – Bonifacio Global City local testing center (LTC) in Taguig City.

No other details though were provided by the SC about the oldest and youngest bar examinees this year.

Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando, 2023 Bar examinations chairperson, expresses his profound gratitude to all who helped in making the 2023 Bar exams a "smashing success" on 24 September, the last day of the exams.

The 2023 Bar examinations came to a successful conclusion, with 10,387 examinees out of the original 10,791 Bar applicants taking the exams, or equivalent to a 96.26 percent turnout, hurdling all three days of the professional licensure exams for future lawyers.

"I am overwhelmed by the smooth, peaceful, and orderly turnout of the 2023 Bar examinations. It was more than what I hoped and envisioned it would be. Indeed, it was a smashing success," said Hernando.

Raising the bar for this year's Bar examinations, Justice Hernando made sure that this year's regionalized and digitalized Bar was accessible and inclusive to all examinees, including those with special needs, to take the exams under exceptional accommodations.

Conducted in 14 local testing centers nationwide, the Bar exams on the last day were on Criminal Law and Remedial Law, Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises.

Ensuring accessibility and inclusivity, this year's Bar Examinations was a testament to Justice Hernando's commitment to promote accessibility and inclusivity within the framework of digitalized and regionalized Bar examinations, in line with the institutional objectives of the Supreme Court.

Upon the recommendation of Hernando, the Court, through separate issuances, and after carefully considering the highly exceptional circumstances surrounding the applicants, allowed select examinees with special needs to take this year's examinations under exceptional accommodations, either through the traditional handwritten modality, with an encoder‟s assistance, or with the use of the novel Digital Booklet Method.