Public supports stronger ongoing competence checks for lawyers – Legal Futures

‘There is near unanimity among the public that lawyers should have to demonstrate more actively than now that they remain competent throughout their careers, the Legal Services Board has found.’

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Legal Futures, 9th July 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Option for online exams to become permanent, SRA decides – Legal Futures

‘Emergency measures allowing legal practice course (LPC) students to take their exams at home during the pandemic are to become permanent where there is a “clear rationale” to do so, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has decided.’

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Legal Futures, 25th May 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Review of Bar exam chaos points finger at BSB and Pearson VUE – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) and electronic testing company Pearson VUE have both come under fire from the independent review of last year’s Bar professional training course (BPTC) exams.’

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Legal Futures, 7th May 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Algorithms and Education: A New Frontier of Discrimination? – Oxford Human Rights Hub

‘In this brief post, I want to demonstrate how ostensibly neutral and efficient algorithms can cause discrimination in education. Last year, the national advanced level qualifications (“A-levels”) exams in the UK that lead to places in university, further study, training, or work had to be cancelled because of school closures owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. In mitigation, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (“Ofqual”) asked teachers to supply an estimated grade for each student and a ranking that compared with every other student at the school within the same estimated grade. This data went into an algorithm that also factored the school’s performance in the subject over the previous three years. The animating purpose behind the algorithm was to avoid ‘grade inflation’ and ensuring consistency with previous year’s results. When the grades were announced, the outcome was devastating for many. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, nearly 40% of results were lower than teachers’ assessments. The effects of “downgraded” results were disproportionately felt in comparatively poorly resourced state schools.’

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Oxford Human Rights Hub, 15th March 2021

Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk

Bar students and BPP at odds over face-to-face exam this week – Legal Futures

Posted January 6th, 2021 in barristers, coronavirus, examinations, legal education, news, universities by sally

‘Last night’s announcement of a new lockdown has thrown a new element into the dispute between BPP Law School and Bar students over a scheduled face-to-face exam this week.’

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Legal Futures, 5th January 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

BSB appoints reviewer to probe summer exam fiasco – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 5th, 2020 in barristers, computer programs, examinations, legal education, news by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board has appointed an independent reviewer to find out what went wrong during the summer exam period, in which a quarter of bar school examinations could not be completed due to technical faults.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 4th November 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Review of BSB decision-making will not cover exams furore – Legal Futures

Posted September 30th, 2020 in barristers, coronavirus, examinations, legal education, Legal Services Board, news by sally

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) has launched its review of the quality of the Bar Standards Board’s (BSB) decision-making – but is not going to look at the controversy around last month’s Bar exams.’

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Legal Futures, 30th September 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

BSB: Bar students’ results “broadly in line” with the average – Legal Futures

Posted September 28th, 2020 in barristers, coronavirus, examinations, internet, legal education, news by sally

‘The early signs are that the performance of Bar professional training course students in last month’s controversial exams was “broadly in line” with the average, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) said yesterday.’

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Legal Futures, 25th September 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar students required to decide exam retake before knowing results – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 18th, 2020 in barristers, coronavirus, examinations, legal education, news by tracey

‘Aspiring barristers caught up in last month’s bar exam fiasco will have to decide whether or not to retake them before knowing their results.nStudents have until 21 September to register to take the centralised Bar Professional Training Course in professional ethics and civil and criminal litigation – using the traditional pen and paper – starting from 5 October. They will have to decide before knowing the results of their August exams, which were plagued with technical faults. The civil and criminal litigation results for the August sit will be released on 12 October. The professional ethics results will be released on 6 November.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 17th September 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

BSB: Exams problems “worse than thought” as it rejects alternative plan – Legal Futures

Posted September 14th, 2020 in barristers, coronavirus, equality, examinations, internet, legal education, news by tracey

‘Problems with the Bar exams were far more extensive than previously reported, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has admitted as it announced traditional “pen and paper” resits next month.’

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Legal Futures, 14th September 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Grammar school discriminated against visually impaired child, tribunal finds – The Guardian

‘Grammar schools in England will have to ensure their 11-plus entrance exams are accessible to disabled pupils, after a legal ruling found a visually impaired child suffered discrimination when he was refused the opportunity to take the exam.’

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The Guardian, 9th September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

GCSE results: Key Q&As for Students and Schools – 3PB

Posted August 28th, 2020 in chambers articles, coronavirus, education, examinations, news, school children by sally

‘This year is a year like no other. Students have found out how they performed in exams they did not even sit. The Department for Education (“DfE”) changed its approach in a major U-turn five days after the A Level results were released.’

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3PB, 20th August 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Bar students call on regulator to waive exam requirement – Legal Futures

Posted August 20th, 2020 in barristers, computer programs, coronavirus, examinations, legal education, news by sally

‘A petition calling on the Bar Standards Board (BSB) to waive the requirement that Bar students complete the centralised BSB exams has attracted more than 1,000 signatures on its first day.’

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Legal Futures, 20th August 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

BSB chief aims to arrange exam resits as soon as possible – Legal Futures

Posted August 18th, 2020 in barristers, complaints, computer programs, examinations, legal education, news by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is looking to arrange another round of exams well before December, its chief executive has told Legal Futures, as complaints about the online system mount.’

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Legal Futures, 18th August 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Successful TOEIC appellants to be granted 2.5 years Leave to Remain – Garden Court Chambers

‘The Home Office has agreed that any TOEIC appellants who succeed in their appeals on Article 8 grounds, should be granted 2.5 years leave to remain.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 4th August 2020

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

A-level student launches legal bid against Ofqual – The Guardian

‘An A-level student has launched a legal bid against the exams regulator Ofqual to “force them to come up with a fairer system”.’

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The Guardian, 16th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

A-level results: ‘Huge mess’ as exams appeal guidance withdrawn – BBC News

‘The exams regulator is reviewing its guidance on how to appeal against A-level and GCSE grades using mock exam results – hours after publishing it.’

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BBC News, 16th August 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Muslim Bar student “forced to defer exam” over headscarf demand – Legal Futures

‘A Muslim Bar student has spoken about how she felt forced to defer her exams to December because the Bar Standards Board (BSB) said she had to remove her headscarf for ID purposes but could not guarantee that it would a woman who would watch.’

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Legal Futures, 14th August 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

A-level Students Consider Legal Action Over Downgrade ‘Discrimination’ – Each Other

‘The government could face legal action over the mass downgrading of A-level results in England, with affected students saying they feel discriminated against over their school’s track-record.’

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Each Other, 13th August 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

Barristers step in to support beleaguered Bar students – Legal Futures

Posted August 13th, 2020 in barristers, complaints, computer programs, examinations, legal education, news by sally

‘Barristers have offered to support the dozens of Bar students who have so far reported major problems with taking their exams, including having to urinate into bottles and buckets in front of their computers.’

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Legal Futures, 13th August 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk