FAQs

Everything you need to know

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why choose the Bar Exam Course?

Preparing for the bar exam can be overwhelming. Figuring out how to prepare for the bar exam takes precious time and energy that could be better spent actually preparing. Simply navigating the VicBar Reading Guide can feel like an immense, never-ending task, and it doesn’t teach you the essential skills and techniques you need to pass the exam. The Bar Exam Course provides a structured, proven framework where the tools for success are clearly laid out for you, along with the support to use them effectively and efficiently.

The BEC is the only program in Victoria with a proven history of guiding students to success on the bar exam. It is the only course founded, delivered and overseen by a barrister – someone who has personally passed the exam.

Caitlin Dwyer, a barrister herself, is the heart and soul of the BEC. She is motivated, not by profit, but by a true passion for helping others succeed. Over years, her dedication to this cause and hard-won insights into the myriad hurdles students face during their preparation have shaped a truly comprehensive and responsive course of unparalleled quality. She can help you understand and overcome any obstacles standing in your way. She is the most experienced and dedicated coach you could have. With her expert support, you’ll gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to tackle the bar exam head-on, knowing you have the best possible preparation behind you.

Can I do the course from interstate or overseas?

Yes! The BEC Course Materials are all electronic. The seminars are recorded. You can study from anywhere. All enrolees are encouraged to join Slack (like a Whatsapp on steroids) where we connect, make study groups (including online groups), ask and answer questions and share the trials and tribulations of bar exam preparation. You can have a very engaged and connected study experience despite geographical distance.

The Bar Exam Course is designed specifically for the Victorian exam but the style, skills and some content are transferrable. If you are sitting an interstate exam, it would be your obligation to adapt the BEC materials to the content and demands of your exam. Candidates from NSW and Queensland have done so.

Do the seminars count towards my CPD requirements?

CPD compliance for Victorian legal practitioners is self assessed against r 7 of the Legal Profession Uniform Continuing Professional Development (Solicitors) Rules 2015, which provides:
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Each CPD activity undertaken by a solicitor must be an activity:

Of significant intellectual or practical content and must deal primarily with matters related to the solicitor’s practice of law, and
Conducted by persons who are qualified by practical or academic experience in the subject covered, and
That extends the solicitor’s knowledge and skills in areas that are relevant to the solicitor’s practice needs or professional development.

As such, each candidate will need to assess whether each seminar can count towards their CPD requirements.

Can I start early?

Yes. Enrolments will be open well in advance of course commencement. Upon early enrolment, you will be given access to the most recent version of the Course Materials. This includes the Guide which contains a number of recommendations for effective early study. This is particularly useful for those whose commitments will prevent them from spending 20 hours a week on the BEC.

What is your pass rate?

The exact pass rate of BEC vs non-BEC candidates has not been measured recently due to difficulties in obtaining the necessary data. When passing the exam meant completing the next Readers’ Course, the BEC pass rate looked to be about 60% compared with a 40% overall pass rate.

However, enrolling in the BEC has never been enough to succeed. Within the BEC cohort, the level of engagement and commitment of a candidate to the BEC method (which includes significant reflection on how you learn) is the strongest predictor of success. The BEC Guide provides a number of recommendations for pre-planning and study habits you can create to keep you engaged and on track during the course.

Can I do the course anonymously?

Yes. Your enrolment in the BEC is confidential. You can also keep your details confidential within the course cohort.

If live seminars or tutorials are offered in your cohort, attend virtually, ensure you use a pseudonym and use the chat functions rather than participating verbally as these events may be recorded and made available to the entire current cohort or future cohorts.

The course uses Slack for asking questions and connecting with other candidates. Your email address will be hidden and you can use a pseudonym on this platform.

Can I enrol a second (or third) time?

Yes! Returning students can avail themselves of a discount. Please mention you are a returning student and provide your previous candidate number upon seeking to re-enrol.

When is payment due?

Enrolments close approximately 16 weeks before the exam date, this is the time by which payment is due. Course materials are not released until payment is made in full. Part payments are not available.

I am going on holiday during the course, can I still enrol?

The BEC is extremely fast paced. Successful candidates spend approximately 20-25 hours per week, every week on the course.

The course can be done from any location with internet, so if you wish to continue your study whilst away, that is no problem.

If you intend to take a break from the course, then you need to work out how to recover the necessary hours. That could be starting the course earlier, or taking extra leave upon your return to allow you to catch up.

The only part of the 2024 course which is time specific is the marking of practice exams. That requires exams to be completed in Weeks 4, 7, 11 and 13 of the course, the timing of which can only be assessed once the exam date is set. You still have access to the exams outside of this period but they would not be marked.

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