After completing a law degree, or a Graduate Diploma in Law if you're a non-law graduate, you will need to take the Bar Course Aptitude Test before applying for the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC).
Before you start the BPTC, you will also need to join one of the Inns of Court, with which you will complete 12 qualifying sessions during your BPTC.
Every year around 1,700 people study a BPTC
Every year around 480 Pupillages are offered
People can apply for Pupillages for 5 years after their course
This means that every year there are around 3,000 people applying for Pupillages
On average, only 34% of BPTC students go on to get a Pupillage
The Graduate Diploma in Law (also known as the CPE) is a law conversion course for non-law graduates. The GDL takes one year to complete with full-time study. You will need to undertake this qualification if you are a non-law graduate who wants to pursue a career as a barrister.
Once you have completed a law degree or the GGL, you will need to sit the The Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT). The BCAT is a screening measure to ensure that people studying the BPTC are capable of achieving the qualification. It is necessary to take this test before applying for BPTC courses. It costs £150 if taken in the UK, and £170 if taken abroad.
Before you begin the Bar Professional Training Course, you must first belong to one of the fours Inns of Court. The Inns of Court are professional associations of barristers and only they have the power to 'call' .
The deadline to apply to join an Inn is 31 May in the year before the start of your BPTC training course.
All BPTC students must pass 12 qualifying sessions with their Inn before they can graduate from the BPTC.
Choosing your Inn
To qualify as a barrister, you need to do the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC). This is a one year course run at a university.