AIBE to Be Held Twice a Year; Final-Semester LLB Students Eligible: BCI Informs Supreme Court
In a decisive move to streamline the transition from legal education to professional practice, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has informed the Supreme Court of India that it has framed new rules allowing the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) to be conducted twice annually and permitting final-semester LLB students to appear for the exam under specified conditions.
The development was disclosed on Tuesday before a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which was hearing a writ petition filed in 2024 by a group of final-year law students challenging a BCI notification that previously barred them from taking the AIBE before graduation.
Under the newly framed BCI Rules 2026, final-year law students will be eligible to appear for the AIBE provided they successfully clear their final university examinations. The Bar Council’s counsel told the court that the exam — a mandatory qualifying test for enrolment as an advocate with any State Bar Council — will now be held a minimum of two times every year, instead of once.
The Supreme Court noted that the BCI’s action satisfied the objectives of the petition and disposed of the plea, recording the submission that the regulatory framework has now been updated.
Background and Significance
The AIBE is a qualifying examination conducted by the BCI that law graduates must pass to obtain a Certificate of Practice, enabling them to enrol as advocates and practice law in Indian courts. Traditionally, the exam was held once a year and only law graduates who had completed their degrees were eligible to apply.
However, students and legal educators long argued that barring final-semester students from taking the AIBE caused unnecessary delays in beginning legal practice, often leaving graduates in a “lost year” gap between finishing academics and entering the profession.
In September 2024, the Supreme Court had already granted interim relief by directing the BCI to allow final-year students to appear in that year’s AIBE and stressed that denying them the opportunity would result in loss of valuable time. In 2023, the top court had also asked the BCI to formulate clear rules to this effect.
What This Change Means for Law Students
- 📍 Earlier AIBE Access: Final-semester LLB students can now register and take the AIBE before officially graduating, subject to later clearing their final law exams.
- 📍 Biannual Exams: Conducting the AIBE twice yearly will provide greater flexibility and reduce waiting times for graduates seeking to enter legal practice.
- 📍 Reduced Career Delay: This reform aims to prevent gaps in legal careers and align examination schedules with academic calendars.
BCI’s measures reflect a growing recognition that procedural technicalities should not impede the path from legal education to professional work — a sentiment repeatedly echoed by the Supreme Court during hearings.
