BCI Should Scrap AIBE Exam and Issue CoP Based on Graduation Marks: Shiksha Poll

The poll, which asked users whether AIBE should continue or be scrapped in favour of using graduation marks as the benchmark for granting the Certificate of Practice (CoP), received strong and varied responses. 47% of respondents believe that the AIBE should be scrapped altogether, asserting that it is a redundant exercise and that law graduates should be granted the CoP based solely on their graduation performance. Read further to know more.

BCI Should Scrap AIBE Exam and Issue CoP Based on Graduation Marks: Shiksha Poll

A recent poll conducted by Shiksha.com has sparked a fresh debate over the relevance of the All India Bar Examination (AIBE), which is conducted by the Bar Council of India (BCI) as a mandatory certification test for law graduates. The poll, which asked users whether AIBE should continue or be scrapped in favour of using graduation marks as the benchmark for granting the Certificate of Practice (CoP), received strong and varied responses.

According to the poll results, 47% of respondents believe that the AIBE should be scrapped altogether, asserting that it is a redundant exercise and that law graduates should be granted the CoP based solely on their graduation performance. This section argues that students already go through rigorous law school examinations and that adding another layer of testing after graduation is unnecessary.

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On the other hand, 31% of voters supported the continuation of AIBE, stating that the exam plays an essential role in ensuring uniformity and minimum standardisation of legal knowledge among aspiring lawyers across the country. They believe that AIBE helps filter out candidates who may have passed law school without acquiring sufficient legal understanding.

Meanwhile, 18% of the respondents proposed reforming AIBE rather than abolishing it. They suggested transforming the current format into a more skill-based and practice-oriented examination. According to this group, AIBE lacks relevance in its present form but has the potential to become a meaningful assessment tool if restructured to test practical legal skills such as drafting, argumentation, and client interaction.

However, the BCI maintains that AIBE is a necessary filter to ensure that only competent candidates enter the legal profession. It asserts that without such a standardised exam, the quality of legal practitioners could vary drastically due to inconsistent legal education across institutions. The poll clearly indicates a growing dissatisfaction among students and early-career legal professionals with the current structure of the AIBE. The suggestions to make it skill-based or scrap it altogether reflect a need for the Bar Council to reconsider the exam’s format, purpose, and execution.

With nearly half the respondents favouring the removal of AIBE, the debate is likely to continue gaining momentum. Whether the BCI will take these voices into account and initiate reforms remains to be seen.