BCI tells Delhi High Court AIBE XXI will be held in June 2026; qualifying test for foreign law grads set for December

The Council has stated that a separate qualifying exam for Indian nationals with foreign law degrees will be held December 15–20, 2025.

Bar Council of India (BCI) has informed Delhi High Court that the next All India Bar Examination (AIBE XXI) is scheduled for June 2026. It also said a separate qualifying exam for Indian nationals with foreign law degrees will be held December 15–20, 2025.

The petition in the case came from a law graduate who completed the BCI-mandated bridge course and asked the court permission to sit the AIBE earlier without taking the extra qualifying test. The petitioner argued the additional exam defeats the bridge course’s purpose, as reported by Bar&Bench.

Justice Sachin Datta noted the timetable means the candidate would likely wait almost a year to take the AIBE. The BCI told the court that once a candidate gets provisional registration from the relevant State Bar Council, they would have two years to clear the AIBE and may begin practising in the interim.