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Does anyone fail the BCAT?

Do you know anyone who failed the BCAT? Simple question.

I suppose you can modify the question with: do you know anyone who attended a UK university, got a UK degree with a 2:2 or better and whose first language is English, who went on to fail the BCAT?

I mentioned to a friend that to enrol on the BPTC one had to first pass the BCAT, and told them what was involved. They responded with "well, if you have a (law) degree doesn't that basically imply that you are at the right level already?"

Um!?

Reply 1

kbw

Original post by typonaut

I've left it stupidly late to do mine for this coming year, so was wondering this myself. On my part I've not heard of anybody failing it, at all. I also decided to test it out by flying through the BSB practice test in 10 minutes, and still managed to get a pass. Whether that's indicative of what the actual test will be like I don't know..

Reply 2

typonaut

Original post by kbw

I've left it stupidly late to do mine for this coming year…

You should book a test ASAP - especially if you want to take it at Holborn (limited places available).

I also decided to test it out by flying through the BSB practice test in 10 minutes, and still managed to get a pass.

Well, I went through it very carefully (and I thought quite slowly), reading all the instructions – realising I had lots of time left I went through it again, slowly, and still had 10 minutes left!?

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 3

Xanyi

I do not know anyone that has failed it. The pass threshold is supposed to be ridiculously low.

It's a scam of a test to squeeze another £155 (or whatever the application fee is this year) out of prospective students, and does nothing to filter out those who have no hope of securing pupillage.

Reply 4

typonaut

Original post by Xanyi

It's a scam of a test to squeeze another £155 (or whatever the application fee is this year) out of prospective students, and does nothing to filter out those who have no hope of securing pupillage.

But where does the money go? It's £150 for EU students, £170 elsewhere.

Reply 5

Xanyi

Original post by typonaut

But where does the money go? It's £150 for EU students, £170 elsewhere.

No idea!

BSB's response when questioned on why the cost had risen from £67 (as proposed in the consultation prior to its implementation) to £150:

"When we were asked to provide a suggested fee, we were at a much earlier stage in the planning process. The published fee compares very well with other professional aptitude courses.

A combination of factors affect the price: not least ensuring it is available globally, and minimising the risk of fraud.

It is important that we recover costs and thus avoid placing a cost burden on others. We will evaluate the test carefully and ensure that the fee reflects no more than cost recovery."

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 6

RVIC

I did it a few days ago. What particularly annoyed me is that the time you take to read the instructions at the start of the test counts towards the 55 minutes. That's a discrimination claim waiting to happen! Not to mention the hopelessly ambiguous questions.

Reply 7

nulli tertius

Original post by Xanyi

Reading between the lines I think that means "we deduct a small handling charge ourselves, but the lion's share of the fee goes to the people who run the test for us"

Reply 8

typonaut

Original post by RVIC

Not to mention the hopelessly ambiguous questions.

I think the point has been made many times that these questions aren't really set-up for someone who has already done three years (or more) of law (or possibly the GDL). Because these students are geared-up towards inquiring as to the meaning and sequence of words, and the inferences that can drawn from them.

The classic, which forms part of the example test (and example in the BCAT itself), is this gem:

Two hundred students in their early teens voluntarily attended a recent weekend student
conference in a Midwestern city. At this conference, the topics of race relations and means of
achieving lasting world peace were discussed, because these were the problems the students
selected as being most vital in today’s world.

1. As a group, the students who attended this conference showed a keener interest in
broad social problems than do most other students in their early teens.

My emphasis added.

You are then asked to consider whether this it "true", "probably true", "insufficient data", "probably false" or "false". The answer, and logic for that answer is:

In the above example, inference 1 is probably true (PT) because (as is common knowledge) most
people in their early teens do not show so much serious concern with broad social problems.

I'd tend to think this one strays too far towards "insufficient data", because we aren't told anything about other students. But I think switching from "students" in the question to "people" in the explanation does nothing for the logic of the answer, and "as is common knowledge"!?

It then undermines its own logic with:

It is also possible that some of the students volunteered
to attend mainly because they wanted a weekend outing.

You can find the archive of the BSB description of the BCAT here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20121007223229/http://barstandardsboard.org.uk/qualifying-as-a-barrister/bar-professional-training-course/aptitude-test/

The link to the example questions is at the bottom of the page, or here is the direct link:

http://web.archive.org/web/20121007223229/http://barstandardsboard.org.uk/media/1344440/watsonglaser_form_ab_example_questions.pdf

Reply 9

monokurobuu

Original post by RVIC

This really infuriated me and seems to give a massive advanntage to people who are forced to take these things on the regular. Despite my somewhat er... mature age, my parents became extremely worried about the BCAT and wanted to insist I go through the practice one with my father. But remembering how infuriated he got when we did the same thing with the Faststream maths practice when they got the answers wrong that was thankfully shelved. Really these things seem to be more about guessing what the mind of the test take would think is logical than actual logic.

Original post by typonaut

I got similarly annoyed by the city in England question too. As, if you're going to bring 'common knowledge' into it, students don't have much money therefore if you lived somewhere like the Shetlands you'd be less likely to travel to a city in England for an event therefore PF not ID as we do know information about the location.

ETA: Actually took the thing and passed. I have failed these things before (not the BCAT), so it is at least keeping someone out. Namely me (ish).