Trainee barristers say webcam exam plan 'discriminatory' and puts women at disadvantage
Trainee barristers have revolted over plans to sit three-hour exams over webcam amid claims of discrimination against women.
The Bar Standards Board (BSB), the professional regulatory body for barristers, sets exams that form part of the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), which all prospective barristers need to complete.
The exams were due to take place in April, but were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the BSB has released details of new webcam-recorded exams, which law students claim are "discriminatory exam proposals". The rules say entrants face disqualification if they are not seen on camera because they could use the time to consult textbooks.
On Monday, a coalition of BPTC students wrote to the BSB to raise their concerns and demand changes.
Female students have warned that the new rules place them "at a particular disadvantage" because "women need to empty their bladder more frequently than men" and may also "get their period during the exam".
"Sitting exams without the option to go to the bathroom may therefore mean an unpleasant experience for many women and would certainly have an adverse impact on their exam performance," the students said.
The letter raised concerns about "the lack of prior consultation, the ongoing lack of information about the exams and the potentially unfair and discriminatory impact of the current proposals".
Under the new rules, students are required to be recorded by a webcam throughout their exams. They must be sitting in front of their computers, without breaks in any circumstances, for the duration of the exams – between two-and-a-half and three hours or longer for those with adjustments, for example for dyslexia.
Moving away from the webcam will result in automatic termination, while students are required to sit the exams in a private and quiet room without extraneous noise.
A survey of 335 BPTC students showed that 92.6 per cent felt that the arrangements would negatively affect their ability to perform in the exams.
The BSB has contracted American testing company Pearson VUE to administer the online test for August.
A BSB spokesman said: "Scheduling the exams as computer-based examinations in August means that students can progress as planned to pupillage or other study/employment in the autumn.
"We know that some BPTC students will be anxious about taking their exams in this way and, since we have had to change the way in which the exams are delivered, we have asked the BPTC providers to conduct an urgent reassessment of their students' needs.
"BPTC providers will be in contact with students shortly to discuss their individual needs with them in the first instance. We are working very closely with the BPTC providers and Pearson VUE.
"We are very conscious of the need to ensure that the arrangements we have made are fair for everyone and we are committed to working with relevant experts, providers and others as we prepare to deliver the exams in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty and our duty to make reasonable adjustments and our wider commitment to accessibility.
"We will also be publishing further guidance for students around these issues shortly."
