Latest data from the Council of Legal Education (CLE) shows a sharp decline in performance among candidates sitting the November 2025 Kenya School of Law (KSL) bar exams. Out of 1,834 candidates, only 397 passed all nine units of the Advocates Training Programme (ATP), CLE’s mandatory examination for admission to the High Court of Kenya.
The results also revealed a notable gender trend: female candidates outperformed their male counterparts, continuing a pattern seen in previous years. The bar exam, conducted from November 13 to November 25, 2025, assesses candidates across nine units, each of which must be passed for admission as an advocate.
CLE acknowledged that the November 2025 results represent a worrying dip in performance compared to the November 2024 examinations. “Overall, the November 2025 examinations reflect a dip in performance compared to the November 2024 ATP examination,” CLE stated in a public notice on its website.
The council registered 1,835 regular candidates and 1,133 resits for this round of exams, totaling 2,968 candidates. Among the units, ATP 104 Trial Advocacy recorded the highest pass rate at 97.49 percent, while ATP 105 Professional Ethics lagged significantly, with only 25.38 percent of candidates passing. CLE noted that this marks the third consecutive exam cycle in which Professional Ethics has had the lowest pass rates, raising concerns about the unit’s difficulty and student preparedness.
CLE’s data shows that failure at the bar exam has been a recurring challenge for more than 15 years. Candidates must pass all nine units, along with oral exams and written projects, to qualify for bar admission. A score of at least 50 percent across all assessments is required. Trainees must also undergo six months of supervised pupillage under an experienced advocate post-admission.
The council noted that while the high failure rate is concerning, it continues to implement reforms in exam administration, marking, and result dissemination.
“CLE is guided by its vision of developing innovative legal professionals through transformative legal education and training in Kenya,” the notice read.
CLE further highlighted its commitment to aligning legal training with modern practice trends through stakeholder engagement and forums such as the “Future of Legal Education,” ensuring that reforms are evidence-based and responsive to the evolving legal landscape.
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