Bar Professional Training Course

Part of our Directory of legal education in the UK, this page includes information about the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) – previously Bar Vocational Course (BVC) – the vocational course for law graduates intending to become barristers.

The purpose of the BPTC is to ensure that aspiring barristers acquire the skills and knowledge needed for the more specialised training of pupillage.

The course may be taken either full or part time – for further information and details of providers see the BVC section of the Bar Standards Board website or the Law Careers.net course search page.

AllAboutLaw’s BVC section includes profiles of the providers and a range of articles about becoming a barrister, while QED Law publishes information about BVC pass rates at each of the providers. Finally, the Bar Council’s It’s your call booklet (PDF file) gives comprehensive information on a career at the Bar.

Background to the BVC changes

A BVC Review Group was set up in October 2007, chaired by Derek Wood QC. The Wood report, published in July 2008, proposed a number of changes – see the BVC consultation section of the Bar Standards Board website for details of the new course, due to come into effect from 2010-11.

An article on the review by Valerie Shrimplin (Bar Standards Board) appeared in the Policy and Education Developments section of The Law Teacher 43(1):82-90, March 2009.

Last Modified: 4 June 2010