About the ICCA Bar Course

Taught by barristers with collectively 130 years’ experience at the Bar, the ICCA Bar Course is innovative, flexible, accessible and offers outstanding quality content.

The ICCA Bar Course is delivered in two parts using a combination of in-person teaching, e-learning, and self-study. Validated by King’s College London, the ICCA Bar Course is designed to equip graduates with the knowledge and vital practitioner skills required for pupillage and beyond, preparing for life as a barrister.

The ICCA Bar Course structure explained in three minutes

Download a transcript of this video.

Course Structure

Part One

Part One is delivered entirely online, learning is through self-study which you complete at your own pace. This means there are no timetabled sessions.

Module	Mode	Assessment
Civil Litigation, Evidence and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)	Self-study, online learning	BSB centrally-set assessments Part 1: Closed-book – multiple choice questions (MCQs) and single best answer questions (SBAs). Duration: 2 hours Part 2: Open-book [White Book] – MCQs and SBAs, including rolling case scenarios. Duration: 2.5 hours
Criminal Litigation, Evidence and Sentencing	Self-study, online learning	BSB centrally-set assessments 75 MCQs and SBAs. Duration: 3 hours

Module

Mode

Assessment

Civil Litigation, Evidence and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Self-study, online learning

BSB centrally-set assessments

Part 1: Closed-book – multiple choice questions (MCQs) and single best answer questions (SBAs).
Duration: 2 hours
Part 2: Open-book [White Book] – MCQs and SBAs, including rolling case scenarios.
Duration: 2.5 hours

Criminal Litigation, Evidence and Sentencing

Self-study, online learning

BSB centrally-set assessments

75 MCQs and SBAs.
Duration: 3 hours

There are three opportunities per year to sit the BSB assessments: April, August and December. Assessments are generally taken online however alternative arrangements can be discussed if this is not suitable. If an in-person assessment is required outside the UK, there may be a cost to the student for this.

Part Two

Part Two is delivered in-person. Teaching takes places in the Inns of Court (Gray’s Inn, Inner Temple, Lincoln’s Inn and Middle Temple); all sessions are timetabled.

Module	Mode	Assessment
Advocacy All sessions are taught in small groups of 6 by experienced practitioners	In-person	Internal exams Examination-in-Chief – oral assessment (filmed). Duration: 15 minutes Cross-Examination – oral assessment (filmed). Duration: 15 minutes Submissions Advocacy – oral assessment (filmed). Duration: 15 minutes
Opinion Writing and Legal Research	In-person	Internal exam Written assessment. Duration: one calendar week to complete a 4000-word opinion which incorporates an assessed legal research exercise.
Drafting	In-person	Internal exam Written assessment (supervised). Duration: 3 hours
Conference Skills All sessions are taught in small groups.	In-person	Internal exam Oral assessment (filmed). Duration: 25 minutes
Professional Ethics	In-person	Internal exam Closed-book exam – MCQs. Duration: 2 hours

Course Award

On successful completion of the ICCA Bar Course, you will:

be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Bar Practice from King’s College London
be eligible to be called to the Bar of England and Wales (subject to meeting the qualifying session requirements of your Inn of Court and passing their ‘fit and proper person’ checks).

Course start dates

The ICCA Bar Course offers two in-takes per year with dates as follows:

	Mode	Start date	anticipated Completion
First Cycle: September 2022
Part One	Self-study, online learning	September 2022	December 2022
Part Two	In-person	March 2023	July 2023
Second Cycle: January 2023
Part One	Self-study, online learning	January 2023	April 2023
Part Two	In-person	September 2023	January 2024

The anticipated completion dates above assume passing assessments at the first attempt and following our recommended structured learning pathway for Part One.

Commencing Part Two is conditional on passing all Part One assessments at the first or second attempt and joining an Inn of Court.

Hear what our students think

Don’t just take our word for it, decide if the ICCA Bar Course is for you by listening to current and past ICCA students. Find out what made them choose the ICCA; the differences between Parts 1 and 2; and what they most enjoyed about the course. They even impart some words of advice you may find useful.