Singapore Part B Bar Exam for Law Graduates from Overseas Universities

What Part A and Part B Are

Singapore's route into practice for graduates of overseas universities runs through two stages set by the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (SILE) . Part A is a conversion exam that turns an overseas law degree into a recognized Singapore qualification. Part B is the practical course and exam that follows, covering the skills and local law you need to practice as a lawyer in Singapore.

You only need Part A if you graduated from an overseas university. Singapore law graduates from local universities follow a separate track built for local qualified persons and skip Part A.

Who Needs Part A: The Scheduled Universities List

Part A applies to graduates of universities on SILE's list of overseas Scheduled Universities , set out in schedules to the Legal Profession (Qualified Persons) Rules. Separate schedules cover the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, and each schedule sets its own cutoff dates for when your degree needed to start or be conferred to count.

Not every UK, Australian, or New Zealand law school appears on this list, and the schedules name specific universities, not entire countries. If you plan to study law abroad and return to practice in Singapore, confirm your target university is on the current schedule before you accept an offer. The Ministry of Law also handles exemption applications for students whose university or degree structure falls outside the standard schedules.

Academic Requirement to Sit Part A

Being on the university list is not enough on its own. You also need strong academic performance: at least lower second class honours, or a class rank among the top 70% of your graduating batch. Students who fall short of this apply to the Ministry of Law for an exemption rather than being locked out automatically.

Part A Exam Timeline

Part A runs 2 sessions a year, in April and October, with an optional preparatory course offered twice yearly, from January to March and from July to September. Application windows open several months before each sitting, and SILE publishes exact dates on its site each cycle since they shift from year to year.

Part B: Course and Exam Structure

Once you become a qualified person, apply for the Part B Course, run by SILE. The course has 6 mandatory modules: ethics and professional responsibility, corporate practice, dispute resolution, private client practice, contemporary legal knowledge, and professional skills. Attendance at the 3 practice sessions for ethics and professional responsibility is mandatory, alongside live contact sessions and self-study.

From 2025, SILE runs 2 sessions of the Part B Examinations each year, in June and December, held open-book across 8 days. You need to pass every module within 4 consecutive examination sittings. Miss that window and you retake the entire course before you sit the exams again.

Part B Fees

Applying for the 2026 Part B sessions costs S$5,450 for Singapore citizens, S$6,322 for permanent residents, and S$7,630 for foreigners, all inclusive of GST, according to SILE's published fee schedule. Budget for this on top of any preparatory course fees and the cost of your original overseas degree.

After Part B: Admission Choices

Completing Part B qualifies you for admission as a Lawyer (Non-Practitioner). If you want to practice as an advocate and solicitor, you also complete Law Society of Singapore requirements on top of Part B: an ethics e-learning module, solicitors' account rules training, and an advocacy workshop.

Part A and Part B at a Glance

Choosing a Law School With This Path in Mind

If you are still choosing where to study law and want to practice in Singapore afterward, check the Scheduled Universities list before you apply, not after you accept an offer. A degree from a strong law school elsewhere still leaves you without a route into the Singapore Bar if that school sits outside the schedules. Contact SILE directly or ask your intended university's admissions office to confirm current schedule status, since law faculties sometimes restructure programs in ways that affect their listing.

Typical Timeline From Overseas Degree to Admission

A UK LLB usually runs 3 years. Add Part A preparation and the exam itself, then the Part B Course and Examinations, and most overseas graduates reach Singapore Bar admission around 4 to 5 years after starting their law degree, depending on how quickly they pass each stage and how many sessions they need.

Planning If You Study Law Overseas

Confirm your target university appears on the current SILE Scheduled Universities list before you commit to an offer, since the list names specific universities, not entire countries or regions. Ask your university's law admissions office directly if you are unsure, and check the current schedule with SILE or the Ministry of Law before you enroll, since schedules and course structures get amended from time to time.