How to Prepare for Law School Entrance Exams in the Philippines (UP LAE, ALSAT & More | 2025 Guide)

Being a lawyer is indeed a noble and sought-after profession especially in the Philippines and the first step to being one is deciding to take law school entrance exams. With the current school year slowly nearing to a close, various law schools in the Philippines will soon be opening their application periods soon. 

This article seeks to prepare you as early as now on updated information on law school entrance exams as well as easy-to-follow tips on how to ensure success in reaching for your dreams of becoming a lawyer.

Entrance Exams in Philippine Law Schools

With over 100 law schools to choose from all over the Philippines, it is very overwhelming when it comes to deciding where to apply on top of having to prepare for each exam & interview. The list below will give you some of the popular ones:

1. UP LAE

The UP College of Law Aptitude Examination (UP LAE) is held every March-April of every year and is taken online through the same application used in the Bar Exams, ExamSoft. 

The UP LAE focuses on students’ skill in Communication, Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary, Critical Thinking, and Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning. To know more about the exam type, refer to their website here. 

2. ALSAT

The Ateneo Law School Admissions Test or the ALSAT is likewise taken every March-April of every year and is held purely online. 

Unlike the UP LAE, the ALSAT focuses on the American LSAT pattern and includes questions on Critical Thinking, Verbal Analytical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension.

3. DLSU JDAT

The De La Salle School of Law Juris Doctor Admission Test (JDAT) is held March of every year and is held onsite in a proctored format.

The DLSU JDAT also takes up questions on Mathematics and English with a heavy focus on Reading Comprehension and Critical Thinking through Logic. 

4. San Beda College of Law Entrance Exam

The schedule of the San Beda College of Law Entrance Exam cannot be determined with certainty however, it is generally held a few months before the start of the first semester. The entrance exam is held online.

The San Beda College of Law Entrance Exam focuses on the following areas: Logic, Comprehension, Articulation, and Language Aptitude.

5. UST Law Entrance Exam

For the UST Law Entrance Exam, the application period lasts from April to July of every year, closer to the start of the first semester. The exam is held onsite and focused on Reading Comprehension, Logic, Abstract Reasoning, and Basic Mathematics in a multiple choice & essay format.

Note however that this list is non-exhaustive and each exam focus & format might change per year based on the discretion of each law school. As such, it is best to stay updated and follow them on their official websites and social media pages.   

How to Qualify for Law School in the Philippines

Each law school asks for different requirements before you can take their entrance exam. The websites linked above for each law school will prove such. However, as a general way for you to prepare these documents as early as now, below are some of the common law school entrance exam requirements in the Philippines:

• Bachelor’s Degree

Law schools in the Philippines require all their applicants to be a graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree before applying for their Juris Doctor program. While there are no limitations as to what program you are supposed to graduate from, law schools do tend to require units is certain subjects.

For instance, in the Ateneo School of Law, they expect their applicants to have taken at least 12 units of English and at least 3 units of a Rizal course during their undergraduate years. 

• Entrance Exam Fee

To finance the programs to be used, the proctors to assist, and the materials to be provided, law schools in the Philippines tend to require their applicants to pay a fee. This ranges from around P1,000 to up to P3,000 per applicant. 

• Character Evaluation

Law schools in the Philippines do not just prioritize academic excellence, but they also take note of your character during your undergraduate years. 

As such, they require the submission of a Certificate of Good Moral Character from your university to ensure that you have not incurred any major disciplinary issues. This is also important even after law school because as a lawyer, you are required to be of utmost moral character pursuant to the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA)

• Recommendations

Some law schools, such as the Ateneo School of Law require recommendation letters from past employers or professors. They are tasked to narrate in detail how you are to be contributing to the law school environment and the legal field as a whole.

For this, I advise you to open yourself up to mentorship opportunities so that you can easily fulfill this requirement.

• Official Government Records

The hardest part to compile is probably your official government records. Law schools require you to attach at least 2 government-issued identification cards (IDs), school records, a 2x2/1x1 ID picture or a birth certificate.

To ensure that you have an updated list of all the required documents, always check your dream law school’s websites.

How to Prepare for the Law School Entrance Exams in the Philippines

With law school entrance exam applications in the horizon, you have to be preparing as early as now. Here are some practical tips to avoid getting overwhelmed once these law school entrance exams start.

Step 1: Plan as Early as Now

The law school entrance exams are about 3 to 4 months away. While this might seem like a lot of time, take into account all the other things you have on your plate such as school, work, and family. As such, put in a simple to-do list including what reviewers to buy, when to start reviewing, and what subjects to prioritize.

Put these plans in one notebook or digital notepad to keep yourself in line. 

Step 2: Schedule a Frequent Study Schedule

The second tip is to consistently review. The coverage of these law school entrance exams are not as simple as they seem because they require a lot of practice, especially math and logic. 

To help alleviate the overwhelming feeling, start by reviewing for around 15 minutes per day and gradually increase this as the weeks go by. In no time, studying for an hour at a time would be a breeze to you and come the law school entrance exam, you will no longer feel unprepared.

Step 3: Interact with Fellow Applicants

There are many communities out there who extend support to law school aspirants. Check out subreddits on Reddit such as LawStudentsPH or Discord channels to gradually build your support group during these challenging application periods. You never know, these might be your future classmates and colleagues.

Step 4: Look for Mentors

Your undergraduate university might have already produced lawyers and law students in the past. Get to know them, reach out, and ask them all the questions you might have about the law school life and lawyering in general. Not only does this give you a glimpse of your future life, but it also helps you formulate your studying plans as you go.

Step 5: Consult Online Legal Tools

While law school entrance exams don’t include legal concepts and knowledge in their coverage, knowing what’s in store for you helps you better prepare. Check out Digest.PH’s Freshie Kit or the Syllabi Compilation to see what kind of knowledge or logic is needed for these law school entrance exams. 

Recommended Review Materials and Resources

While there is no such thing as the best review materials or resources for law school entrance exams, you can consult online legal tools to familiarize yourself with what is to come. Check out websites such as LawPhil, ChanRobles, or Digest PH. From a free legal dictionary to familiarize yourselves with legal jargon with to full-text decisions to build your legal confidence with, Digest.ph has them all.

Some law students consulted various American LSAT reviewers for Reading Comprehension and Logic, while some purchased reviewers such as the White Elephant. 

Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) About Law School Admissions in the Philippines

Is PhiLSAT still required?

No, the PhiLSAT has already been struck down as unconstitutional in Pimentel v. LEB (2021).

What is the cheapest law school in the Philippines?

Law schools in State Universities such as the University of the Philippines offer one of the lowest per-unit rate in the legal system.

Can you finish law school in 2 years in the Philippines?

No, generally law schools in the Philippines as a postgraduate course require at least 4-5 years to complete to gain holistic knowledge in the legal field.

What to read before entering law school?

You can start browsing through past syllabi for your first-year subjects and familiarize yourself with the format of Supreme Court cases.

Key Takeaways

• Law school entrance exams in the Philippines vary widely in format. Law schools like UP, Ateneo, DLSU, San Beda, and UST test applicants on different combinations of communication skills, logic, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning.

• Law school application requirements include a bachelor’s degree, payment of an exam fee, character evaluation, recommendation letters, and government-issued documents.

• The first step to ensuring law school application succession is early preparation as applications and exams typically occur between March and July.

• Consistent and scheduled studying helps improve performance and decreases exam anxiety especially for challenging areas like math and logic

• Build a support system of fellow applicants, mentors, and online legal tools all of which offer guidance, motivation, and insight into law school life.

Conclusion

Choosing to pursue law is definitely a life-altering decision. Once you apply and take these law school entrance exams, you are going to have to lock in until you reach your dreams of becoming a lawyer. Until then, remember that you are not only preparing for law school, but you are also preparing for a bigger purpose in life which is to serve the Filipino people.