The Bar Standards Board :: BVC Online
Overview
Please download and read The Academic Stage Handbook before beginning your application to BVC Online. You will need to refer to this document as you complete your application form.BVC Online clearing pool openBVC providers are currently able to review applications made to the clearing pool (including applications made before the first-round deadline ranked as choices four and above) and make clearing pool offers. If you have received (a) clearing pool offer(s) the deadline for accepting an offer online is 14:00 on 28th August 2009.
You can also make applications to be considered in the clearing pool if you submit an application now.
Please note that when you submit your online application(s) to BVC provider(s) you will need to pay an online fee of £40 by credit or debit card. All payments are by secure online transaction (administered by WorldPay).
If you have already submitted an application, please logon to view details about your application.If you have not registered, please Register.Use the menu to access all areas of the system
From 2009, when enrolling on the BVC, all candidates for whom English or Welsh is not their first language must demonstrate that they have attained a minimum 7.5 IELTS standard in each section of the academic test. You can apply for the BVC before completing the IELTS requirements. However, in order to enrol on the BVC with the Provider in the autumn of 2009 you are required to have sat and achieved 7.5 in each section of the academic IELTS test.Diversity monitoring: Guidance on the completion of the QuestionnaireContext
The Bar Council (BC) and its regulatory arm, the Bar Standards Board (BSB), are committed to ensuring that access to and progression at the Bar should be equally open and fair to all, irrespective of ethnicity, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, belief or socio-economic background.
We believe that diversity information on applicants to the profession is essential to us if we are to meet our regulatory obligations, monitor the services we provide and to address concerns that exist about entry to the profession, pupillage, debt levels and progression and retention in practice. The BSB bases any rule changes on factual, statistically valid data which we will, in part, derive from this data. The BSB and BC strongly encourage you to complete this quick, tick box questionnaire so that they can carry out their responsibilities in accordance with best practice and their statutory duties.
Aim of the survey
Information obtained will be used to draw up anonymised analyses so that the BSB can monitor access to the profession, progression into practice and drop out rates in accordance with its legislative duties and good equal opportunities practice; and so that the BSB can monitor the operation of its Complaints Service.
Data protection and use of information
You will see that the questionnaire asks a number of highly personal questions. We therefore want to assure you that:
- The BSB will process your data securely and in compliance with the Data Protection Act principles. Access to identifiable data will be limited to those authorised members of staff who require the data for the specific, sole purpose of diversity monitoring;
- The identifiable information will not be disclosed to any third party and will be anonymised at the earliest opportunity i.e. (please specify when)
- Identifiable data will not be passed to anyone who deals with any aspect of your relationship with the Bar Council (e.g. in respect of applications for pupillage or tenancy or in consideration of any complaints against you);
- All forms will be anonymised and NO link to identifiable individuals will remain once the forms have been processed. Computerised data will be anonymised and paper forms will be securely destroyed.