About the exam
Bar Training Criminal Litigation Exam structure
An independent England and Wales study guide mapped to all 28 published areas of the BSB Criminal Litigation, Evidence and Sentencing syllabus, with practice questions concentrated in the 27 examinable areas and foundation review for the unassessed explanatory area.
Issuer and path
Bar Training Criminal Litigation Study Guide is administered through Bar Standards Board. Check official resources before booking, retesting, or relying on a stale requirement.
Criminal Litigation, Evidence and Sentencing Centralised Assessment
75 scored + 0 pretest
The single closed-book BSB assessment. The syllabus publishes 28 numbered areas, but marks area 1 as explanatory material that will not be assessed.
Before the sitting
Check the BSB syllabus page and your AETO for amendments, delivery format, identification and adjustment arrangements. Keep current-law updates separate from the published assessment cut-off unless the BSB confirms that they are examinable.
Official Outline Coverage Map
Coverage is mapped to official outline item counts so content depth can be checked without hard-coding a single exam.
| Topic | Official outline items | Your questions | Your flashcards | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Overview of Criminal Procedure | 0 | 0 | 5 | Good |
| 2. Preliminaries to Prosecution | 0 | 27 | 5 | Priority |
| 3. Bail and Remands | 0 | 31 | 5 | Priority |
| 4. Magistrates' Court Procedure, Allocation and Sending | 0 | 33 | 5 | Priority |
| 5. Disclosure of Unused Material and Defence Statements | 0 | 26 | 5 | Priority |
| 6. Indictments | 0 | 26 | 5 | Priority |
| 7. Preliminaries to Trial in the Crown Court | 0 | 20 | 5 | Strong |
| 8. Summary Trial Procedure | 0 | 20 | 5 | Strong |
| 9. Jury Trial Procedure | 0 | 26 | 5 | Priority |
| 10. Preliminary Evidential Matters | 0 | 15 | 5 | Strong |
| 11. Burden and Standard of Proof | 0 | 16 | 5 | Strong |
| 12. Preliminary Issues Relating to Witnesses | 0 | 14 | 5 | Good |
| 13. Examination of Witnesses | 0 | 22 | 5 | Priority |
| 14. Hearsay Evidence | 0 | 28 | 5 | Priority |
| 15. Character Evidence | 0 | 30 | 5 | Priority |
| 16. Confessions and Unlawfully or Unfairly Obtained Evidence | 0 | 28 | 5 | Priority |
| 17. Inferences from Silence and Other Conduct | 0 | 22 | 5 | Priority |
| 18. Visual Identification Evidence | 0 | 15 | 5 | Strong |
| 19. Opinion Evidence and Experts | 0 | 16 | 5 | Priority |
| 20. Privilege | 0 | 12 | 5 | Good |
| 21. Youth Courts and Youths in Other Courts | 0 | 20 | 5 | Priority |
| 22. Sentencing Principles | 0 | 32 | 5 | Priority |
| 23. Non-Custodial Sentences | 0 | 22 | 5 | Strong |
| 24. Custodial Sentences | 0 | 22 | 5 | Priority |
| 25. Ancillary Orders and Costs on Conviction | 0 | 18 | 5 | Good |
| 26. Dangerous Offender Provisions | 0 | 15 | 5 | Strong |
| 27. Appeals from Magistrates' Courts and the Crown Court in Its Appellate Capacity | 0 | 18 | 5 | Strong |
| 28. Appeals from the Crown Court | 0 | 27 | 5 | Priority |
How to use this guide
How to study for BSB Criminal Litigation
Prepare for a closed-book assessment by linking every power, gateway, burden, procedure and appellate route to its place in the criminal case.
1. Locate the stage, court and decision-maker
Place the issue at investigation, first appearance, pre-trial, trial, sentence or appeal and identify whether police, prosecutor, magistrates, judge or jury decides it.
2. Identify the power, gateway and time
State the exact procedural power or evidential gateway and check jurisdiction, notice, burden, deadline and required safeguards.
3. Apply evidence and discretion
Use the relevant facts to distinguish mandatory exclusion or duty from judicial discretion and to test fairness, risk or reliability.
4. State the procedure and consequence
Choose the lawful order, verdict, sentence or appellate route and include any warning, direction, breach or review consequence.
1. Overview of Criminal Procedure
Offence classification, criminal-court structure, funding and the overriding objective and case-management framework.
Key rules
Rule 1
Offence classification as summary, either-way or indictable-only determines the available court route, subject to special statutory procedures.
Exam cue: Classify the named offence before tracing first appearance, allocation, trial and sentence.
Rule 2
The magistrates' courts, Crown Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court have distinct trial, sentencing and appellate functions.
Exam cue: Separate trial jurisdiction, sentencing power and appellate jurisdiction.
Rule 3
The Criminal Procedure Rules require participation, preparation and active case management in pursuit of a just outcome.
Exam cue: Use the overriding objective and party duties to explain timely identification of issues and compliance.
Common traps
Assuming every serious allegation is indictable-only or every low-value allegation is summary-only.
Prevention: Do not import a current-law change into the assessment merely because it post-dates the syllabus cut-off; use the latest BSB-issued syllabus or amendment for exam scope.
Treating the Crown Court as the first court for every indictable offence.
Prevention: Do not import a current-law change into the assessment merely because it post-dates the syllabus cut-off; use the latest BSB-issued syllabus or amendment for exam scope.
Using the overriding objective to excuse non-compliance rather than support active case management.
Prevention: Do not import a current-law change into the assessment merely because it post-dates the syllabus cut-off; use the latest BSB-issued syllabus or amendment for exam scope.
Memory anchors
Summary offence
Normally tried in the magistrates' court under the summary procedure.
Either-way offence
Allocated between magistrates' court and Crown Court after the statutory plea and venue process.
Indictable-only offence
Sent from the magistrates' court to the Crown Court for trial.
Court map
Magistrates first appearance; Crown Court serious trial and sentence; appellate courts review through defined routes.
CrimPR objective
Participation and case management should acquit the innocent, convict the guilty and deal with cases justly.
Next best moves
Syllabus-area drill
Drill this BSB Criminal Litigation syllabus area
Open flashcards
Flip through the memory anchors tied to this topic.
Open recovery plan
See whether this topic is already showing up in your weak queue.
Run a mock
Switch from one topic to a timed mixed set with the official section ratio.
Quick check-up
Use a short quiz to confirm the rule pattern is actually sticking.
Check-up Questions
Police question a suspect about a burglary after reaching grounds to suspect him, but give no caution. What is the most accurate consequence?
An officer is about to ask questions because she suspects that a detainee committed an offence and the answers or silence may be used in evidence. What should ordinarily happen first?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Open another topic next
Official resources
Verify the details with the official sources
Use these links for eligibility, scheduling, handbook rules, and issuer updates. Our guide helps you study; official sources tell you what the testing partner currently requires.
BSB Bar Qualification Manual: Parts 3B and 3C
Current syllabus links, the 75-question three-hour format, closed-book rule, exam dates, mocks, standard setting and AETO responsibilities.
BSB Criminal Litigation Syllabus 2026
The current 28-area Criminal Litigation, Evidence and Sentencing syllabus, based on Blackstone's Criminal Practice 2026 including Supplement 1.
BSB summary of changes to the 2026 syllabus
Official transition summary identifying changes, clarifications and renumbered Blackstone's references from the 2025 syllabus.
BSB standard-setting guidance
Official explanation of criterion-referenced Angoff standard setting and translation of the pass standard for reporting.
Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 and Practice Directions
The official current rules and directions. The BSB syllabus still controls the exact version and material examinable in a centralised assessment.
FAQ
Common Bar Training Criminal Litigation questions
Is this an official BSB or AETO course?
No. This is an independent study resource. The current BSB syllabus and Bar Qualification Manual remain authoritative, while your AETO handles administration, adjustments, deferrals, mocks and local exam arrangements.
Which Criminal Litigation syllabus applies in 2026?
The BSB Criminal Litigation Syllabus 2026, dated 10 December 2025, states that it applies to all centrally set assessments in calendar year 2026. It is based on Blackstone's Criminal Practice 2026, including Supplement 1.
Could the BSB change the 2026 examinable material?
Yes. The current BSB syllabus and Bar Qualification Manual warn that later amendments may be issued to reflect implementation of criminal-justice changes announced by the Ministry of Justice in December 2025. Check the BSB syllabus page and your AETO before your sitting.
Is the syllabus a complete statement of current criminal law?
No. It is an assessment specification with a general content cut-off of 31 July 2025. Later legislation, rules and guidelines may be legally current without being examinable unless the BSB updates the syllabus. Use current professional sources for live practice and BSB notices for exam scope.
Can I take Blackstone's Criminal Practice into the examination?
No. The Criminal Litigation assessment is closed book. Blackstone's Criminal Practice 2026 is the source used to define the syllabus, not a permitted examination material.
Is the pass mark a fixed raw 60%?
No. The BSB uses the Angoff method to set a criterion-referenced raw pass standard based on paper difficulty. Marks are then translated so that the pass standard is reported to AETOs as 60%.
Does the BSB publish a mock examination?
The Bar Qualification Manual says the BSB provides a centrally set mock for each centralised assessment. AETOs administer the mocks and tell candidates when they are available.
Are the 601-question topic allocations official BSB weights?
No. The BSB marks area 1 as explanatory material that will not be assessed and publishes no scored question count for areas 2-28. This bank assigns all 601 practice questions across those 27 examinable areas while retaining area 1 as foundation study material.