Pass rates for this summer's bar school exams are consistent with previous years – if you exclude the quarter of students who could not see all the questions because of IT issues, the regulator has said.

According to figures released by the Bar Standards Board, 65% of students passed August’s civil litigation exam, while 68% passed the criminal litigation exam. While there are no expected pass rates for the assessments, the BSB said the results are consistent with the average pass rates of those sitting the exams for the first time over the last three years.

However, the figures fall sharply to 48% (civil litigation) and 51% (criminal litigation) when students who experienced technical difficulties are taken into account.

Last month, hundreds of students on the Bar Professional Training Course registered to re-sit the centralised exams after IT failures meant they were unable to complete the assessments first time around.

Students are obliged to have passed the bar course in order to start the practising period of their pupillage, known as ‘second six’.

Results for the professional ethics examination are expected to be sent out on 6 November.