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Free Practice Questions for Maldives Bar Exam

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Key Facts: Maldives Bar Exam Exam

120 MCQs

Total questions on the Maldives Bar Exam administered over two 60-question sessions

Bar Council of the Maldives Bar Examination Standards

4 hours

Total testing time split into two 2-hour papers with a scheduled break

Bar Council of the Maldives Bar Examination Standards

6 subjects

Core examinable areas: Tort, Criminal, Constitutional, Contract, Land, and Legal System

Bar Council of the Maldives BE2026 Syllabus

MVR 7,100

Official examination fee for BE2026

Bar Council of the Maldives BE2026 registration announcement

68%

Candidate pass rate achieved in the inaugural November 2022 examination sitting

Bar Council of the Maldives and Kaplan Assessments

Law No. 5/2019

Legal Profession Act establishing the statutory Bar Council and mandatory Bar Exam

People's Majlis of the Maldives

19 Sep 2026

Scheduled date of the BE2026 sitting

Bar Council of the Maldives Bar Exam portal

Dual language

Official examination delivery in English and Dhivehi

Bar Council of the Maldives Bar Examination Standards

Law graduates seeking to practice law in the Maldives must pass the Bar Council of the Maldives Bar Exam (120 MCQs over two 2-hour sessions covering six legal subjects) and separately complete a Licensing Training Program. This bank provides free independent English-language MCQ practice.

Sample Maldives Bar Exam Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Maldives Bar Exam exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 98+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A business owner in Malé operates an apparel boutique. A rival retailer opens a shop across the street and sells similar garments at lower prices, resulting in a 40% decline in the first retailer's monthly profits. The first retailer consults an attorney seeking to sue the rival in tort for the financial losses incurred. What advice should the attorney provide?
A.The retailer has no valid cause of action because the rival caused damnum sine injuria (damage without legal wrong) through legitimate commercial competition.
B.The retailer can sue for intentional interference with economic relations because the rival intentionally targeted their customer base.
C.The retailer can recover damages under injuria sine damno because opening a competing shop across the street violates customary commercial courtesy.
D.The retailer is entitled to an interim injunction because any commercial activity causing more than a 25% drop in turnover is actionable under Maldivian law.
Explanation: Under the foundational principles of tort law recognized in Maldivian jurisprudence, damage suffered without the infringement of a recognized legal right (damnum sine injuria) does not create tortious liability. Fair commercial competition that attracts customers away from a competitor does not constitute an unlawful act or tortious interference, so financial losses alone cannot ground a claim.
2An architect in Hulhumalé draws blueprints for a private residence. Due to a careless calculation error in the foundation load specifications, the concrete ground floor buckles two months after construction, cracking walls and causing structural instability. The homeowner sues the architect in negligence. What standard of care will the court apply to determine whether the architect breached their duty of care?
A.The standard of the highest possible professional skill available among leading international structural engineering firms.
B.The standard of the ordinary reasonably competent architect exercising ordinary professional skill in that specialized discipline.
C.A subjective standard based purely on what this specific architect believed was adequate at the time of drawing the blueprints.
D.A strict liability standard requiring absolute guarantee of structural perfection regardless of fault.
Explanation: Under the Bolam principle accepted in Maldivian professional negligence jurisprudence, a professional is not required to possess extraordinary skill, but must exercise the standard of an ordinary competent professional carrying out that specialized calling. The architect is judged against the established standards and practices of the architectural profession.
3A patient underwent an elective orthopedic procedure at an island hospital. The operating surgeon failed to administer a standard prophylactic antibiotic regimen required by national surgical protocols. The patient subsequently developed a severe surgical site infection requiring extended hospitalization. Medical experts testify that 95% of patients given prophylactic antibiotics avoid this infection. What test will the court use to establish factual causation?
A.The proximate causation test based solely on the surgeon's administrative employment contract.
B.The res ipsa loquitur test, automatically presuming causation and liability without examining medical evidence.
C.The 'but-for' test, asking whether the patient would have suffered the infection but for the surgeon's failure to administer antibiotics.
D.The substantial certainty test applied exclusively in strict liability industrial accidents.
Explanation: Factual causation in Maldivian medical negligence claims is established using the traditional 'but-for' test (sine qua non). The plaintiff must demonstrate on a balance of probabilities that the harm would not have occurred but for the defendant's negligent omission.
4A delivery van driver employed by a logistics firm negligently collides with a pedestrian at an intersection in Malé. The pedestrian is hospitalized with a broken ankle. While in the hospital, a rare and unforeseeable structural gas explosion collapses the ceiling of the orthopedic ward, causing the pedestrian to suffer severe burn injuries. The pedestrian sues the van driver for both the ankle fracture and the burn injuries. Is the driver liable for the burn injuries?
A.No, because delivery drivers are completely exempt from liability once an injured party enters medical custody.
B.Yes, because 'but for' the driver's negligent driving, the pedestrian would never have been admitted to that hospital ward.
C.Yes, under the thin skull rule, because a tortfeasor must take their victim as they find them including the location of their treatment.
D.No, because the hospital ward explosion was an independent novus actus interveniens that severed the chain of legal causation between the road accident and the burns.
Explanation: A new intervening act (novus actus interveniens) that is extraordinary, unforeseeable, and independent of the original tort breaks the chain of legal causation. While the road accident placed the pedestrian in the hospital, the ceiling explosion was a separate, independent event neither caused by nor a foreseeable consequence of the driving accident.
5A cargo vessel unloads steel drums containing industrial solvents at a harbor in Thilafushi. Due to the stevedoring company's negligence, a small quantity of solvent spills onto the wooden wharf. While cleaning operations are underway, a welder working on an adjacent barge 50 meters away drops molten slag, which lands on cotton waste soaked in the solvent, igniting a massive fire that destroys a warehouse. The court finds that while fouling of the wharf was foreseeable, combustion of the solvent on water was not reasonably foreseeable to a reasonable person. Under the Wagon Mound rule applied in the Maldives, can the warehouse owner recover for fire damage?
A.No, because the kind or type of harm (fire damage) was not reasonably foreseeable at the time of the negligent spill.
B.Yes, because under the direct consequence rule of Re Polemis, all direct physical results of negligence are compensable.
C.Yes, because industrial chemical spills are subject to absolute strict liability regardless of foreseeability.
D.No, because cargo handlers owe a duty of care only to vessel owners and never to adjacent property owners.
Explanation: Under the Wagon Mound (No. 1) principle governing remoteness of damage in negligence, a defendant is only liable for damage of such a kind or type as the reasonable person would have foreseen as a consequence of their negligent act. If fire damage was not reasonably foreseeable from the spill, it is legally too remote.
6A motorcyclist rides along Boduthakurufaanu Magu in Malé without fastening his protective helmet. A car driver pulls out from a side road without stopping at a stop sign, striking the motorcycle. The motorcyclist sustains severe head trauma. Medical evidence proves that had the motorcyclist worn and fastened a helmet, his head injury would have been minor. How will the court treat the motorcyclist's failure to wear a helmet?
A.As a complete defence of volenti non fit injuria, entirely barring the motorcyclist from any financial recovery.
B.As contributory negligence, which reduces the claimant's recoverable damages in proportion to their share of responsibility for the injury.
C.As an ex turpi causa non oritur actio defence, because riding without a helmet is a regulatory traffic offense.
D.As legally irrelevant, because the car driver committed the sole primary breach of duty by ignoring the stop sign.
Explanation: Contributory negligence operates as a partial defence where the claimant fails to take reasonable care for their own safety, contributing to the extent of their injuries. Under established tort principles in Maldivian courts, failure to wear a helmet or seatbelt reduces the damages awarded for the preventable severity of the injury, but does not completely extinguish liability.
7An employee of a government health centre on an outer island negligently dispenses the wrong medication to a patient during normal clinic hours, causing acute organ toxicity. The patient files a civil action for damages naming both the individual health worker and the Ministry of Health. On what basis can the Ministry of Health be held liable for the worker's conduct?
A.Strict liability under the Penal Code, which automatically penalizes administrative departments for staff errors.
B.Contributory negligence, because the Ministry failed to warn the patient to inspect medication labels.
C.Vicarious liability, because the tort was committed by an employee acting within the course and scope of their employment.
D.Independent contractor liability, because health workers are considered independent commercial vendors under Maldivian law.
Explanation: Vicarious liability imposes liability on an employer for the negligent acts or omissions of its employees, provided the tort was committed during the course and scope of employment. Because the health worker acted within the authorized tasks of clinic employment, the Ministry of Health is vicariously liable to the patient.
8A speedboat ferry company employs captains to transport passengers between Malé and Velana International Airport. The company handbook explicitly forbids captains from taking detours or using company vessels for personal errands. While on duty, a captain takes an unsanctioned 15-minute detour to deliver personal groceries to a friend's safari boat, and negligently collides with a fishing vessel during this detour. Can the ferry company be held vicariously liable?
A.No, because vicarious liability only applies to accidents occurring on land vehicles and never applies to maritime transport.
B.Yes, because employers are strictly liable for any collision involving their registered watercraft under all circumstances.
C.Yes, because an employer cannot escape liability through internal handbook rules that have not been gazetted as regulations.
D.No, if the captain was on a 'frolic of his own' and had entirely departed from the course and scope of the company's business.
Explanation: Under the classic principle of Joel v Morison and modern close-connection tests applied in Maldivian vicarious liability cases, an employer is not liable when an employee embarks on a 'new and independent journey entirely for his own purpose' (a frolic of his own), breaking the connection between the authorized employment and the tortious act.
9A published newspaper article in Malé falsely states that a prominent local real estate auditor had been stripped of his accounting license following an investigation into embezzled client funds. The auditor had never been investigated, disciplined, or stripped of any license. The auditor sues the publisher for defamation. What must the auditor establish regarding the defamatory statement?
A.That the statement was published to a third party, referred to the auditor, and tended to lower his reputation in the estimation of right-thinking members of society.
B.That the statement caused actual physical illness or psychological hospitalization confirmed by a psychiatric board.
C.That the newspaper intended with malicious spite to cause the auditor's firm to declare bankruptcy.
D.That at least 500 subscribers read the article and cancelled their business contracts with the auditor.
Explanation: To succeed in a defamation action under Maldivian common law principles, the claimant must prove three essential elements: (1) the words are defamatory (they tend to lower the claimant in the estimation of right-thinking members of society, expose them to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, or disparage them in their office/profession); (2) the words refer to the claimant; and (3) the words were published to at least one third party.
10During an official session of the People's Majlis, a Member of Parliament delivers a speech accusing a private government contractor of delivering defective school furniture. The contractor asserts that the statement is completely untrue and sues the Member of Parliament for defamation in the Civil Court. What defence shields the Member of Parliament from civil liability?
A.Qualified privilege, which protects the speaker only if they prove they verified every statement with documentary records.
B.Absolute privilege, which protects statements made by members within parliamentary proceedings under the 2008 Constitution.
C.Volenti non fit injuria, because government contractors voluntarily assume the risk of public political criticism.
D.The defence of triviality, because parliamentary speeches are treated as political hyperbole without legal weight.
Explanation: Under Article 90 of the 2008 Constitution of the Maldives, no member of the People's Majlis is liable to proceedings in any court, or to any penalty, for anything said or any vote given in the Majlis or its committees. This constitutional protection grants absolute privilege, barring defamation suits regardless of whether the statement is true, false, or made with ill will.

About the Maldives Bar Exam Exam

The Maldives Bar Examination is the mandatory statutory licensing examination required for admission to the legal profession in the Maldives under Law No. 5/2019 (Legal Profession Act). Administered annually by the Bar Council of the Maldives (BCM), the examination evaluates candidates across six examinable areas: Tort Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Constitutional and Administrative Law, Contract Law and Practice, Land Law and Practice, and the Maldivian Legal System. The official exam comprises 120 multiple-choice questions administered over two 2-hour sessions in dual language (English and Dhivehi). OpenExamPrep provides independent, free English-language practice questions with detailed explanations of Maldivian statutory authorities, Supreme Court precedents, and legal principles.

Exam sponsor: Bar Council of the Maldives (BCM). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

The Maldives Bar Exam is a national licensing examination created under Section 32 of the Legal Profession Act (Law No. 5/2019) and administered annually by the Bar Council of the Maldives (BCM). It consists of 120 multiple-choice questions covering six mandatory subject areas: Tort Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Constitutional and Administrative Law, Contract Law and Practice, Land Law and Practice, and the Maldivian Legal System. Each question provides four options with one single best answer; there is no negative marking. Testing takes place over two 2-hour sessions of 60 questions each with a scheduled break. The official examination is administered in dual language (English and Dhivehi). This OpenExamPrep bank is independent English-language MCQ practice; it is not an official translation or a simulation of the bilingual paper.

Time Limit

4 hours (two 2-hour sessions with a break in between)

Passing Score

Determined per sitting via standard-setting methodology (Modified Angoff / Hofstee methods with Standard Error of Measurement adjustment; 68% pass rate in inaugural sitting)

Exam / Certification Fees

MVR 7,100 per sitting

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: 68% (inaugural November 2022 examination sitting). The Bar Council of the Maldives and Kaplan Assessments reported a 68% pass rate for the inaugural November 2022 bar examination (BE2022), where 173 candidates sat the exam. This describes exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep users or results from using our resources. Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

Official weighting not published

Tort Law

Fundamentals of tort, negligence, breach of statutory duty, trespass to the person, property torts, nuisance, vicarious liability, defamation, and quantum and assessment of damages.

Official weighting not published

Criminal Law and Procedure

Elements of crime, general defences, inchoate offences, specific offences under the Penal Code (Act No. 9/2014) and other criminal acts, criminal procedure, and criminal evidence.

Official weighting not published

Constitutional and Administrative Law

Fundamental constitutional principles, separation of powers, organs of state, fundamental rights and freedoms, independent oversight commissions, and judicial review grounds.

Official weighting not published

Contract Law and Practice

Contract formation, terms and statutory implied terms, vitiating factors, discharge, remedies, business structures under the Companies Act (Act No. 7/2023), and employment contracts.

Official weighting not published

Land Law and Practice

Land tenure, Bandaara and Amilla Goathi, Hiba, Wasiyah, residential allocations, leases, licenses, mortgages, easements, and trusts.

Official weighting not published

Maldivian Legal System

Sources of law, statutory interpretation, court hierarchy, Arbitration Act and MIAC, legal profession ethics and client privilege, and the Civil Procedure Code (Act No. 32/2021).

Preparing for the Maldives Bar Exam Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Determined per sitting via standard-setting methodology (Modified Angoff / Hofstee methods with Standard Error of Measurement adjustment; 68% pass rate in inaugural sitting)
  • Assessment: The Maldives Bar Exam is a national licensing examination created under Section 32 of the Legal Profession Act (Law No. 5/2019) and administered annually by the Bar Council of the Maldives (BCM). It consists of 120 multiple-choice questions covering six mandatory subject areas: Tort Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Constitutional and Administrative Law, Contract Law and Practice, Land Law and Practice, and the Maldivian Legal System. Each question provides four options with one single best answer; there is no negative marking. Testing takes place over two 2-hour sessions of 60 questions each with a scheduled break. The official examination is administered in dual language (English and Dhivehi). This OpenExamPrep bank is independent English-language MCQ practice; it is not an official translation or a simulation of the bilingual paper.
  • Time limit: 4 hours (two 2-hour sessions with a break in between)
  • Exam / certification fees: MVR 7,100 per sitting Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 98 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Maldives Bar Exam: Suggested Study Strategy

1Review the Maldives Penal Code (Act No. 9/2014) offense categorizations and sentencing factors under Chapter 1000.
2Understand the procedural steps in criminal investigations under the Criminal Procedure Code (Act No. 12/2016) and arrestee rights under Article 48 of the 2008 Constitution.
3Master the Civil Procedure Code (Act No. 32/2021) with respect to limitation periods, summary judgment standards, pre-trial conferences, and interlocutory remedies.
4Distinguish between Bandaara Goathi (state-owned residential grants) and Amilla Goathi (private freehold residential plots) under the Land Act (Act No. 1/2002) and related regulations on Hiba and Wasiyah.
5Study landmark Supreme Court and High Court precedents highlighted in the official BE2026 Reading List.
6Learn the grounds of judicial review recognized in Maldivian administrative law: illegality, procedural impropriety (natural justice), irrationality/unreasonableness, and legitimate expectation.
7Familiarize yourself with the Rules of Lawyers' Professional Conduct (Regulation 2021/R-118), particularly confidentiality, conflicts of interest, and fiduciary duties.
8Pace yourself during practice to achieve the required exam speed of approximately 1.6 to 1.8 minutes per question.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Maldives Bar Examination?

It is the statutory entry examination administered by the Bar Council of the Maldives (BCM) under Section 32 of the Legal Profession Act (Law No. 5/2019). Passing the exam is a mandatory requirement, alongside completing a Licensing Training Program (pupillage or CLTP), to obtain a license to practice law in the Maldives.

What is the format and duration of the Maldives Bar Exam?

The examination consists of 120 multiple-choice questions administered in a paper-based format over two 2-hour sessions with a break in between, totaling 4 hours of testing time. Each session contains 60 questions, and there is no negative marking.

In what languages is the Bar Exam conducted?

The official examination is conducted in dual language, presenting questions and options in both English and Dhivehi. This OpenExamPrep question bank provides an independent English-language MCQ study adaptation.

What subjects are tested on the Maldives Bar Exam?

The exam covers six core subject areas: Tort Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Constitutional and Administrative Law, Contract Law and Practice, Land Law and Practice, and the Maldivian Legal System.

What is the examination fee?

The BE2026 examination fee announced by the Bar Council of the Maldives is MVR 7,100 per sitting.

What is the passing score for the Maldives Bar Exam?

The pass mark is established after each sitting using internationally recognized psychometric standard-setting methods, including the Modified Angoff and Hofstee methods, with Standard Error of Measurement adjustment applied by the Assessment Board. In the inaugural November 2022 exam, 68% of candidates passed.

Who is eligible to take the Bar Exam?

Candidates must be Maldivian citizens holding a qualifying law degree (QLD) from an accredited institution. Foreign law degrees must be recognized as qualifying law degrees for licensing purposes in the country where they were issued.