How is the bar exam score calculated?
Asked by: Zoila Kuhic PhD | Last update: January 26, 2026Score: 5/5 (67 votes)
The MEE and MPT scores are scaled to the MBE and UBE total scores are calculated by NCBE. The MBE is weighted 50%, the MEE 30%, and the MPT 20%. UBE total scores are reported on a 400-point scale. Jurisdictions set their own minimum passing scores for the UBE.
Is 266 a good bar exam score?
A 3.9 is considered passing in Uniform Bar Exam jurisdictions that require a 260 to pass. A 4.0 is considered passing in Uniform Bar Exam jurisdictions that require a 266 to pass. A 4.1 is considered passing in Uniform Bar Exam jurisdictions that require a 273 to pass.
Is 280 a good bar score?
Your overall score
(Your Uniform Bar Exam score report should also clearly indicate “PASS” or “FAIL”!) Uniform Bar Exam states require a score between 260 and 280 to pass the Uniform Bar Exam. So, if your score was above 280, you technically received a score that is considered passing in every Uniform Bar Exam state.
What is a good score on the bar exam?
In order to pass the Uniform Bar Exam, examinees must earn a score of at least 260 on the MBE and MEE. However, a score of 280 is generally considered to be a good score, and a score of 300 to 330 (highest score on bar exam) is considered to be excellent.
Is 75% on MBE good?
We suggest aiming for at least 60% to be safe. If you are aiming for an MBE score of 136-140 (which is a passing MBE score in jurisdictions that require a 272-280 to pass) you should aim for 62%-65%. If you are aiming for an MBE score of 144 (which is considered passing in California), you should aim for about 67%.
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Is 60% enough to pass MBE?
These are the approximate scores you want to aim for in order to have a passing MBE score: If you are aiming for a MBE converted score of 131-135 (which is a passing score in most jurisdictions that require scores of 262-270 to pass), you should aim for 58%-62%. We suggest aiming for at least 60% to be safe.
How to calculate bar score?
The scores obtained on the written section of the exam are then translated to the 2000-point MBE scale. An applicant's total score is the scaled MBE score multiplied by . 50 plus the converted score on the written section multiplied by . 50.
Has anyone ever gotten 100% on the bar exam?
Has anyone ever gotten a perfect score on the bar exam? Have you ever seen an essay exam answer written during an actual state-administered exam that the CA Bar Examiners scored a perfect 100? We never have either, which is why we're bringing it to your attention.
Is 298 a good bar exam score?
What score is deemed “passing” totally depends on your state. For some states, a UBE score as low as 266 (out of 400) is considered passing. In other states, you need to score 280 or above. It just depends on your jurisdiction.
Who has the highest bar score?
Matthew Graham, a University of Baltimore Law School alumnus, smashed the previous bar exam record by scoring 309 out of 400 on his first attempt.
Did Kim Kardashian pass the bar?
No, Kim Kardashian has not passed not the California General Bar exam but successfully passed the baby bar in 2021. She cleared it in her fourth attempt. Her journey illustrates the many challenges and frustrations that she has gone through in order to achieve this career in the legal field.
What state has the hardest bar exam?
California is widely considered to have the hardest bar exam, due to its low pass rate and the difficulty of the content and constraints of the exam.
Are bar exam scores curved?
Most bar takers fall right in the middle on the curve, within a few points of each other. The MBE portion of the bar exam is significant to your overall score in almost all U.S. states. Getting just a few additional points can really tip you into the “passing zone.”
How hard is it to pass the bar?
For many, it feels like trying to hold sand in your hands, knowing that you'll inevitably lose much of it. Despite its difficulty, many law school graduates who take the bar exam pass the first time, with pass rates often ranging from about 50% to nearly 90%, depending on the jurisdiction.
What is the lowest bar score?
Each UBE jurisdiction sets a minimum passing score, ranging from 260 to 270. Recently, many jurisdictions have re-evaluated these scores in response to national discussions on bar exam difficulty, candidate performance, and the demand for new lawyers.
What is a bad bar exam score?
Those with total scale scores after one reading below 1350 fail the exam. If the applicant's total scale score is at least 1350 but less than 1390 after one reading, their answers are read a second time by a different set of graders.
What states are not ube?
The following are not UBE jurisdictions: California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, *Hawaii, *Mississippi, Nevada, *South Dakota, Virginia, *Wisconsin, *Guam, *Northern Mariana Islands, *Palau, Louisiana, and Puerto Rico.
How many times can you take the bar?
There is no limit to the number of times you can take the bar exam in the state of California. While it may come as a relief to many students who are planning to take the bar exam in California that there are no limits, California's bar exam is known for being one of the hardest exams in the U.S.
What percentage of lawyers never pass the bar?
Wondering how test-takers are doing as a whole? According to the most recent data released by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE®), in 2021, of the 64,833 total persons taking the bar exam, 39,873 passed, which is an overall pass rate of 60% (down 1%from the previous year).
What is the average bar exam score?
The national average score on the Multistate Bar Exam was 141.8—up 1.3 points from July 2023, the National Conference of Bar Examiners said on Thursday.
How is bar calculated?
The bar is defined using the SI derived unit, pascal: 1 bar ≡ 100,000 Pa ≡ 100,000 N/m2. Thus, 1 bar is equal to: 1,000,000 Ba (barye) (in cgs units);
Is 70% on MBE good?
Remember, though, that all jurisdictions require a total score of 65-70% to pass the UBE as a whole. If you're scoring in that 65-70% range on your MBE practice tests, you're on target to pass.
How is a bar exam weighted?
The written portion and MBE portion are both weighted equally—each section is worth 50% of the overall scaled score. As mentioned above, you need a score of 1390 out of 2000 possible points to pass the California bar exam.