How many multiple choice questions do you need to get right on the bar exam?
Asked by: Dr. Drake Mayer I | Last update: July 4, 2025Score: 4.3/5 (55 votes)
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%. This means you should get 62-65 questions correct on a 100-question practice test or 124-130 questions correct on a full MBE exam.
How many multiple choice questions do you need to pass the bar?
For example, if you aim for a raw score of 115 (so 115 questions correct out of 190), your score as a percentage is 60.52%. That is the approximate amount of questions that you need to correctly answer to receive a passing score.
How many questions do you need to get right to pass the bar exam?
The written components— the Multistate Essay Exam and the Multistate Performance Test—make up the remainder of your score. A good rule of thumb is that you'll need to answer about 66% of the graded MBE questions correctly to pass the bar exam, assuming you perform reasonably well on the other components.
How many questions can you get wrong on the bar exam?
That means you'll need to get 115 questions correct out of 190 — or that you can miss up to 75 questions and still pass the MBE!
How many MBE questions do I need to get right to pass?
In most jurisdictions, there is no minimum MBE score!
You should aim to get at least a 133 on the MBE and a 133 on the written portion when you practice. But, you do not “need” a 133 on each portion. You could just as easily pass with a 120 on the MBE and a 146 on the written portion! So, keep that in mind.
Raise your multiple choice scores. Pass the bar exam.
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.
Is 295 a good bar score?
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.
Do most people fail the bar exam the first time?
Notably, the most substantial disparity occurred in July 2022, with 36 percent of CALS graduates successfully passing the bar exam as first-time applicants, while only 13 percent of graduates from unaccredited schools achieved the same outcome.
What is a 135 on the MBE?
Some states will tell you what a passing MBE score. (For example, in Michigan, it is 135. In Virginia, it is 140.) Generally, if your state scores the bar exam out of 200 points and a 135 is passing, a 135 is also what is considered a “passing” score if the MBE portion is worth the same as the essay portion.
How to calculate bar exam score?
An applicant's total score is the scaled MBE score multiplied by . 50 plus the converted score on the written section multiplied by . 50. The committee of bar examiners utilizes a grading procedure designed to ensure the level of difficulty remains “unchanged” from one administration of the exam to another.
What is the average score to pass the MBE exam?
You want to aim for a scaled score of at least 140-145 (which is the average score). Ideally, you should want a 150+ scaled score to have confidence to pass the exam. The national average MBE scaled score for the last few exams was: 141.8 6 in July 2024;131.8 7 in Feb. 2024; 140.5 8 in July 2023; 131.1 9 in Feb.
Which state is the hardest to pass the 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.
What percentage of MBE questions to pass in California?
This is up to 50%, typically 50%. Let's say you're taking the California Bar Exam, which requires an overall score of 1390 to pass. The MBE is weighted 50% and averaged with the written portion.
Which state has the easiest bar exam?
Overall, Utah is the easiest bar exam to pass. This is true whether you are a first-time taker or repeat taker! In July 2023, Utah had a 94% pass rate for first time takers and a 73% pass rate for repeat takers. It also has the lowest UBE cut score of 260.
How many multiple choice questions are on the Nclex?
The minimum number of questions for both the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN is 85 and the maximum is 150. Eighteen questions will make up three 6-question case studies. Students have five hours to complete the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN exams.
Is Kim Kardashian an attorney?
The billionaire businesswoman joined the firm to learn more about and study the ins and outs of criminal justice reform work. After failing the California Baby Bar Exam three times, she unveiled in a lengthy Instagram post that she finally passed.
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%.
What is 60% on the MBE?
For example, an MBE % corrrect of 60% is estimated to have resulted in an MBE scaled score of 139.5 in J18 versus 129.5 in J02. The average (based on the 11 different July scales) is an MBE score of 133.
Can you fail the MBE and still pass the bar?
The answer, in most states, is yes. In most states, as long as you make up for any lost points on the essay portion of the exam, you can fail the MBE and still pass the bar exam. For example, in New York, you need a 266 out of 400 potential points to pass the bar exam.
How many times did JFK Jr. take the bar exam?
Kennedy earned a Juris Doctor degree from the New York University School of Law in 1989. He then failed the New York bar exam twice before passing on his third try in July 1990. After failing the exam for a second time Kennedy vowed that he would continue to take it until he was ninety-five years old or passed.
What law school has the lowest bar pass rate?
- Thomas Jefferson School of Law: 25 percent.
- University of San Francisco: 33 percent.
- University of La Verne: 34 percent.
- Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law: 39 percent.
- Inter-American: 43 percent.
- Appalachian School of Law: 44 percent.
What is the hardest part of the bar exam?
Most people regard the MBE as the hardest portion of the bar exam. The questions are rarely easy or straightforward. They can be tricky and sometimes worded in a way that guides you to the wrong answer.
Are bar exams 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.”
What is a 266 on the bar?
In most states that grade on a 1–6 scale, a 4 is considered a passing score. Here is the exact number a passing score for each essay: 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.
What is a 270 on the bar?
A 280 is approximately the 73rd percentile. A 270 is approximately the 58th percentile. A 260 is approximately the 44th percentile. A 250 is approximately the 26th percentile.