Is the New York bar exam graded on a curve?
Asked by: Stella Schulist | Last update: November 20, 2025Score: 4.9/5 (25 votes)
The New York bar exam is graded on a curve or scale. The New York bar examiners convert the two written section scores (of the MEE and the MPT) into scaled scores on the MBE scale, before weighing the MEE 30% and the MPT 20% (learn the New York bar exam format).
Is the bar exam graded on a curve?
The bar exam curve is your ally in passing the bar exam. The curve, or scaled scoring, serves to ensure fairness across different administrations of the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE).
How is the New York bar exam graded?
NY Bar Exam Grading & Scoring Process
Jurisdictions grade the MEE and MPT components. The MEE and MPT scores are scaled to the MBE and UBE total scores are calculated by NCBE. UBE total scores are reported on a 400-point scale and a passing score of 266 is required in New York.
What is the format for the New York bar exam?
General Bar Examination
The New York bar exam is a two-day format consisting of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). Day One: Two 90-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) questions in the morning and six 30-minute Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) questions in the afternoon.
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.
How the UBE Bar Exam is Scaled (simplified)
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 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.
Is New York bar exam the hardest?
How Hard is the New York Bar Exam? The New York bar exam cut score or passing mark (266/400) is higher than it is in some other other states. However, a majority of states have higher score requirements than New York.
Is the New York Bar exam open book?
After watching all of the videos and completing the NYLC, you will have unlimited access to re- watch the NYLC videos, without the embedded questions, through your BOLE account. 44. What is the New York Law Exam (NYLE)? The NYLE is a 50-item, two-hour, open-book, multiple-choice test administered online.
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 times can you take the NY bar exam?
The good news is that you can take the New York bar exam an unlimited amount of times if you do not pass. New York does not place a limit or a restriction on the number of times you may attempt to pass the bar exam.
What is the passing score for the NY law exam?
The NYLE is a 50 item, two- hour, open book, multiple choice online exam administered at select dates and times throughout the year. The passing score for the NYLE is 60% (an applicant must answer 30 out of 50 questions correctly). Written materials are available on the New York Board of Law Examiners website.
What is a good NY bar exam score?
In order to pass the New York Bar Exam, which is the New York Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), a you must achieve a passing score of at least 266 on a 400 point scale. This makes the New York bar exam moderately difficult compared to other states.
Do you grade on a curve?
If a professor notices that the average score was significantly lower — for example, the average grade failed to pass — they can grade on a curve. That means modifying each student's grade to raise the average.
Is the bar exam scaled by state?
Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) passing scores vary state by state.
How is the NY bar exam structured?
Bar Exam Format
New York administers the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) that consists of three parts: the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). The exam is scheduled biannually on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July.
Can you google during Nyle?
While an applicant may use this version of the Course Materials during the open-book New York Law Exam, no applicants are permitted to electronically search the Course Materials while taking the NYLE.
What if I fail Nyle?
The score required to pass the NYLE is 30. An applicant who fails to achieve the required passing score may re-take the NYLE without limitation, but must repeat the NYLC each time before re-taking the NYLE.
Did Kim Kardashian pass the bar exam?
Kim Kardashian learned very quickly how hard bar exams can be. The California state bar is one of the most difficult states to pass, with a 40-50% pass rate. The first attempt rate, the second attempt, and after the third time, she finally passed!
What is the easiest state to become a lawyer in?
Going by the 2021 bar exam passing rates, Wyoming has the easiest bar exam to pass. However, we don't really get the full picture by just looking at the passing rates. Each state's bar exam can differ in difficulty and content.
What percentage of people fail the New York bar?
Oct 24 (Reuters) - New York has joined the growing number of states posting a higher pass rate on the July 2024 bar exam, with 69% of examinees passing its attorney licensing exam.
What's the easiest state to pass the 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.
Is the NY bar exam hard?
Take it from someone who took the New York bar exam and passed on their very first try: the New York bar exam is difficult but manageable. It is important to note that how hard the New York bar exam actually is, is based on a number of somewhat unexpected factors.
Is bar exam harder than law school?
Generally, the bar exam is considered harder than the LSAT. The LSAT tests logical reasoning and reading comprehension for law school admission, while the bar exam requires extensive legal knowledge and practical skills to obtain a license to practice law.