What is the average number of times someone takes the bar exam?

Asked by: Holden Morar  |  Last update: January 5, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (56 votes)

The vast majority of law school graduates, 85 percent, take the bar exam once, according to a study by the National Conference of Bar Examiners that looked at data over five years. About 9 percent took the test twice. Less than 1 percent took the exam more than five times. A few refused to give up.

What is the average number of attempts to pass the bar exam?

Even in notoriously difficult California, the bar passage rate for first-time takers last July was 55%. Every US state has a first-time pass rate of more than 50%. If you define “average” to mean “median,” an average recent graduate will pass the bar exam on the first attempt.

How many times do people take the bar?

Most states allow 2-4 attempts of the bar exam, but about 35 states, including California, New York, and Florida, don't have any limits on the number of times you can take the bar. 21 states limit it to 2 to 4 attempts, 15 of which have discretionary limits and 6 with absolute limits.

What are the odds of passing the bar the first time?

March 11 (Reuters) - More than 79% of U.S. law school graduates who took the bar exam for the first time in 2023 passed, according to new data released on Monday by the American Bar Association.

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.

How Many Times Can You Take The Bar Exam?

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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 is the hardest state to pass the bar exam in?

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.

How much do lawyers make after passing the bar?

As of May 2023, the average lawyer wage was $176,470. That does not include profits for law firm partners and shareholders. The average salary was $148,030 in 2021, then it took two big jumps in 2022 and 2023. The combined 19.2% increase was higher than the rate of inflation.

How hard is it to pass the bar without law school?

Pass Rate. The bar exam pass rate of an apprentice is about ⅓ of that of a student who attends an ABA approved law school, according to a study by Priceconomics. With a passing rate of approximately 27% for apprentices, it is clear there are topics that can be missed, that a traditional law school is sure to cover.

What 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 long does the average person study for the bar?

How Long Does It Take to Prepare for the Bar Exam? The typical recommendation is that you spend a total of roughly 400 hours studying for the bar exam. If you are studying for the recommended minimum of nine weeks, that means 40 to 50 hours per week.

How many times did Kim Kardashian take the bar exam?

After failing the California Baby Bar Exam three times, she unveiled in a lengthy Instagram post that she finally passed. The exam is not an easy task.

Which state has the lowest bar exam pass rate?

Unsurprisingly, California has the lowest passage rate (44.42%) by a wide margin. Take even a great in-state school like UCLA and only 86% percent of students are passing on their first try.

Is the bar exam getting harder?

Recently, California has had some terrifying pass rates. This includes a February 2020 overall pass rate of only 26.8 percent. In years prior, the pass rates were slightly better, but not by much. For example, the February 2018 overall pass rate was 27.3 percent.

What law school has the highest bar pass rate?

Law Schools with the Highest Bar-Exam Pass Rate
  • Concordia University School of Law: 100 percent.
  • University of Chicago: 98 percent.
  • Yale University: 98 percent.
  • University of Pennsylvania: 98 percent.
  • Columbia University: 97 percent.
  • Harvard University: 97 percent.
  • Duke University 97 percent.
  • New York University: 97 percent.

What is the highest paid lawyer?

Highest-Paid Types of Lawyers
  • Patent attorney: $180,000.
  • Intellectual property (IP) attorney: $162,000.
  • Trial lawyer: $134,000.
  • Tax attorney: $122,000.
  • Corporate lawyer: $115,000.
  • Medical lawyer: $113,000.
  • Real estate lawyer: $98,000.
  • Family lawyer: $93,000.

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 a state attorney's salary?

State Attorney. State of California. $113K - $174K. /yr. $140K.

Which state does not require bar exam?

Forty-one jurisdictions have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which is composed entirely of NCBE-created components. In every U.S. jurisdiction except Wisconsin, Oregon, and Washington, all those seeking admission to the bar must pass a bar examination.

Is the NCLEX harder than the bar exam?

The Bar Exam is often considered more challenging than the NCLEX due to its comprehensive coverage of intricate legal subjects and a lower average pass rate of around 60%.

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.

Where did Joe Biden pass the bar exam?

His grades were relatively poor, and he graduated 76th in a class of 85. He was admitted to the Delaware bar in 1969. Biden clerked at a Wilmington law firm headed by prominent local Republican William Prickett in 1968 and, he later said, "thought of myself as a Republican".

Who is the youngest person to pass the bar exam?

On Nov. 8, at age 17 years and 8 months, Sophia Park received notification that she had passed the bar, which she took in July. The teen from Orange County is currently a law clerk with the Tulare County District Attorney's Office, where her brother Peter also works.

What happened to JFK's son?

John F. Kennedy Jr. died in a tragic plane crash on July 16, 1999, with his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette.