Key points:
- 230 February 2025 bar exam takers moved from failing to passing after grading revisions.
- Pass rate increases from 56% to 63%, nearly double the state’s historical average.
- Changes follow widespread exam issues and multiple lawsuits, including one from the state bar itself.
The State Bar of California has approved another round of score recalculations for the troubled February 2025 bar exam, pushing 230 additional test takers into the passing category. The change brings the overall pass rate to 63%, a dramatic increase from the state’s historical February average of around 35%, Reuters reported.
The latest revision modifies how scores were calculated for examinees who qualified for a “second read” of their essays and performance test answers—an additional review used when scores fall just below the passing threshold. Originally, the bar averaged the first and second reads. Under the new policy, the bar will use the higher of the two scores, pushing previously borderline candidates over the line.
This marks the bar’s latest attempt to recover from the February exam’s widespread failures. The test, which was California’s first hybrid in-person and remote administration without components of the national Multistate Bar Exam, was marred by technical issues, delayed starts, and software breakdowns. The rollout led to multiple lawsuits by examinees and a separate lawsuit filed by the bar against Meazure Learning, the vendor responsible for delivering the exam platform.
So far, the bar has adopted several measures to remedy the situation: lowering the raw passing score, imputing scores for examinees who couldn't complete portions of the test, and requesting a two-year extension of the state’s provisional licensure program from the California Supreme Court. The court has not yet ruled on the request, which would allow those who failed or withdrew from the February exam to work under supervision while retaking the test.
Some trustees have expressed discomfort with the measures, warning that dramatically raising the pass rate could compromise the bar’s mission to protect the public. In a statement, the bar acknowledged the tension, saying it “faced a difficult task in finding fair solutions” while upholding exam integrity.
Corrected scores will be communicated directly to affected candidates this week, according to a Friday email obtained by Reuters. The bar also expects the changes to increase the cost of the upcoming July exam by nearly $6 million, eclipsing the anticipated $3.8 million savings from cutting ties with the national exam framework.
