• The national mean score rose to 141.8, marking a 1.3-point increase over July 2023.

• New York, California, and Texas saw significant gains, with New York’s pass rate climbing to 69%.

• Nine states, including Wyoming, experienced a decline in pass rates this year.

Bar passage rates increased nationwide for the July 2024 examination, marking an uptick across several major jurisdictions, according to an ABA Journal report. 

• The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) reported that the national mean scaled score for the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) rose to 141.8, an increase of 1.3 points over the previous year’s July exam.

• Nearly 50,000 individuals took the test, an 8% increase over 2023, and most were first-time examinees.

Rising Scores and Pass Rates

The NCBE’s report signals encouraging news for many law graduates and law schools aiming to meet the American Bar Association’s compliance standards, which mandate a minimum 75% bar passage rate within two years of graduation. 

In line with these goals, the class of 2024 was expected to perform well, as law school applications surged by 13% in 2021, the year they began their studies. States with high numbers of test-takers saw notable gains. 

• In New York, the largest jurisdiction for bar exams, the pass rate rose to 69%, up from 66% in July 2023. 

• California, which also ranks high in examinee numbers, experienced a pass rate of 53.8%, increasing from 51.5% last year. 

• Texas saw one of the largest improvements among major jurisdictions, with its pass rate climbing 4 percentage points to reach 75%.

• Illinois’ pass rate increased 2 percentage points to 72% from 70%.

•  Florida’s increased 4 percentage points to 65% from 61%.

Regional Variations 

While most jurisdictions saw increases, nine states experienced declines in their pass rates. 

• Wyoming posted the most significant drop, with its pass rate falling 15 percentage points to 65%, though it had just 52 examinees. 

• Other states, including Kansas, Missouri, and Louisiana, also recorded decreases, highlighting the variability across regions.

Among states maintaining steady rates, South Dakota and Georgia matched their July 2023 results, with 74% and 70% pass rates, respectively. 

California Switches to New Bar Exam in February

In February 2025, California will take a significant step by departing from the NCBE’s standardized test, transitioning instead to a new exam developed by Kaplan. 

This exam will allow examinees to choose between remote and in-person testing, making California the first jurisdiction to formally abandon the NCBE’s NextGen test, scheduled to debut in July 2026. 

Lower Cut Scores Yield Mixed Results

The variability in pass rates also reflects recent changes in cut scores, as states such as Alaska, Arizona, and Idaho lowered their passing thresholds in 2023. Of these, only Utah saw a decrease in pass rates this July, dropping from 92% to 88%. 

Lower cut scores were introduced in several jurisdictions to boost pass rates and address concerns about bar passage requirements and entry to the legal profession.