Key points:
- Nearly 56% of test-takers passed the February 2025 California bar exam—a historic high for the winter test.
- The California Supreme Court lowered the raw passing score due to widespread technical failures.
- The bar also awarded scoring boosts to applicants who took a November 2024 experimental exam.
The February 2025 administration of the California bar exam yielded an unprecedented 56% pass rate one of the highest ever recorded for a winter sitting of the notoriously difficult test. The results, posted Monday by the State Bar of California, mark a dramatic jump from the 33.9% pass rate in February 2024 and rival historical pass rates typically seen in the more favorable July administration.
In total, 2,172 of the 3,886 individuals who completed the February exam passed. First-time takers from ABA-accredited law schools led the way with a 77% pass rate, while repeat takers also fared well at 53% an unusually strong showing for that group.
According to The Recorder, two key factors contributed to the inflated scores. First, the California Supreme Court intervened on Friday to lower the raw passing score, citing “significant technical and proctoring problems” that disrupted the exam for many test-takers. Second, the State Bar awarded scoring boosts to 527 applicants who had performed well on a November 2024 experimental exam intended to trial the new remote format.
“Given the technical and other issues this cohort faced, the perseverance applicants showed is commendable and impressive,” said Leah Wilson, executive director of the State Bar, in a statement congratulating the test-takers.
The results offer a rare bright spot for an administration of the bar exam that has been widely criticized and is still under investigation. Widespread technical disruptions plagued the February exam, which was meant to mark the State Bar’s transition to a fully remote, California-specific test. The ongoing audit will also examine why Kaplan, the test-writing vendor, did not author all of the multiple-choice questions, leading to the last-minute use of AI to develop some exam content.
Amid the fallout, the California Supreme Court announced Friday that the July 2025 exam will revert to using the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, as a measure to restore stability and reliability.
The State Bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners was scheduled to meet Monday afternoon to consider additional remedies for February test-takers who did not pass, including potential provisional licensing pathways.
