How Is the Bar Exam Scored? What Test Takers Should Know

In July 2024, bar exam pass rates were as high as 88% in Utah and as low as 53% in Vermont.

Such a broad range of pass rates begs the question: How is the bar exam scored?

The truth is, bar exam scoring isn’t exactly intuitive. There’s no single score that passes you everywhere, and not all parts of the test are graded the same way. But once you understand the structure, it becomes a lot less intimidating.

This article breaks it down in plain English—how the bar exam is scored, what counts the most, and how to make sure you’re on track to hit that passing mark.

Key Takeaways

• Each Section Counts Differently: The MBE is worth 50% of your score, essays 30%, and the MPT 20%—plan your prep accordingly.
• Raw Scores Are Scaled: Your raw number of correct answers is adjusted through a statistical process to create a scaled score.
• You Only Need the Total: Most states don’t require you to pass each section—just hit the combined minimum passing score.
• Not All States Score the Same: UBE states follow a uniform formula, but non-UBE states may have different grading standards.
• Know Your Target Score: Depending on the jurisdiction, most states require a score between 260 and 280 to pass.

First, a Quick Overview

Let’s start with the basics. If you’re taking the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE)—used in most states—you’ll be tested on three main parts:

• The Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) – 200 multiple-choice questions
• The Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) – six essays
• The Multistate Performance Test (MPT) – two practical legal tasks

Each section gets a score, and those scores are combined into a total scaled score. That number is compared to your state’s minimum passing score, which usually falls somewhere between 260 and 280.

The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) writes most of the UBE content and also handles the grading process for the multiple-choice section.

What Is a Scaled Score?

This is where things get a little technical, but stick with me.

Your raw score is how many questions you actually get right on a section like the MBE. However, the test changes slightly with each administration, so to make scores fair across different exam dates, the NCBE uses a statistical process to “scale” everyone’s score.

Think of it like curving a class exam. The idea is to balance out any differences in difficulty, so a scaled score of 135 in February is equivalent to a 135 in July.

You’ll get scaled scores for:

• The MBE portion
• The written portion (which includes the MEE and MPT)

These are then combined for your final UBE score.

How Much Does Each Part Count?

In a UBE state, the weighting is split like this:

• Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) – 50%
• Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) – 30%
• Multistate Performance Test (MPT) – 20%

So yes, the MBE portion carries the most weight, but the written portion still plays a significant role. Don’t sleep on it. A solid MPT performance can absolutely make up for a weaker multiple-choice score, and vice versa.

How the MBE Is Scored

The MBE has 200 questions, but only 175 are scored. The other 25 are test questions that don’t count but are mixed in to try out future items. You won’t know which are which, so treat every question like it matters.

Your raw score is simply the number of scored questions you got right out of 175. That raw score is then scaled—again, through a statistical process—to adjust for difficulty and standardize the results. While there’s no separate requirement to pass the MBE on its own in UBE states, a scaled score around 135 is often seen as a strong target to keep your overall score on track.

How the MEE and MPT Are Scored

Now let’s talk about the written portion. Unlike the MBE, these parts are graded by bar examiners in your jurisdiction, not by the NCBE directly.

Here’s how it generally works:

• Each MEE essay is scored on a scale (often 1–6), then converted into a scaled score.
• The two MPT tasks are graded the same way, usually with more emphasis on practical lawyering skills than black-letter law.

Those MPT scores and essay scores are then scaled to match the weight they carry in your state’s formula. Again, this helps ensure fairness if one exam is easier or harder than another.

What’s Considered a Passing Score?

Your total score needs to meet your state’s minimum passing score, which varies.

Most states using the UBE set the minimum at 260, 266, 270, or 280, depending on the jurisdiction. You’ll want to check your specific state’s bar admission website for the exact number.

Here’s what that means in practice:

• If your state’s minimum is 270, your combined scaled MBE and written scores need to add up to 270 or more.
• There’s no requirement to “pass” each section individually. It’s the total that matters.

So yes, technically, you can bomb the essays and still pass if you crush the MBE, but I wouldn’t recommend banking on that strategy.

Can You See Your Scores?

In most states, yes. You’ll get your scaled MBE score and your total UBE score. Some states will also break down your MEE and MPT scores, but not all of them. If you’re close to passing, it’s worth reviewing your breakdown to see where you need to improve for next time.

Some jurisdictions release written portion score sheets with examiner comments if you fail the exam. These can be incredibly helpful in pinpointing weak spots.

Do All States Use This Method?

Not all, but most.

States that use the Uniform Bar Exam follow this scoring structure. If you’re in a non-UBE state like California or Florida, the grading standards and score breakdowns are different.

Those states typically still use the multistate bar exam, but their law examiners also include state-specific essays and sometimes different performance tasks.

Quick Recap

Here’s how scoring works in most UBE states:

• Your MBE score is based on how many questions you get correct (raw score), then scaled.
• Essays and performance tasks are graded, then scaled, by bar examiners.
• Everything is weighted (50% MBE, 30% essays, 20% performance test) and combined.
• Your final score needs to meet your state’s minimum passing score to pass.
• Scores are scaled to keep results fair between different testing sessions.

Final Thoughts

Understanding how the bar exam is scored can take a lot of the mystery out of the process—and honestly, that helps lower the stress. Once you know how everything fits together, it becomes easier to build a study strategy that targets your weak spots and balances your strengths.

If you’re just starting to study, keep the weight of each section in mind. If you’re in the thick of it, use practice scores to estimate where you stand. And if you’re re-taking the exam, a detailed look at your previous MPT scores or scaled MBE score might give you exactly the insight you need.

You don’t need to aim for perfection—just precision. Focus on what moves your score forward, and you’ll be a lot closer to the finish line than you think.

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