First-Time Test Takers See Similar Pass Rates in Texas Bar Exam
According to data released by the Texas Board of Law Examiners, around 59% of first-time test takers passed the Texas Bar exam in February, similar to the passing rate in the same month last year. However, this rate is lower than in previous years, dropping around 10% from a few years ago. In February 2021, just over 70% of first-time test takers passed.
South Texas College of Law and Baylor Law School Top Perform in February 2023
In March 2021, fewer examinees took the Texas Bar exam. Overall, Texas-educated law graduates who took the exam for the first time passed at a rate of 69.51%, while non-Texas-educated graduates passed at a lower rate of 48.92%.
The bar exam is also offered in July, with higher passing rates for first-time test takers in recent years. In 2022, the overall pass rate was 76.07%, while in 2019 recorded a rate of 77.03%.
Texas-Educated Graduates Outperform Non-Texas-Educated Graduates in March 2021
According to the records of the Texas Board of Law Examiners, there was no July exam held in 2020. Instead, exams were held in September and October. Texas-educated graduates performed better on the July test, with pass rates of 80.47% in 2022, 82.18% in 2021, and 81.47% in 2019.
For those who took the Texas bar exam for the second time or more, the passing rate was 33.98% in February 2023. Combining this with the first-time test takers, the overall passing rate in February was 44.57%. However, this figure is lower than the overall passing rate of 50.33% in February 2022.
As of Friday afternoon, a representative for the board and representatives from Baylor Law School and South Texas College of Law had yet to respond to requests for comment.
