July 2024 Bar Exam Shows Significant Improvement in Pass Rates
Majority of States Report Higher Pass Rates
As of Friday morning, over half of the U.S. states have reported their exam results. Out of the 26 states that have released data, 18 have experienced an increase in their overall pass rates compared to July 2023. Notably, ten of these states saw improvements of five percentage points or more. While two states maintained the same pass rate as last year, six states reported slight declines.
Notable Increases in Specific States
Several states have shown remarkable progress:
- Oklahoma, North Dakota, and Nebraska - each witnessed a nine-percentage-point rise in their pass rates.
- Mississippi - saw an increase of seven percentage points.
- Maine and Colorado- both reported a six-percentage-point improvement.
Large States Yet to Release Results
Major jurisdictions such as **New York, California, Texas,** and **Illinois** have not yet released their exam results. **Florida**, which ranks third in the number of bar examinees after New York and California, is the only large state to have reported so far, showing an increase in its pass rate from 61% last year to 65% this July.
National Data Indicates Positive Trend
The National Conference of Bar Examiners reported that the national average score on the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)—the multiple-choice section of the bar exam—was 141.8. This figure is up by 1.3 points from July 2023 and represents the highest average MBE score since 2013, excluding the modified exam in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Factors Contributing to Higher Scores
States with Decreased Pass Rates
A few states experienced declines:
- Vermont's pass rate dropped from 58% last July to 53% this year.
- Utah saw a decrease from 92% to 88%.
Both states had relatively small pools of test takers, with Vermont administering the exam to 49 candidates and Utah to 336.
Upcoming Results from Major Jurisdictions
- New York plans to release its July bar exam results by the end of October.
- California is set to announce its results on November 8.
- Texas could release its results as early as Monday.
