The bar exam curve is very real, and it can be your ally in passing the exam. By understanding how the curve works and leveraging tools like BARBRI’s bar prep courses, you can maximize your chances of landing on the passing side.
Establishing a Passing Threshold
The primary function of the curve, or scaled scoring, is to ensure fairness. What it helps do is establish a passing threshold that takes into account the overall performance of all test takers on the multiple-choice portion (Multistate Bar Exam, or MBE) for a single bar exam administration. Essentially, the scaled scoring accounts for variations in exam difficulty and the performance of the test takers.
You can see this phenomenon in action by checking out recent Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) National Scaled Score Distribution charts published by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) for 2021, 2022, and 2023. MBE scores have a history of consistently following a bell curve pattern for every bar exam administration.
Source: The Bar Examiner 2023
The great thing about the bar exam (we can always find a silver lining!) is this: To pass, you don’t have to be an expert on any of the subjects tested. And you don’t have to ace anything. Instead, the key to passing is knowing just enough about enough areas of the law to perform well enough compared to your peers.
Most bar takers fall right in the middle on the curve, within a few points of each other. The MBE portion of the bar exam is significant to your overall score in almost all U.S. states. Getting just a few additional points can really tip you into the “passing zone.”
Motivation to Study Broadly
Knowing that the bar exam scaled score exists can relieve some pressure. Instead of aiming for perfect scores in every section, your goal should be to perform consistently well across all subjects. This requires a broad understanding of multiple areas of the law, which is often more manageable than achieving perfection.
Preparing for the bar exam requires a shift from earlier study strategies and test taking, where the goal was to achieve an “A” or a “B”. The pass/fail nature of the exam means that if you take a particularly difficult exam, the curve may work in your favor by lowering the passing threshold. When it comes to the bar exam, getting a 60% (“D” grade) on a section (for example) may be good enough to pass.
How to Leverage Bar Exam Scoring with BARBRI
BARBRI has been studying the MBE since it debuted in 1972. Our years of research and data science have shown us that understanding the bar exam scaled score and tracking your performance against others is crucial for passing.
With BARBRI, you get pass prediction insights before you even sit for the exam. Because more students prepare with BARBRI Bar Review than with all other options, you get the most accurate prediction of where you’ll stand.
Get a deeper understanding of bar exam predictions, along with the importance of your MBE score.
Learn how to study broad for the bar exam, not deep. You’ve got this!!
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