Scoring the Bar PDF Print E-mail

Scoring and Grading the California Bar Exam

Scoring of the California bar exam ensures that the examination difficulty remains the same from test to test. The Committee of Bar Examiners instated the current grading procedures.

Read more about the pass rate here.

  • Graders
    • Graders are selected each examination grading cycle from a pool of 150 attorneys
    • Quality of hand writing, spelling and grammar are not considered in assigning a grade to answer
    • Eight groups of 11 experienced graders and up to three apprentice graders are selected to grade essays and performance tests
      • Groups are supervised by a member of the Examination Development and Grading Team and a member of the Committee of Bar Examiners
      • First Calibration Session
        • Graders discuss sample answers (written by applicants)
        • Graders receive a set of 15 copies of answers submitted
        • Graders assign and discuss grades for the 15 sample answers
        • After the 15 samples, graders work independently for the next 20 answers
      • Second Calibration Session
        • Graders discuss results of first meeting
        • Re-read and discuss answers where their were disagreements
        • 10 more answers are read and discussed
        • Groups are given first grading assignments
      • Third Calibration Session
        • Grading standards are reviewed
        • Graders read 10 additional answers as a group (making certain they all using the same standard)

 

  • MBE
    • Comprises 35 percent of the total score
      • Receive six hours to complete the 200 questions
      • Administered on Wednesday
  • Written section
    • Accounts for 65 percent of total score
    • Graders assign raw scores in five-point increments on a scale of 40-100
      • Receive three hours to complete each set of three essay questions on Tuesday and Thursday
      • Receive three hours to answer each performance test

 

  • Must have a total scaled score of 1440 points to pass
    • Maximum points possible: 2000
  • Scaling: ensures difficulty level of the exam
    • Converts scores on the written section to the same scale of measurement as the MBE
      • MBE raw scores are converted to scale score
    • Indicates the same level of proficiency regardless of the exam
    • Adjusts for possible differences in average question difficulty
    • Scores from 0 to 2000 points
      • Written portion
        • Based on 1000 possible points
          • 100 points each essay question (totaling 600 points)
          • 200 points for the two performance test questions
        • Raw score translated to 2000 point MBE scale
      • Total score
        • MBE scaled score then multiplied by 0.35
          • Ensures the MBE portion accounts for 35 percent of total score
        • Written section scaled score multiplied by 0.65
          • Ensures the written portion accounts for 65 percent of total score
        • Add the above MBE and written portion scores together for total score
  • Phased Grading
    • Phase I
      • All written answers are read at least once before pass/fail decision made
        • This includes unfinished responses
      • To pass in Phase I applicants must have a total scale score of at least 1440
        • If the scale score is below1390 a fail is assigned to the applicant
        • If the scale score is at least 1390 but less than 1440, all responses are read a second time by different graders
    • Phase II
      • For responses that are near the passing score after Phase I (first read), their answers are read a second time by a different group of graders
      • The Phase I and II scores averaged
        • Decision is only made if there are no more than 10 raw points between the first and second scores
        • If the applicant’s averaged total scale score after two readings is 1440 or higher, the applicant passes
        • If there are more than 10 raw points between the first and second scores the answers will be read a third time
    • Phase III
      • More than 10 raw points between the first and second scores
      • Team member supervising grading for that question will resolve the discrepancy
        • The resolution grade will replace the two previous scores
        • If this score is 1440 or higher, the applicant passes
        • If this score is less than 1440, the applicant fails
  • Results
    • Results from February examination are released in late May
    • Results from the July examination are released in late November
      • Notices are mailed
      • At 6 pm on the day results are mailed, applicants can access their results online
      • Law schools are sent pass/fail lists of their students the following week
      • Failing applicants will receive their grades assigned with their responses
        • Their answer books will be returned within 4 to 6 weeks
      • Passing applicants do not receive their grades or answer books

Visit the State Bar of California website for more information