Several States recorded a noticeable drop in bar exam pass rates after Feb. 2022 examination

Several states, including New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida all saw declines in their law graduates’ pass rates on the bar exam. These states were not alone, as 12 other states have also reported a drop in bar exam scores after the test in February of 2022.

New York, the largest bar exam jurisdiction, saw a decline in its pass rate from 49% in 2021 to 45% in 2022. Florida also saw its pass drop from 47% last February to 43% this year. Pennsylvania’s pass rate decline was the most concerning, plumbing from 51% last year to a whopping 37% this year. North Carolina’s pass rate took a 10% drop from 60% a year ago to 50% this year. Not to mention, the national average for the Multistate Bar Exam, According to the National Conference of Bar Examiners, dropped by 1.4 points.

This great drop in scores may have to do with the fact that test-takers in 2021, besides those in 16 states, were able to take the bar exam online. This year, every state besides Nevada required the bar exam to be completed in person.