Aspiring lawyers across the United States have fresh reason for optimism as national bar exam performance has reached its strongest point in more than 12 years. According to the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), the average score on July’s 200-question Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) rose to 142.4, the highest since 2013. The MBE, which accounts for half of a test taker’s total bar exam score in most jurisdictions, is a critical component in attorney licensing nationwide.
Bob Schwartz, managing director of psychometrics at the NCBE, said the uptick in scores suggests that more candidates will pass the July 2025 exam compared to last year. “Due to this increase in mean we expect to see a small increase in overall pass rates compared to last July,” Schwartz noted. States are expected to begin releasing individual scores and overall pass rates in the coming weeks, providing a clearer picture of how candidates performed on the exam.
The upward trend marks a welcome change after years of mixed results. Since 2022, average July MBE scores have steadily improved, but the February version of the exam has remained a challenge for many candidates. The February 2025 test produced an average score of just 130.8, the lowest since the exam was first introduced in 1972. Experts say the February exam is traditionally more difficult because it draws a larger pool of repeat test-takers.
Complicating matters earlier this year was California’s brief departure from the national testing standard. The state opted to administer its own exam in February 2025, but widespread technical failures and logistical issues prompted the California Supreme Court to order a return to the MBE for the July session. That decision likely contributed to the stronger nationwide average reported this summer.
While official pass rates are still pending, the rise in MBE scores points to encouraging prospects for thousands of law graduates hoping to enter the legal profession. With law schools reporting record-high employment rates for recent graduates, the improved bar exam performance could further strengthen the pipeline of new attorneys at a time when demand for legal services and competition among firms remain intense.
