February 2023 Cal Bar Exam results press release
Of note: CA’s pass rate declined as it did for many jurisdictions. The four states referenced below had declines between 3-7%, while California declined 1.4% from February 2022.
State Bar of California Releases Results of February 2023 Bar Exam
Today the State Bar announced that 1,224 (32.5 percent of applicants) passed the February 2023 California General Bar Exam, and 205 (56.9 percent of applicants) passed the Attorneys’ Exam. If those who passed satisfy all other requirements for admission, they will be eligible to be licensed by the State Bar to practice law in California.
“Today is a very exciting day for 1,429 General Bar Exam and Attorneys’ Exam applicants and their families, and a time to reflect on their personal journeys, challenges, and successes,” said Leah Wilson, State Bar Executive Director. “The State Bar of California congratulates them, and we look forward to welcoming them to California’s legal profession very soon.”
This year’s 32.5 percent pass rate on the General Bar Exam represents a slight decline, 1.4 percentage points, from the February 2022 pass rate of 33.9 percent. The pass rates for the February 2023 bar exam varied nationwide, with most states experiencing a decline, including:
- New York (40 percent compared to 45 percent in 2022)
- Florida (39 percent compared to 44 percent in 2022)
- Washington D.C. (45 percent compared to 42 percent in 2022)
- Pennsylvania (44 percent compared to 37 percent in 2022)
According to the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), the mean scaled score on the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) for February 2023 across the nation was 131.1, representing a decline of 1.5 points from the February 2022 score of 132.6.
In most U.S. jurisdictions, including California, the bar exam consists of three sections, one of which is the MBE. A decline in the national mean MBE score would likely indicate a decrease in the February 2023 pass rate, and in California’s case, as in previous years, it did. The February bar exam typically includes a higher proportion of repeat takers than a July administration. Repeat takers’ exam performance, including pass rates, is lower on average than that of first-time test takers. The proportion of repeating examinees on the California February 2023 administration was nearly 71 percent, which represents a 17 percent increase over the last two years.
Attendance at California’s February 2023 General Bar Exam was higher (3,765) than for the February 2022 exam (3,113).
February 2023 General Bar Exam preliminary statistics*
- Completed the General Bar Exam: 3,765 applicants
- First-time applicants: 1,100 (29.2 percent of total)
- Pass rate for first-time applicants: 45 percent overall
- Repeat applicants: 2,665 (70.8 percent of total)
- Pass rate for repeat applicants: 28 percent overall
Pass rate for the General Bar Exam (rounded to whole numbers) by law school type:
|
School Type |
First-Timers |
Repeaters |
| California ABA |
49% |
37% |
| Out-of-State ABA |
47% |
34% |
| California Accredited (not ABA) |
31% |
18% |
| Unaccredited: Fixed-Facility |
33% |
11% |
| Unaccredited: Correspondence |
25% |
8% |
| Unaccredited Distance-Learning |
21% |
10% |
| All Applicants |
45% |
28% |
General information about the structure and content of the General Bar Exam.
The Attorneys’ Examination is open to those who have been admitted to the active practice of law and are in good standing for at least four years in another U.S. jurisdiction, as well as disciplined lawyers who are ordered to take the examination as a condition of reinstatement.
A pass list from the exam will be published on the State Bar website on May 7, 2023, at 6:00 a.m. More detailed statistics about exam results will be available in four to six weeks on the State Bar website.
Successful applicants who satisfy all requirements for admission may take the Attorney’s Oath individually or participate in admissions ceremonies held by their law school or others. Applicants are eligible to practice law in California after taking the Attorney’s Oath and submitting their oath card to the State Bar. The State Bar has enabled digital signing and electronic processing of oath cards on a permanent basis.
*Please note that these are preliminary statistics. Law schools will be required to confirm the students allocated to their law school and as a result, these statistics may change. Approximately 4-5 weeks after the exam results are released, the general statistics, including data on pass rates by gender, race/ethnicity, and law school type, will be released.
