Why is the Average MBE Scaled Score for the February 2015 bar exam so low?

Why is the Average MBE Scaled Score for the February 2015 bar exam so low?

We have received some inquiries regarding multistate bar exam results after Pennsylvania released statistics that stated that the average multistate bar exam (MBE) scaled score for the February 2015 bar exam was 136.17. This may seem low, especially after the mean scaled multistate bar exam score for the July 2014 bar exam dropped a few points from 144.3 to 141.5 and caused a stir in the legal community.

However, upon closer inspection, it appears that a score of 136.17 is statistically in line with typical February bar exam results. In the past ten years, the mean scaled score for the February bar exam ranged from 135.7 to 138.6 with the average being 137.37.

Thus, the mean scaled multistate bar exam score for the February bar exam results is not any lower than that of any other past February bar exams.

Why is the mean scaled MBE score typically lower in February than it is in July? There are many possibilities, but most people attribute it to the higher number of nontraditional students and “repeat takers” that take the bar exam in February.

Good luck to everyone still awaiting February bar exam results!

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