Can you fail the MBE and still pass the bar exam?

Can you fail the MBE and still pass the bar exam?

Many students do not feel very good walking out of the multistate bar exam (MBE). So if you do not feel good about your MBE performance, you are not alone! (And you may not have performed as poorly as you think!)

Nevertheless, you may be wondering if you can fail the MBE and still pass the bar exam.

The answer, in most states, is yes. In most states, as long as you make up for any lost points on the essay portion of the exam, you can fail the MBE and still pass the bar exam. For example, in New York, you need a 266 out of 400 potential points to pass the bar exam. You should technically aim for a score of at least 133 on both the MBE and written portion as this would get you to the score of 266 that you need. However, you can get to that 266 in other ways. You could get a 130 on the MBE and a 136 on the written portion. Or a 110 on the MBE and a 156 on the written portion. In other words, in most states there is no minimum MBE score that you need to pass.

There are exceptions to this though!

The following jurisdictions do have a minimum threshold MBE score:

• Kentucky requires a minimum score of 132 on the MBE
• South Dakota requires a minimum score of 135 on the MBE
• Palau requires a minimum score of 120 on the MBE
• Georgia requires a minimum score of 115 on the MBE

(Note: please check with your jurisdiction’s website for the most updated information!)

So if you are not in one of those states, you can still technically “fail” the MBE and pass the bar exam.

Good luck waiting for bar exam results!

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