What Is The Minimum MBE Score I Can Get And Still Pass?
What Is The Minimum MBE Score I Can Get And Still Pass?
In this post, we walk you through how to determine what the minimum MBE score is you need to pass in your jurisdiction! Keep reading for more details!
What Is The Minimum MBE Score I Can Get And Still Pass?
Does any state have a set minimum MBE score?
Yes! Kentucky requires takers to get at least a 132 on the MBE to pass their bar exam. If you don’t meet this requirement, you cannot pass the Kentucky bar exam, regardless of how well you do on the other parts. They are the only state that has this requirement!
In every other state, you can make up for a lower MBE score with a higher essay score.
So, how can I figure out what my minimum MBE score can be?
Follow these steps!
1. Figure out what the passing MBE score is for your state!
In order to figure out your minimum MBE score, you need to know what score you need in your state. Every state has a different MBE score that is considered “passing” (although as noted above, unless you are in Kentucky, you can still get a lower MBE score and still pass the bar exam so long as you make up for it with the written portion). However, figuring out what MBE score you should aim for is the first step. If you are not sure what score that is, you are in luck because we’ve put them all in one place in this blog post!
Armed with this information, you are ready to move onto the next step.
2. Figure out how much your MBE score is worth in relation to your total bar score.
Not every state weighs the worth of the MBE equally. In many jurisdictions (including Uniform Bar Exam jurisdictions), it is worth 50% of your total score. In others, however, it can be worth as little as 33%. Check out our blog post about how much your MBE score is worth to see where your jurisdiction stacks up! Once you have an idea of how much the MBE is worth in your jurisdiction, you are ready for step 3.
3. Figure out how many questions you need to get correct to get to the passing score in your state.
Using the information above, you can get a general idea of the minimum passing MBE score in your state. If you are unsure how to do this, check out this post on your MBE raw vs scaled score. Generally, somewhere between 60 and 66% should put you in the safe passing zone, depending on how much essays and performance tests are worth in your jurisdiction, and how good you are at those portions of the bar exam.
One thing you want to make sure you are doing is using real MBE questions. These give you the best gauge of the percentage you will get on the actual exam. We highly recommend you check out our 200-question exam here if you want some new, real NCBE-released questions!
4. Remember that a low MBE score can be balanced out by your essay/performance test scores.
While it would be great to ace every potion of your bar exam, you don’t necessarily need to get a passing MBE score to pass the bar. Often, students are able to balance out lower MBE scores with higher essays scores. In UBE states, the MBE and essays are weighted equally. Some of our students who really struggle with the MBE are able to pass the bar because they receive higher essays scores. So, your minimum MBE score might not be exactly a 135. It could be that you only score a 110 on the MBE, but get a 150 on the essay portion to balance it out and pass.
So, if you find yourself struggling with the MBE leading up to the bar exam, remember you can still pass with good essay scores. Students often get so fixated on their MBE scores that they neglect their essay or performance test (where applicable) preparation. This is a big mistake, especially in jurisdictions where the MBE is worth 50% or less of your score. In our experience, it is much easier to dramatically increase an essay or performance test score in a small amount of time than it is to increase an MBE score.
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