What is a Passing MBE Score for My State?

What is a Passing MBE Score for My State?

In this post, we cover the passing MBE score for each state, plus U.S. territories that administer a bar exam. We also tell you about how many questions you should be answering correctly to get that passing score.

Note that the vast majority of states do not have a requisite MBE score. So long as you receive an overall passing score on the bar exam, you will pass! For example, New York requires a 266 to pass the exam. Thus, if you received a score of 133 on the MBE and a score of 133 on the written portion, you would pass. However, you do not need a score of 133 on each. Instead, you could get a score of a 140 on the written portion and a 126 on the MBE and still pass. (There are some exceptions: South Dakota requires a minimum scaled MBE score of 133; and Palau requires a minimum score of a 120.) Generally, however, the majority of states do not have a minimum passing MBE score.

What is a Passing MBE Score for My State?

Last updated: January 11, 2023

Note: please make sure to check your state bar’s website and the NCBE’s website (likely under their latest Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements) for the latest information in case your state decided recently to change their score!

How many MBE questions do I need to answer correctly to pass?

If you are wondering the approximate percentage of questions you should be answering correctly, check out this post, where we break down the math for you! The short answer is, however, if you are scoring between 60 and 65% correct, you are likely in, or close to, the passing range.

Specifically:

Depending on the curve used, generally between 14 and 19 points are added to your “raw” score.
A 118 out of 190 scored questions (62.1%) has led to a scaled score of 136 – 138 in the past (+18-20 points).
If you scored 120 out of 190 scored questions (63%), this led to a scaled score of 137 to 139 in the past (+17-19 points).
Note, as of February 2017, only 175 questions are scored. However, the scale the NCBE uses should make up for the fact that fewer questions are scored, and if you are scoring about 60-66% correct, you may very well be in the “passing zone” depending on your state’s passage rate.

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