What MBE Raw Score is Passing?

What MBE Raw Score is Passing?

It can be confusing to know if your MBE score is passing given that most MBE scores are reported as “converted” scores. In this post, we tell you what MBE raw score is passing so that you can figure out if you are on track to pass the MBE. 

What MBE Raw Score is Passing?

Here are the steps to determine if your MBE raw score is passing.

First, figure out what a passing MBE score is in your state. 

We’ve put all the passing MBE scores by state in this post.  If you are in New York, for example, you need a 266 to pass the bar exam and a 133 to have a “passing” MBE score. (Note that most jurisdictions, including Uniform Bar Exam jurisdictions, do not require a minimum passing MBE score. So long as you receive 266 points total, you will pass!) However, it is still helpful to know the approximate score that is considered passing so that you know if you are on track.

Remember that the MBE score you just looked up is a “converted” MBE score.

So if you are in New York, you know that a 133 is a “passing” MBE score. However, this is a passing converted MBE score.  

The NCBE calculates your “converted” MBE score by adding a certain number of points onto your “raw” MBE score.

In other words, you do not need to answer 133 questions correct out of 200 (or out of the 175 questions that are scored on the MBE) to pass the MBE.  What matters for your purposes is the “raw score” that you need. This will tell you the approximate percentage of MBE questions that you need to answer correctly to pass the MBE.

Next, figure out the “raw” MBE score that you need in order to get that passing converted score. 

The next step is to figure out the raw score that you need to get a passing converted MBE score.

We have done the math for you based on past data that we have available. (If you want to read more about this data and the math that goes into calculating a passing MBE raw score, please read this post.)

These are the approximate scores you want to aim for in order to have a passing MBE score:

• If you are aiming for a MBE converted score of 131-135 (which is a passing score in most jurisdictions that require scores of 262-270 to pass), you should aim for 58%-62%. We suggest aiming for at least 60% to be safe. This means you should get 60-62 questions correct on a 100-question practice test or 120-124 questions correct on a full MBE exam.  
• If you are aiming for an MBE score of 136-140 (which is a passing MBE score in jurisdictions that require a 272-280 to pass) you should aim for 62%-65%. This means you should get 62-65 questions correct on a 100-question practice test or 124-130 questions correct on a full MBE exam.  
• If you are aiming for an MBE score of 144 (which is considered passing in California), you should aim for about a 67%. This means you should get 67 questions correct on a 100-question practice exam or 134 questions correct on a 200-question practice exam. 

So, as a general rule, if you are answering somewhere between 60 and 67%, your MBE raw score is in the “passing zone” depending on the jurisdiction you are in.

Note: You should be using real MBE questions to evaluate if you are on track!

Instead of using questions invented by a bar review course, make sure you use real MBE questions when you practice! Why? Because “real” MBE questions are a much better gauge of whether you are on track to pass. (We define “real” MBE questions as those released by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, or the NCBE.) The real MBE questions closely resemble the style and format of the MBE. And a lot of issues tend to be retested in the same way! You can purchase real MBE questions here. If you are looking to review “MBE favorites”–that is, those issues that we have seen come up time and time again throughout the years on the MBE, check out our MBE Favorites series here.

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