California’s July Bar pass rate decreased by 7.1% since July 2013. This is the first time since 2005 that the pass rate has dropped below 50%.
Since 1951, the bar has seen the pass rate drop below 50% 12 times. Per the bar exam results available on the California Bar’s website, 1951 saw the lowest pass rate at 39%.
When looking at the year-over-year changes, the 7.7% decrease, while significant has been seen during other years. For example:
- 2009 - 5% decrease
- 1998 - 10% decrease
- 1984 - 7% decrease
- 1977 - 6% decrease
- 1963 - 9% decrease
- 1954 - 7% decrease
.Many people believed the 1998 decrease was due to the student’s “lack of ability to apply facts to law.” The 1984 decrease of 7% had some people claiming that it was a decline in population competency.
Copyright © 2014 by James Mullen, J.D., Published atbarexamstats.wordpress.com
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