Wisconsin is the only state that allows you to automatically pass the bar exam if you attend one of the in-state ABA-accredited schools. Nonetheless the state has averaged 247 people taking the exam each year with 199 passing (this includes first timers from out-of-state, or non-ABA accredited school graduates). You can find information on how individuals have performed on the bar exam in recent years, along with data obtained from the American Bar Association on individual school performance down below.
Quick FAQ on the Wisconsin Bar Exam
When is the Wisconsin Bar Exam Administered?
Wisconsin Administers the bar exam the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July.
Who Administers the Wisconsin Bar Exam:
Board of Bar Examiners
110 East Main Street, Suite 715
P.O. Box 2748
Madison, Wisconsin 53701-2748
Phone: (608) 266-9760
When are Results Released for the Wisconsin Bar Exam:
Wisconsin mails out individual results after each session. No information is made available on the specific release dates online. Note, Wisconsin several years ago stopped posting results of individual sessions online, and instead has opted to post results of findings for the entire year online, in March. Those results are available at the bottom of the page here.
Latest Bar Exam Releases
February Bar Exam Statistics and Trends for Wisconsin
The February Bar Exam averages 98 people taking the exam, with 76 people passing. In recent years the number of people taking the exam has declined, and the overall pass rate has declined. Not shown in the chart above is the first-time test takers pass rate. on average, first time test takers have averaged 84% compared to the state average of 75%.
July Bar Exam Statistics and Trends for Wisconsin
The July Bar Exam averages 186 people taking the exam, with 153 people passing. In recent years the number of people taking the exam during the July session has declined somewhat from a high of 209 in 2011, to 175 in 2014, also the overall pass rate has stayed within fairly consistent levels. Note, first-time test takers for the July 2015 session saw a 33% drop in the number of first time students taking the exam from 155 in 2014 to 105 in 2015.
School Statistics and Trends for Wisconsin
The American Bar Association each year collects information on schools that have taken Wisconsin’s bar exam. While this information is not broken down by February/July session, you can see how schools generally perform in the state.
Note, that if you attend Marquette, and University of Wisconsin, you don’t have to take the bar exam, and are automatically admitted to the state (a big plus if you are planning on practicing law in Wisconsin).
