Bar Exam Passing Standards

This page should only be used as a reference tool for the February 2022 bar exam. For information on the Uniform Bar Exam, see the Board's information.

PASSING STANDARDS: A successful applicant for admission to the bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in addition to the other examination requirements must attain a scaled score of 272 on the combined scores of the PT, essay examination and MBE.

The six answers to the essay examination and the PT (valued at 1.5 times an essay question) will be graded, totaled and scaled to the MBE. The combined essay and PT scores will be weighted at 55%, and the MBE score will be weighted at 45% of the total scaled score. The scaled scores of the PT/essay examination and MBE will then be combined to determine whether a scaled score of 272 or higher has been attained. Please visit our web site in mid-April (for February) or mid-October (for July) for the official date for release of results.

Note: Applicants are required to sit for all sessions of the bar examination (both the morning and afternoon sessions of the PT/Essay Examination and MBE) in Pennsylvania, and make a good faith effort to answer each question. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.