After scrutiny by a California Bar committee, over 200 individuals who completed the California bar exam in February will see their scores adjusted from a “fail” to a “pass.”
This alteration in grading pertains to 230 exam participants from the State Bar of California, in an effort to address the challenges faced during the problematic February exam, marked by technical and organizational issues. The aftermath of this exam led to multiple legal actions, with test takers and the state bar filing lawsuits against the exam administration company.
With the changes approved on Friday, the exam’s overall pass rate jumped from 56% to 63%, nearly double the state’s historical average of 35%.
General view of The State Bar of California on January 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Several State Bar trustees have voiced concerns regarding some of the proposed solutions for the exam and the subsequent rise in pass rates, citing the bar’s responsibility to safeguard the public by ensuring only qualified lawyers are licensed.
The Bar said it faced the difficult task of finding “fair solutions” that maintained the exam’s integrity. The Bar “would never take any steps to detract from its public protection mission,” it said in a statement.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Bar of California.
Reuters contributed to this report.
