California's Bar Pass Rate Continues to Decline, Reinforcing Reputation as Toughest State to Pass Bar Exam

Only 32.5% of applicants passed California's February bar exam, marking the fourth time since 2013 that more than two-thirds of test-takers failed the winter exam. The decrease in pass rates mirrors a slide seen in other states this year as well as a 1.5-point fall in the national mean score registered by those taking the multistate bar exam in February. The drop is linked to an increase in the number of repeat test-takers, and officials credited it to delays in coursework and test preparation tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.