Statistics and Research

Statistics

NCBE publishes annual statistics on bar examinations and admissions in all US jurisdictions. The statistics, published annually in the Bar Examiner magazine, also include summary statistics and score distributions for the administrations of the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) and are available on the Statistics page of NCBE's Bar Examiner website.

As jurisdictions release their results following each bar exam administration, NCBE publishes the percentage pass rates reported by each jurisdiction.

NCBE is in the process of implementing the Testing Task Force’s recommendations for the next generation of the bar exam, which were approved by NCBE’s Board of Trustees at the end of January 2021. The new bar exam will measure both knowledge and skills holistically through a mix of item formats.
NCBE’s Technical Advisory Panel of measurement experts provides technical and psychometric guidance to NCBE’s research staff.
Joe E. Covington Award for Research on Testing for Licensure: NCBE's annual Joe E. Covington Award for Research on Testing for Licensure is intended to provide support for graduate students in any discipline doing research germane to testing and measurement, particularly in a high-stakes licensure setting.