The bar exam passing score by state ranges from 260 to 270 on a 400-point scale in the 41 jurisdictions that use the Uniform Bar Examination.1NCBE. UBE Bar Exam Score Range California, Florida, and Louisiana run their own exams on separate scales, so their numbers are not directly comparable. The exam itself is also changing: the NextGen bar exam begins replacing the current UBE in some jurisdictions in July 2026, so which test you sit for depends on where and when you take it.
UBE Passing Scores Grouped by Cutoff
Forty-one U.S. jurisdictions administer the UBE,2NCBE. UBE Jurisdictions – Uniform Bar Examination and each sets its own minimum passing score. The full spread is only ten points wide, but where your target state falls in that range decides your study goal.1NCBE. UBE Bar Exam Score Range
- 260: Alabama, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah
- 264: Indiana
- 266: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Washington, Virgin Islands
- 268: Michigan
- 270: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming
The practical takeaway is that a single score does not clear every state. A 265 is enough in seven jurisdictions and falls short in 34. If you have any flexibility about where you may want to practice, aiming above the highest cutoff you might realistically care about leaves your options open.
Non-UBE States: California, Florida, and Louisiana
Three states run their own bar exams with their own scoring systems. Their numbers cannot be converted into UBE scores.
California requires a total scaled score of at least 1,390 out of 2,000. Written answers from applicants scoring between 1,350 and 1,389 on the first reading are read a second time, and the averaged score must reach 1,390 to pass.3The State Bar of California. California Bar Exam Grading
Florida uses a scaled-score system in which applicants need an average of 136 or higher across the two parts of the exam.4Florida Board of Bar Examiners. Exam Information, Test Specifications, Study Guide, and Virtual Tour
Louisiana’s exam reflects the state’s civil law tradition. It requires a weighted score of at least 650 out of 900, with code-based subjects carrying double the weight of non-code subjects.5Louisiana State Bar Association Committee on Bar Admissions. The Bar Exam
Each of these exams tests different material on a different scale. If you are sitting for one of them, prepare for that state’s format directly rather than trying to translate from UBE benchmarks.
How the UBE’s 400-Point Score Is Built
The UBE total comes from three components in fixed proportions: the Multistate Bar Examination contributes 50%, the Multistate Essay Examination contributes 30%, and the Multistate Performance Test contributes 20%.6NCBE. The Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) The MBE is a 200-question multiple-choice test. The MEE is six 30-minute essays. The MPT is two 90-minute lawyering tasks drafted from a provided case file; it does not test memorized law.
Your reported number is a scaled score, not a raw count of correct answers. The NCBE scores the MBE nationally and uses an equating process to adjust for difficulty differences between administrations, so a harder test produces the same scaled score as an easier one. Jurisdictions grade the MEE and MPT at the state level and scale those written scores to the MBE so all three components sit on the same footing. Because the MBE weighs half the total, it is the single biggest lever on where you land relative to your state’s cutoff.
Some jurisdictions automatically regrade written answers for applicants just below the line. New York, for example, has essays and performance test answers re-read by different graders when the initial total falls within a few points of its 266 cutoff. The regrade is automatic; no request is needed.
Score Portability and Expiration
A UBE score can be transferred to another UBE jurisdiction for admission there, as long as the score meets that jurisdiction’s minimum. A 270 qualifies everywhere. A 266 clears most states but not the ones at 270. The portability has an expiration date, though, and the window varies.7NCBE. UBE Maximum Score Age
North Dakota and Rhode Island accept transferred scores for only two years. The most common window is three years, used by roughly 15 jurisdictions including New York, New Jersey, and Maryland. About a dozen jurisdictions allow five years, including Texas, Arizona, and the District of Columbia. Colorado and New Hampshire use different windows depending on the purpose. If a score lapses before you apply in the new jurisdiction, you have to retake the exam.
The MPRE Is a Separate Score You Also Need
Passing the bar exam does not by itself produce a law license. Nearly every jurisdiction also requires the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, a 60-question multiple-choice test on legal ethics scored on a 50-to-150 scale, with each jurisdiction setting its own minimum.8NCBE. Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination Scores Most require between 75 and 86. The MPRE is given three times a year, with 2026 administrations in March, August, and November.9National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). 2026 MPRE Dates and Deadlines Many candidates take it during their third year of law school. Failing it delays admission regardless of how well you did on the bar exam itself.
The NextGen Bar Exam Starting July 2026
The current UBE is being phased out. The NCBE’s NextGen bar exam debuts in July 2026 and will eventually become the standard licensing exam.10NCBE. NCBE Publishes NextGen UBE Blueprint for July 2026-February 2027 Legal Research Like the current UBE, it will offer score portability among participating jurisdictions, and about 40 jurisdictions have announced adoption on a staggered schedule.11NCBE. NextGen UBE Decisions by Jurisdiction
Connecticut, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington are among the first switching in July 2026. New York, Texas, California, and Massachusetts are targeting 2027 or 2028. Florida has committed to the NextGen UBE for July 2028, which would move it off its current standalone exam.
The February 2026 administration remains the current UBE format in every jurisdiction. In July 2026 the field splits: some jurisdictions give the NextGen, others still give the current UBE. The structure, tested content, and scoring could all look different under the NextGen version, so check your jurisdiction’s specific timeline before you commit to a prep plan. The passing scores listed above apply to the current UBE; new cutoffs will be set as jurisdictions move to the NextGen format.