What is a passing score on the bar exam?
It depends on the state. On the legacy UBE, the minimum is 260 to 270 out of 400, and most jurisdictions moving to the NextGen UBE set it between 610 and 620 on a 500 to 750 scale. California does its own thing: you need 1390 out of 2000. Look up your own jurisdiction's number, because there is no single national passing score.
In more detail
The legacy Uniform Bar Exam is scored out of 400. Each jurisdiction sets its own minimum. NCBE lists 260 in states like Alabama, Minnesota, Missouri and Utah, 266 in New York, Illinois, New Jersey and others, and 270 in states like Texas, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, with a few in between. A UBE score can be transferred to other UBE jurisdictions, but the receiving state applies its own minimum.
The NextGen UBE changes the scale. From July 2026 through July 2028 most jurisdictions switch, and NCBE reports one overall score on a 500 to 750 scale, not separate multiple-choice and written scores. Most jurisdictions have set their NextGen passing score between 610 and 620. These numbers are not comparable with legacy scores, and a scaled score is not the percent of questions you answered correctly.
California does not use the UBE. Its bar exam needs a total scale score of at least 1390 out of 2000 in the first phase of grading. Any other state that runs its own exam also sets its own scale, so never plan around a number from a different jurisdiction.
Minimum passing scores by exam type
| Exam | Scale | Minimum passing score |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy UBE, lowest | 0 to 400 | 260 (Alabama, Minnesota, Missouri, Utah and others) |
| Legacy UBE, common | 0 to 400 | 266 (New York, Illinois, New Jersey and others) |
| Legacy UBE, highest | 0 to 400 | 270 (Texas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and others) |
| NextGen UBE | 500 to 750 | Most jurisdictions: 610 to 620 |
| California bar exam | 0 to 2000 | 1390 (first phase of grading) |
Step by step
- 1
Open your jurisdiction's bar admission agency page and find its minimum passing score.
- 2
Check whether it still gives the legacy UBE or has moved to the NextGen UBE, and from which exam date.
- 3
Write down the exact number and the scale it uses, so you never mix legacy and NextGen scores.
- 4
If you might move states, look up the minimum in each target jurisdiction too, since a transferred score has to clear the new state's bar.
- 5
Plan your study schedule to clear the number with room to spare, then check your readiness with timed practice.
How StudyPDF helps
StudyPDF cannot change a passing score, but it can help you earn one. Upload your outlines, bar prep notes and the questions you missed, and it builds flashcards, quizzes and timed practice sets from them, then tracks per concept what you still get wrong. Set your exam date in the Plan tab for dated sessions up to the day. The free plan covers about 4 materials a week, no card needed.
See also
More questions
What is the lowest passing score on the UBE?
260 out of 400, in Alabama, Iowa for July 2026 and later exams, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Utah. The highest is 270.
Is the NextGen bar exam scored the same way?
No. It gives one overall score on a 500 to 750 scale, and each jurisdiction picks its passing score. Most have set it between 610 and 620.
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