More than 200 people taking the California bar exam in February will go from "failed" to "pass" after the California lawyers' committee approved a new scoring adjustment.
The grading changes affected the latest testers of California's 230 recipients who sought to mitigate the consequences of its catastrophic February test, which attempted to be troubled by technical and logistical issues. The exam prompted several lawsuits, including those filed by at least two test subjects, and another was filed by a state university against a company that manages the exam.
With the change approved Friday, the total pass rate of the exam jumped from 56% to 63%, almost twice the state's historical average of 35%.
San Francisco School District Ditch proposes “equal grading” strategy after community rebound
More than 200 people taking the California Lawyer Bar exam in February will turn their scores from “failed” to “pass” new score adjustments. (Reuters)
Applicants who almost pass and receive a second reading about a written question will provide higher scores for both scores for each question rather than the average of the first and second reading scores initially completed by the bar.
If adjustments are given to them by score, testers will be notified this week. The bar told Bloomberg Law that unlike many other remedies, this change does not require approval from the state Supreme Court.
The bar said that if the bar determines to pass the February exam, applicants for the July exam will be automatically withdrawn.
The rating changes are the latest changes among a range of remedial measures among leaders.
January 5, 2022 at the California Bar Association’s General Perspective in Los Angeles, California. (Aaronp/Farmer-Griffin/GC image)
After approval from the state Supreme Court, the State Bar Association has achieved lower original pass scores and “estimated” scores for most testers who fail to complete the two-day exam.
According to Bloomberg Law, the attorneys examiners committee will soon ask the state Supreme Court to approve a scoring method that may improve some scores in the test performance section through statistical analysis.
The state Supreme Court is also asked to consider a recommendation to allow all February applicants, including those who withdraw before the exam, to practice law temporarily under the supervision of lawyers.
The February exam is the debut of California's hybrid remote and in-person exams, without the components of the state's national bar exam that has been used for decades. The change aims to save $3.8 million a year, but solving all the problems with the July exam is now expected to add nearly $6 million in costs.
Celebrate college dropouts at an unconventional “graduation” ceremony in San Francisco
January 5, 2022 at the California Bar Association’s General Perspective in Los Angeles, California. (Aaronp/Farmer-Griffin/GC image)
Click here to get the Fox News app
Some state law firm trustees expressed discomfort with some of the proposed remedies for the exam and higher passing rates, which showed that the bar protected the public from unqualified attorneys.
The bar says it faces the daunting task of maintaining the integrity of the exams. It said in a statement that the bar “never do anything to harm its public protection mission.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to California.
Reuters contributed to the report.