Bar exam pass rate holds steady at 54.8 percent

The pass rate for the July exam had been steadily rising since July 2004, when it hit a low point of 48.2 percent, until 2008, when it peaked at 61.7 percent. The pass rate was 48.8 percent in 2005, 51.8 in 2006 and 56.1 percent in 2007. It dipped again in 2009 to 56.4 percent.

The number of applicants also declined, from 8,667 in 2009 to 8,562 in 2010 and 8,456 this year. Nearly 72 percent — 6,080 — were first-time test takers and they scored a pass rate of 69 percent. The pass rate for the 2,376 repeaters was 18 percent.