News Summary
The California Supreme Court has authorized the State Bar to adjust bar exam scores following technical issues during the February 2025 exam. This adjustment affects over 4,200 applicants, allowing those who faced challenges during the test to pass with a lower raw score. The court has mandated the use of the Multistate Bar Exam for the upcoming July test and responded to concerns about the exam’s integrity, particularly regarding the use of AI in question drafting. This move aims to restore confidence in the examination process amid rising scrutiny.
California’s Supreme Court has approved the State Bar’s request to adjust bar exam scores following technical difficulties during the February 2025 bar exam. This decision allows for the release of test results for the 4,231 applicants who participated in the exam.
The court mandated the State Bar to employ the Multistate Bar Exam for the multiple-choice component of the upcoming July exam. Concerns were raised regarding the question drafting process for the February exam, particularly regarding the undisclosed use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create some exam questions.
For applicants to pass the bar exam, a raw score of 534 is required, which is based on a 700-point scale for the written section combined with 171 points for the multiple-choice segment, both of which are weighted equally at 50%. For those who took the February 2025 exam, the raw passing score was adjusted to 420 points or higher.
In terms of grading adjustments, the court has permitted examinees who correctly answered at least 114 of the 171 scored multiple-choice questions and completed at least four of the six writing components to benefit from psychometric imputation. This method aims to ensure fair evaluations of the affected test takers.
The controversy surrounding the exam began when the State Bar disclosed that out of 200 exam questions, 29 were developed using artificial intelligence by a contractor known as ACS Ventures Inc. Further criticism arose as some questions were reportedly recycled from a first-year law student exam, prompting significant backlash from legal educators.
Test takers reported issues such as being removed from online testing environments, experiencing lagging technology, and facing unclear or questionable questions. These problems led to a federal lawsuit against the exam administrator, Meazure Learning, as students expressed concerns over the fairness and validity of the testing process.
The shift to a new bar exam model was influenced by a $22 million deficit that prompted the State Bar to hire Kaplan Exam Services to assist in developing exam questions. Law school faculty were particularly outraged by the decision to utilize AI for drafting test questions, citing profound validity concerns for the examination process.
In defense, the State Bar clarified that all questions used in the exam underwent review by specialized content validation panels and subject matter experts to ensure their adequacy. Nevertheless, critics have continued to call for greater transparency in the process, urging the State Bar to make all 200 questions from the February exam available for scrutiny and assessment.
Amid the ongoing complications, California Senate Judiciary Chair Thomas J. Umberg has publicly called for an audit of the State Bar, reflecting heightened scrutiny over the organization’s handling of the examination. Suggestions have also been made for the State Bar to revert to its previous method of administering bar exams in response to the extensive issues encountered.
As the Bar prepares for the July exam, the adjustments made following the February incident are aimed at restoring confidence in the examination process, while ensuring candidates have fair and equitable opportunities to succeed.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
- The New York Times: California State Bar Exam Adjustments
- Bloomberg Law: California Justices Accept Bar Exam Scoring
- Los Angeles Times: State Bar Used AI for Exam Questions
- Wikipedia: California Bar Exam
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Bar Exam
