Florida Reports Lower First-Time Bar Pass Rate in Chaotic Year

Bar exam pass rates in Florida for first-time test takers declined for the October sitting compared to July 2019 as the test moved online, but the state’s data alone paints an incomplete picture of broader exam results in a year of coronavirus-related upheaval.

Florida reported a 71.7% pass rate for first-time test takers in October, when the test was given online, a decline from July 2019 when 73.9% passed the in-person test. The Florida Board of Bar Examiners says it only tracks the pass rate for first-time exam takers.

Florida’s exam was delayed several times in 2020, including once ...