More On The MPRE

Applicant scores are reported to the various jurisdictions as directed by applicants. Each jurisdiction has established its particular passing score, which in California is and has been since inception of the MPRE in the early 1980's, a scaled score of 79 or approximately 28 to 32 correct responses to the fifty items that originally comprised the examination.

In March 2004, the Committee sought and was granted authority to circulate for public comment a proposal to increase the minimum passing score on the MPRE to a scaled score of 100, which depending on the particular examination translates to approximately 32 to 37 correct answers. Public comment was mixed but generally favored an increase in the required score but to a point less than 100.

Oversight Committee and through it to the Board of Governors that the required minimum scaled score be raised to 100, which would require that applicants correctly answer at least 64% to 74% of the questions on the test. The Board declined to approve the Committee’s recommendation and referred the matter back to the Committee for further review of an increase in the required scale score to a score less than 100.

After reconsideration of the matter, the Committee determined to recommend that the minimum passing score required for the MPRE be increased to a scaled score of 86. Utah is the only other state that has a required passing score of 86, which is the highest score required by any state.

What everyone taking the MPRE this year should keep in mind is that the scaled score of 79 is still in effect. So you still need to only get about 35 questions right at the most to assure yourself of a passing score. That's 70% right people. Not hard at all.