An applicant’s MBE “raw” score is the number of questions answered correctly. A different set of MBE questions is used for each administration of the examination. The MBE has 200 multiple-choice questions. A simpler, but algebraically equivalent, version of this formula is used to report results. This formula is shown below where: A = the sum of the applicant’s Grader assigned scores across all the essay and PT questions in the test, B = mean of these scores across all applicants, C = the standard deviation (i.e., spread) of these scores for all applicants, D = the standard deviation of all applicants’ MBE scores, and E = the mean of their MBE scores. To improve the accuracy of the scaling process, a formula is used to make the conversion from the Grader-assigned written scores to scale scores. An applicant’s written score is not affected by that applicant’s own MBE score (or by the MBE or written scores of applicants in other states). This process is done separately for each administration of the examination. The second highest essay score is assigned the same value as the second highest MBE score, and so on. On the bar examination, this conversion (or 'scaling') essentially involves assigning the highest total written score that was earned by any applicant in a state the same value as the highest MBE score that was earned by any applicant in that state. This is analogous to converting degrees of temperature measured in Fahrenheit to Celsius.

Scaling involves converting the sum of all score assigned by the Graders to the same units of measurement as that used for the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). Almost all United States jurisdictions scale their written scores. Scaling is a statistical procedure that adjusts the scores assigned by the graders. This adjustment is used to ensure that an applicant’s likelihood of passing is not affected by any variation in the difficulty of the written section (includes both the essay and PT questions) across administrations. A different set of essay and performance task (PT) questions is used for each administration of the California Bar Examination. The questions asked on one administration may, as a group, be more difficult than those asked on some other administration. Similarly, the graders who grade the answers to the questions on one administration may, as a group, be more lenient than the graders who grade the answers on another administration. This potential variation in question difficulty and reader leniency between administrations could unduly affect an applicant’s chances of passing.

Act raw to scale spreadsheet converter