The MBE or Essays, When You Fail the Florida Bar Exam

What happens if you only pass one section of the bar but fail the overall bar? Should you sit for that section that you failed or do you take the entire bar exam over again? I think it depends on which section you passed. In this possible scenario, say you pass the Florida section but fail the MBE. Should you take the Florida section again to get carry-over points for your MBE score?

It depends on what your MBE score is. I usually tell my students that you have to stay competitive in the MBE and let your extra points on the Florida section pull you over the top. It is my experience that many of the students who pass the bar, do not pass the MBE or only have a 1-5 point pass on the MBE. That is why doing well on the Florida essays for those extra overage points can help you pass the overall bar, even if you do not pass the MBE.

First, evaluate your scores. Unfortunately, the NCBE has decided, not to give you a raw score or to list how you did in each subject. This is of a great disadvantage to the repeat taker, since the repeat taker does not know if he has a weak or strong testing subject. But we do know, that in the past, the scaled score was anywhere between 12-18 points. So, you can approximate how you did, percentage wise, on the MBE. The closer you are to the magic 65%, the better you are to make improvements in the MBE for an outright 136 or above.

However, we have seen that the national mean score for the MBE is probably at its lowest in years – a 136. This low mean score had a profound effect on Florida’s pass rate. In light of the mean score of 136, many Florida repeat takers, only taking the MBE, failed miserably.  It was extremely hard to make that magical 136 when that was the mean average.  How do these low national mean scores affect your decision in light of this new reality?

Evaluate your essay scores. Did you pass the essays with a large margin? If you did, it’s an easier decision to make – you obviously write well and 3 more essays won’t freak you out. If you sharpen up your writing with some more practice essays, you could get maybe another 5-10 points to bring over to your MBE scores. If you passed with only points to spare, you may not be able to pass another 3 more essays.

That’s the pros and cons of your situation. You must make the decision for yourself. Of course, it is easier to concentrate on only one section of the bar and if you think you can pull up your score on one section alone, then go for that one section alone. But you want to make sure that your second/next attempt is your last attempt. So do anything and everything to make that happen.

The MBE Testing Institute will be offering an MBE seminar in Charlotte, NC, Miami, Naples and New York in early May and late June.  Contact the MBE Testing Institute for more information.

The MBE Testing Instituteknows that taking the bar exam as a repeat taker can be an isolating experience. The MBE Testing Institute  helps the student keep motivated and confident through interaction with the bar tutor.

An MBE Tutor is important to the repeat taker.  The MBE Testing Institute can help you overcome the difficulty of the MBE test and help you to a successful score.


If you need help passing the MBE, contact the MBE Testing Institute at pass@mbetestinginstitute.com for more information.