New York has joined a growing list of states that are reporting a significant pass rate drop for the February 2023 bar exam.
Reuters reports that the overall pass rate on the attorney licensing exam fell from 45% to 40% this year. The pass rate is now down 9 percentage points in the last two years. Of the 26 states that released results, only three reported an increased overall pass rate: Pennsylvania, Montana, and Vermont.
New York didn't fare well: the state's first-time pass rate declined from 61% in 2022 to 56% this year. Both Texas and Florida also saw their pass rates fall off by five percentage points.
Experts are pointing to COVID-19 as a potential reason, as many of this year’s test takers were in their crucial first year of law school when the pandemic hit.
Reuters reported that the bulk of subjects tested on the bar exam are taught during that first year, when many students were forced to take their classes online.