Officials involved in preparing the nation’s bar exam for graduates of law schools report that 52% of the applicants who took the test for the first time earlier this month failed. The Machshevet Company reports the average test score was 61, close but not actually a passing grade, which is 65.
After analyzing the exam and comparing it to earlier exams, officials report the test in question was significantly more difficult than previous ones.
The weekly Macro reports that a number of months ago, Justice Minister Prof. Yaakov Ne’eman stated the bar exam is not an indicator if one can be a good lawyer or not, explaining the exam only tells us “how many calories one has in one’s memory”.
A representative of those who took the exam explains they were doomed from the onset, explaining the lawyers who wrote the exam have an agenda, and they prefer to keep the number of new attorneys low to prevent too big an increase in the number of certified attorneys in Israel.
Some stats regarding bar exams:
November 2010 – 1,618 applicants. Passing (72%) – Average grade 70.7.)
May 2010 – 2,681 applicants. Passing (85%) – Average grade 76.
November 2009 – 1,772 applicants. Passing (62%) – Average grade 66.2.
May 2009 – 2,713 applicants. Passing (77%) – Average grade 72.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
Bar exams often have a low pass rate. That’s a universal in places that have them. The idea is restrict competition. In the US, there’s no correlation between ease in passing the bar exam and skill as a lawyer.
No Hiddush here.