New ABA data parses out bar exam pass rates by race and ethnicity

The racial gap is unsurprising  none the less troublesome.  Even 34%of African American students fail the first time they take the test but it increases to 79%.  Still that's a lot of disappointment.  More support for such students - pedagogically and financially - seems to be called for. - GWC

New ABA data parses out bar exam pass rates by race and ethnicity

According to data released Tuesday by the American Bar Association's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, 87.65% of the white candidates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2020 passed. For people of other races or ethnicities, the first-time pass rate ranged from 66.28% to 79.92%.

According to the data, in 2020 there were 19,453 first-time test-takers who were white. Among other first-time test-takers:

• The pass rate for Asians was 79.92% out of a total of 1,972 candidates.
• The pass rate for Native Americans was 78.02% out of a total of 182 candidates.
• The pass rate for Hawaiians was 77.5% out of a total of 40 candidates.
• The pass rate for Hispanics was 75.59% out of a total of 3,638 candidates.
• The pass rate for Blacks was 66.28% out of a total of 2,328 candidates.

Additionally, the data said the pass rate for a total of 1,020 first-time test-takers of mixed race was 81.76%. There were 182 test-takers who were nonresidents of the U.S., and their pass rate was 86.34%.

 Two-year pass rates, which are based on people who graduated from law school in 2018:

• The pass rate for whites was 92.91% out of a total of 20,101 test-takers.
• The pass rate for Asians was 88.2% out of a total of 2,170 test-takers.
• The pass rate for Native Americans was 86.46% out of a total of 192 test-takers.
• The pass rate for Hispanics was 84.45% out of a total of 3,808 test-takers.
• The pass rate for Blacks was 79.29% out of a total of 2,641 test-takers.
• The pass rate for Hawaiians was 71.43% out of a total of 35 test-takers.