How is the MBE graded?
Each question is worth one point, making a total possible “raw” score of 200. Because the difficulty of the MBE may vary from one exam to another (for example, the July 2006 MBE may be somewhat more difficult than the February 2006 MBE), “raw” scores are not comparable from year to year. To handle this problem, the Bar Examiners use a statistical procedure, called “equating,” to produce what are called “scaled” scores–raw scores that have been adjusted so that the performance of Bar Examinees can be compared from exam to exam (within the limitations of measurement and equating error). For instance, if the July, 2006 MBE turns out to be more difficult than previous MBEs, the scores of students who took the July exam would be adjusted (“scaled”) upward to account for this difference in difficulty. If, on the other hand, the July, 2006 exam was easier than previous MBEs, then the scores of those who took it would be adjusted (“scaled”) downward to account for that difference. This scorin
