The D.C. bar exam pass rate runs about 78 to 79 percent for recent July administrations and drops to roughly 43 to 45 percent for February sessions. First-time takers pass at substantially higher rates than repeaters in both cycles, and D.C.’s overall July figure sits well above the national average. The passing score is a scaled Uniform Bar Exam total of 266.
Recent Pass Rates at a Glance
July 2024 produced an overall pass rate of roughly 79 percent, with approximately 2,003 of 2,520 examinees earning passing scores. July 2023 was nearly identical at 78 percent, with 1,710 of 2,190 test-takers passing.1District of Columbia Courts. Notice of the July 2023 Bar Examination Results July 2025 results, released in late October 2025, reported 1,770 successful examinees.
February tells a very different story. The February 2025 administration posted an overall pass rate of 43 percent, with first-time takers at 54 percent and repeaters at 33 percent.2National Conference of Bar Examiners. Bar Exam Results by Jurisdiction February 2024 was almost the same, at 44.6 percent overall.3District of Columbia Courts. Notice of the February 2024 Bar Examination Results
Over the past several years the two cycles have been remarkably steady: July hovers in the high 70s, February in the low to mid 40s. If you’re trying to estimate your own odds, start by looking at the cycle you plan to sit for, not a blended annual figure.
Why July and February Look So Different
The 30-plus percentage point gap between the two administrations isn’t about the exam being harder in winter. July attracts the largest wave of recent law school graduates, most of whom studied full-time for two to three months immediately after graduation. February draws a much higher proportion of repeat takers and people who delayed their first attempt, and that mix pulls the overall rate down.
The practical takeaway: the February pass rate reflects a tougher pool, not a tougher test. If you have flexibility about when to sit, July places you alongside better-prepared company and in a more favorable statistical environment.
First-Time Takers vs. Repeaters
The split between first-timers and repeaters is where the real planning signal lives. In February 2025, first-time takers passed at 54 percent while repeaters passed at 33 percent, a gap of more than 20 percentage points.2National Conference of Bar Examiners. Bar Exam Results by Jurisdiction The spread tends to widen in July because the first-time pool is larger and fresher.
If you’re coming back for a second or third attempt, the numbers are sobering but not fatal. What they suggest is that doing more of the same study plan rarely moves the needle; the people who pass on a retake usually change their approach rather than just extend it. D.C. also caps attempts: you can sit for any component of the exam a maximum of four times, and if you’ve already taken the UBE five or more times in any jurisdiction, you can’t transfer a score into D.C. either.4District of Columbia Court of Appeals. District of Columbia Court of Appeals – Frequently Asked Questions Each attempt counts.
How D.C. Compares Nationally
D.C.’s July 2024 rate of about 79 percent ran well above the national overall pass rate of 68 percent for the same cycle. The national first-time pass rate in July 2024 was 79 percent.5The Bar Examiner. 2024 Statistics Snapshot D.C.’s July edge is generally attributed to an applicant pool that skews toward graduates of highly ranked law schools concentrated in the Washington metropolitan area.
February numbers tell a different comparative story. The national February 2024 overall pass rate was 43 percent,6The Bar Examiner. 2024 Statistics and D.C. landed at 44.6 percent for the same administration.3District of Columbia Courts. Notice of the February 2024 Bar Examination Results The February convergence reflects the heavier repeater component in winter pools nationwide, which flattens the demographic advantages D.C. enjoys in July.
What “Passing” Means: The 266 Cutoff
D.C. requires a minimum scaled UBE score of 266.7District of Columbia Court of Appeals. District of Columbia Court of Appeals – General Information Among UBE jurisdictions, that sits squarely in the middle. Eight jurisdictions set their cutoffs lower, at 260 or 264. Thirteen others use the same 266 threshold as D.C., including New York, Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey. About 20 jurisdictions require 270 or higher, with Michigan at 268.8National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Bar Exam Score Range
Scoring is based on your combined scaled total; there’s no separate passing threshold for individual components. The Committee on Admissions scales scores so that a given number represents the same proficiency across administrations.9National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Bar Exam Scores One practical note on the 266 cutoff: a passing D.C. score also qualifies you in every UBE jurisdiction that sets its threshold at 266 or lower, which matters if you’re thinking about transferring your score within the five-year validity window.10District of Columbia Court of Appeals. DC Bar Admissions News
Pass Rate History Won’t Apply After February 2028
D.C. will replace the current UBE with the NextGen Bar Exam effective February 2028, and the minimum passing score for NextGen will be 616.11District of Columbia Court of Appeals. DC Bar Admissions News12District of Columbia Court of Appeals. DC Bar Admissions – Latest News
NextGen is a fundamentally different test. It runs one and a half days instead of two, with two three-hour sessions on Day 1 and one three-hour session on Day 2. Examinees use their own laptops on a secure testing platform. The exam emphasizes foundational lawyering skills such as legal research, legal writing, issue analysis, client counseling, and negotiation, rather than separating the day into multiple-choice and essay components as the current UBE does.13National Conference of Bar Examiners. NextGen UBE
If you’re sitting in July 2027 or earlier, the pass rate history above describes the test you’ll take. If your timeline pushes you into February 2028 or later, you’ll be taking a different exam, and the first few administrations of any new format produce pass rate data that historical UBE numbers can’t predict.