Boston University School of Law students who took the bar exam in August 2002 are anxiously expecting the results of their labors.
The bar exam tests students on legal concepts learned throughout their time at law school. Each state has its own version of the exam. However, all tests include 200 multiple-choice questions and an essay.
Massachusetts uses both the multi-state bar exam and the multi-state professional responsibility exam. The multi-state bar exam lasts for six hours and contains 200 multiple choice questions on a variety of legal topics. The professional responsibility exam features 50 multiple-choice questions.
Stephen Marks, associate academic dean of LAW, explained the details of the test.
“The questions address legal information that students have learned throughout their courses at BU Law,” he said. “The essay presents an issue and asks the student to identify the most likely legal solution.”
Students are graded only on a pass or fail basis, according to Marks
“Historically, between 88 percent and 92 percent of students pass at BU,” Marks said. “It doesn’t vary too much, so we expect about the same this year.”
While many LAW students are from out of state, many take the Massachusetts exam, Marks said. Those students who do not take the Massachusetts exam can take the exam from the state in which they will be practicing.
Professors encourage their students to take preparation classes before the exam.
While preparation classes are not offered through the law school, there are several organizations that offer them in the Boston area. Students can also take classes geared toward the state bar exam they will be taking.
“We highly recommend that students take a class to prepare and set aside a period to study,” Marks said.
While Boston area schools are fairly consistent in terms of percentage of passing students, certain schools have shown a greater percentage of passing students.
“BU and [Boston College] are the most comparable in terms of the percentage of students that pass,” said Marks. “However, the percentage is higher for BU and BC than other Boston area schools, including Northeastern and Suffolk.”
The bar exam costs $395. The multi-state professional responsibility test costs $50. Tests used in other states include the multi-state essay test, the multi-state professional responsibility test, and the multi-state performance test. Over 60,000 applicants take the multi-state bar exam per year.