Results for February’s South Carolina bar exam were released April 22 and, as is typical for this round – July’s numerical little brother – there was some shift in pass rates from 2015.
Overall, 56.18 percent of the test-takers passed the exam, compared with 63.45 percent in 2015.
Of 251 aspiring attorneys who took the bar, 141 passed.
Though none of the numbers indicate catastrophe, both the University of South Carolina School of Law and Charleston School of Law found less success, percentage-wise, this year than last.
After seeing a marked improvement last year in its passage rate from 2014, Charleston dipped a little more than 15.5 percentage points in the most recent exam, with just 45.9 percent of its test-takers—or 28 of 61—making the grade.
Fewer graduates sit for February’s exam than for the July exam, which can contribute to greater fluctuations in passage rates than would be typical for the July exam.
The University of South Carolina School of Law scored a pass rate of 48.98 percent, with 24 of its 49 test-takers passing the bar. That is down slightly from last February’s 58.33 percent.
Of 141 out-of-state test-takers, 89 passed, for a success rate of 56.18. In 2015, 65.73 percent of examinees who attended schools other than Charleston or USC passed the February exam.
The swearing-in ceremony for applicants who have completed all requirements for admission to the South Carolina State Bar will be held May 23 at 2:30 p.m. at the Koger Center in Columbia.