Performance test (bar exam)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Performance test" redirects here. For other uses, see Performance testing.

The performance test or "PT" is a section of the bar exam that is intended to mimic a real-life legal task that future lawyers may face. Of the three parts of most states' bar exams -- MBE, essay, and PT -- the PT is probably the most reflective of how well a candidate will perform outside of an academic setting.

A performance test may include tasks such as writing a legal memorandum, drafting an affidavit, or drafting a settlement offer letter to opposing counsel.

Performance testing as part of a technical specification is covered on a different page.

[edit] California PT

Probably the most difficult PT is that of the California bar exam. The three-day California bar exam, which has the lowest pass rate in the country^{[citation needed]}, includes two performance test sections, one the first day and one the last day. Each PT last three hours.

[edit] Multistate Performance Test

Main article: Multistate Performance Test

This is a test drafted by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), modeled after the California test and intended as a supplement to NCBE's Multistate Essay Examination. NCBE currently offers three different performance tests, each 90 minutes long (as opposed to 3 hours in California). As of July 2007, 33 jurisdictions use the MPT.