The two claims
State pages on BARBRI's site repeat that nearly 90 percent of its students who do the average amount of prep pass the bar exam. A separate article says students who follow its process score an average of 19 points higher on the bar in UBE jurisdictions than those who do not use BARBRI.
What the 90 percent counts
The phrase does the average amount of prep narrows the group to people who finished a typical share of the course. Anyone who quit early, never logged in or dropped out is not in the numerator or the denominator. That is a fair way to describe how the course performs for people who use it, and it is a poor way to guess how a random enrollee will do. Other providers publish similar figures, such as Kaplan's 92 percent claim for students who complete 75 percent of assigned practice.
How the 19-point figure is built
BARBRI's article says it builds a prediction from LSAT scores and law school GPA that does not depend on the bar prep company, predicts each provider's expected results, then compares actual to predicted. It says this was applied at more than 30 law schools and calls the result statistically significant. That is a sturdier design than a raw pass rate, because it tries to control for who is in the group. It is still BARBRI's own analysis, the article does not publish the data or the inclusion rules, and 19 points helps most if you land near the pass line.
What the national numbers say
The ABA reported that first-time takers passed at an aggregate 84.10 percent in 2025, compared with 83.02 percent in 2024, and that first-time pass rates including alternative licensing pathways were 84.19 percent. National pass rates that include repeat takers run lower, so a provider claim of 90 percent and a national 84 percent are not in conflict, they count different people.
What actually predicts passing
Your law school's own bar passage history, your practice scores on real licensed questions, the hours you log, and whether you take timed writing practice matter more than the logo on the course. A course helps by making those things easier to do, and that is what you are buying.
Questions to ask any provider about its rate
Who is in the group, first-time takers only or repeaters too, which exam administration and how are dropouts counted. If the provider cannot answer in writing, treat the number as an advertisement.
Common questions
What is BARBRI's pass rate?+
BARBRI says nearly 90 percent of its students who do the average amount of the course pass. That counts only students who did a typical share of the work, so it is not a rate for all enrollees.
What was the national first-time bar pass rate in 2025?+
The ABA reported 84.10 percent for first-time takers in 2025, up from 83.02 percent in 2024.
What is BARBRI's 19-point claim?+
BARBRI says students who follow its process score an average of 19 points higher on the UBE than those who do not use it, based on its own model built from LSAT and GPA at more than 30 law schools.
What to do next
- 1
Ask each provider who is counted in its pass-rate claim.
- 2
Compare your own practice scores on real licensed questions, not provider claims.
- 3
Look up your law school's first-time bar passage rate on its ABA disclosure.