Ontario · Licensing examsHow is the Ontario bar exam graded?
Your score is the number of items you answer correctly. Each item is worth one point, and there’s no penalty for a wrong or blank answer.
A small number of experimental items are piloted on each exam. They aren’t scored, and they aren’t identified, so you can’t tell which ones they are.
Is there an official Ontario bar exam pass rate?
Not one the LSO publishes on its exam pages. Your result depends on your own score against the passing mark, not on how other candidates do.
Before results go out, a quality control process verifies all fail results and all scores near the pass mark.
How the pass mark is set
An LSO advisory group sets the passing mark. It’s a single overall score, so you don’t have to pass separate sections, and it’s the same for every version of an exam.
The mark stands for the expected performance of a minimally competent, entry-level lawyer.
Sources: Law Society of Ontario. Checked November 2026.
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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