Lowering cut score on Nevada bar exam ignores the real issues

Wednesday’s Review-Journal includes a story about lowering the passing score for the Nevada bar exam (“Tweaking bar exam as more applicants fail”). In 2011, 83 percent of UNLV’s Boyd Law School grads passed the exam the first time they took it. In 2016, only 63 percent passed the first time.

I’m not a lawyer, but as a former CPA, I know a little about taking strenuous credentialing tests. As a reference point, the pass rate for first timers on the CPA exam is significantly lower.

I assume there is some continuity to the exams from year to year. If so, then why the 20-point drop in pass rate? If the exam didn’t get harder, then it seems the candidates are less prepared. If the exam did get harder, why?

The article says there’s a concern there won’t be enough lawyers, so the passing grade has to be lowered. My question is: Does that mean quantity is more important than quality?

Before adjusting the passing score, I hope someone is looking at the cause. Social promotions in grade school are far too common. Adjusting the passing score on the bar exam just so we can have more lawyers sounds like a similarly disastrous prescription.