Virginia Bar Exams

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Comparison Analysis of Virginia Bar Examination & School Leaders Licensure Assessment This research examines the similarities and differences between the School Leaders Licensure Assessment and the Virginia Bar Examination. Both are standardized criterion-referenced tests that provide a valid measure of skills in specific professional fields. The Code of Virginia requires individuals who are seeking an endorsement authorizing them to serve as principals and assistant principals to take and pass the School Leaders Licensure Assessment. The Virginia Board of Bar Examiners is the agency of the Supreme Court of Virginia. It has been given legal authority by the Code of Virginia 54.1-3919 et. seq. Its purpose is to ascertain the qualifications…show more content…
This exam is held on two successive days twice a year. The first part is the Essay part which is prepared and graded under the supervision of the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners. It has 9 essays and 20 short answer questions with emphasis on Virginia Law. Immediately following the exam each examiner reads and assigns preliminary scores to a sample of the essay answers. The examiners then meet with professors from the approved Virginia law schools to discuss the essay questions and answers proposed by the examiners. The law school representatives often suggest alternative approaches to answering some of the questions, which the examiners consider and adopt if appropriate. Following the meeting with the professors, the examiners reach a consensus on grading guidelines for each question. Then the examiners and the graders assign raw scores to the exam answers in accordance with the grading guidelines. The second part is the Multistate Bar Examination, compiled and graded under the supervision of the National Conference of Bar Examiners Office of Testing. It is comprised of 200 multiple choice questions. The answer key is developed by the testing committees of the National Conference of Bar Examiners. The exam is then equated with a standard exam to ensure that an MBE is given in one year is of the same degree of difficulty as one given in another. This results in a scaled score. The scores of both parts will be weighted and combined to determine if the applicant has achieved an overall cut score of 140 set by the Board. The weighting is made by a credit of 60% given to the score made on the essay part and a credit of 40% being given the Scale Score made on the Multistate part. One may score above 140 on one portion and below 140 on the other, but if the Total Scale Score is 140 or above, one will pass and be licensed to practice law in Virginia.

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