The pass rate for first-time takers of the July Pennsylvania bar exam rose slightly this year after dipping in 2018.

Of the 1,093 first-time applicants this year, 80.6% passed, up from 79% last year. In 2017, 81.2% passed, a marked jump from 75.4% in July 2016, which was the lowest pass rate for any July exam for which the state Board of Law Examiners has made data about bar exam pass rates available.