A Winning Percentage in Baseball … and on the Bar Exam
- Tommy Sangchompuphen
- Sep 16
- 3 min read
The MLB regular season has just two weeks left before the postseason begins, and one number jumps out to me: The Milwaukee Brewers are currently leading the league with about a .600 winning percentage. (Specifically, the Brewers are currently 91-59 for a 0.607 winning percentage.)
That means they’re winning about 6 out of every 10 games. For fans not steeped in baseball statistics, here’s some context: A .600 record in Major League Baseball is considered excellent. Over a 162-game season, it translates to roughly 97 wins which is usually more than enough to make the playoffs and often good enough to be the top team in the league.
So why bring up baseball in a bar exam blog? Because that .600 number isn’t far off from the target you should aim for on the Multistate Bar Exam (the multiple-choice portion of the bar exam): About 65% correct. Just as a baseball team doesn’t need to win every game to succeed, you don’t need to answer every question on the MBE correctly to pass.
Here are five lessons from baseball that can help you think about your MBE preparation.
1. Consistency Beats Perfection
A baseball team with a .600 winning percentage still loses 4 out of every 10 games. Yet over the long haul, that consistency makes them a World Series contender. Similarly, you don’t need to “bat 1.000” on the MBE. Missing a third of the questions can still land you in passing range. The key is steady performance—consistently getting enough right, even if you stumble on others.
2. The Season Is Long, So Pace Yourself
The MLB season lasts 162 games, stretching from spring through early fall. No team expects to be perfect every night, and players manage their energy across the season. The MBE is also a marathon: 200 questions spread over two three-hour sessions. If you go too fast, burn yourself out, or let a slump rattle you, your performance will dip. The goal is to conserve stamina, manage time, and keep perspective over the whole exam, not just one stretch of questions.
3. Every Win Counts the Same
In baseball, whether a team wins 1–0 or 10–0, it only adds one win to the standings. On the MBE, every question is worth the same. And every correct answer is worth one point—no matter how easy or hard the question felt. That means you should grab the points where you can. Don’t waste too much energy on a tricky question when you could lock in two or three easier points by moving forward. Small wins build into a winning record.
4. Slumps Don’t Define You
Even the best baseball teams lose games, sometimes in bunches. A three-game losing streak in August doesn’t end a season. The same is true on the MBE. If you hit a stretch where you miss several questions in a row, don’t panic. A passing score allows for mistakes. Reset, refocus, and keep playing the rest of the “season.” There are plenty of questions left to get back on track.
5. The Big Picture Matters Most
Baseball standings are measured across months rather than nights. What matters is where you finish at the end of the season. On the bar exam, it’s the overall score that counts, not one set of questions that didn’t go your way. You’re aiming for an average around 65% correct. So, think of that as your “season record.” If you can hold that steady performance, you’ll be in playoff (passing) position.
Bar takers often stress when they miss questions in practice, assuming they need near-perfection. But just like the Brewers or any other top team, perfection isn’t the standard. Steady wins are. On the MBE, aiming for around a .650 success rate (about 65% correct) is generally the benchmark that puts you in the passing range.
And remember: In a UBE jurisdiction, the MBE counts for half of your total score, with the other half coming from your written essays and performance tests. That means strong performance on both sides of the exam is essential.
