What is the AIPS pass rate on the exam?  The quick answer is that our grads pass at a rate of 68% on their first try, while the national average is 40%.  See below for details.   CLA Report Card 9/1/01 - 12/30/07 Test Dates If you are interested in how AIPS Graduates have performed on this voluntary, and very difficult, two day certifying test, the following report card provides full detail. The Institute began it’s CLA initiative in summer, 2001, with the first CLA Review class offered in 9/2001.  We have now been through eighteen review class/examination cycles (NALA offers three test dates annually). This CLA Report card is a summary of how AIPS graduates (specifically those who have taken our intensive eight week review class) did on the CLA exam.  We track these dedicated alumni as closely as we can, and continually use their feedback to improve the overall AIPS core curriculum and the review course. NALA reports the following national statistics on their web site: 40% average pass rate on all sections on the first sitting; AIPS grads passed at a rate of 67.97%.  AIPS grads have performed 69.93% better than the national rate. The Judgement and Analysis section is widely known as the most difficult section of the exam.  This section requires the integration of critical thinking (logic) skills and a very disciplined and precise writing style to pass.  “J&A” skills are not easily taught in a short period of time, which is why we have been steadily introducing more complex legal reasoning exercises into the core curriculum and into the CLA Challenge units, and stressing the importance of good writing skills in assignments and exams.  Legal writing and analysis skills are sometimes difficult to master and it is not uncommon for students to struggle with them.  As with any new skill, though, students who take part in these practice exercises throughout the curriculum see rapid improvement in their critical thinking and writing.   Nationally, 49.10% failed the Judgement and Analysis section (AIPS grads failed this section at a 22.66% rate (29/128)). The Legal Research section is not as hard as the J&A section.  However, it is the 2nd most failed section on the exam.   29.3% failed the Legal Research section (AIPS grads failed this section at a 7.63% rate(9/118) (See below for a detailed breakdown of these percentages.) We have added more extensive J&A exercises and support materials to the CLA Review course and across the entire curriculum.  The separate Judgement and Analysis workshop is a prerequisite for all CLA Review Course registrants, effective with the January, 2005 class.  The AIPS first time pass rate on the J&A section has improved significantly as a result of these curricular changes. So, the good news is that our graduates have done exceedingly well on the exam, way above the national average as reported by NALA.   Here are the totals to date: 128 graduates have sat for the CLA exam 87 earned their CLA on their first sitting (67.97%) 22 earned their CLA after resitting for a failed section(s) (17% of those sitting) Total: 1099 CLA’s (85.16% of those sitting) 117 passed either all sections or failed no more than one section on their first sitting (91.41%) 128 passed four or more sections on their first sitting (100%) (11 failed >1 section on their first sitting (8.59%)) (Some who failed one or more sections are planning resits in the coming year.);