U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT — Similar to licensure exams for doctors, certified public accountants, nurses and pilots, the purpose of the bar exam is to ensure that law school graduates are prepared to competently and ethically serve the public. For decades, there has been debate about whether the current bar exam – which relies heavily on memorization – actually measures competency for legal practice, says Marsha Griggs, associate professor of law and director of academic enrichment and bar passage at Washburn University School of Law in Kansas.