Massachusetts
Bar Exam
(UBE) Details

All law students are required to create an NCBE Account that comes with a unique NCBE Number for identification purposes. You will need this number to be able to take the MPRE (see below) and the MBE (Multistate Bar Exam), which are developed by the NCBE (National Conference of Bar Examiners). The MBE is administered on day two of the Massachusetts Bar Exam.

Most students create an NCBE account when registering for the MPRE. Register with the NCBE at: auth.ncbex.org/account/create

We recommend taking the MPRE any time during your 2L year or as early in your 3L year as possible. Massachusetts requires an MPRE scaled score of 85 or greater PRIOR to filling out a bar exam application. Scores range from 50 to 150. A raw score of approximately 32 correct out of 50 usually converts to a scaled score of 85.

The MPRE is a two-hour, 60-question multiple-choice exam developed by the NCBE and administered in the spring, summer, and fall. When registering for the MPRE, students can select one of two dates offered at a time (see chart below) on a first come, first served basis.

MPRE Dates (Registration Deadline / *Accommodation Registration Deadline):

• March 24 or 25, 2026 (January 22, 2025 / *November 20, 2025)
• August 11 or 12, 2026 (June 11, 2026 / *April 23, 2026)
• November 12 or 13, 2026 (September 17, 2026 / *July 30, 2026)

Registration for 2026 exams will open on December 16, 2025. The 2026 exam fee is $185.

The online, on-demand BARBRI MPRE Review course allows you to watch specific lecture segments that correspond with a particular topic module. The course is accompanied by an outline book (hard copy and/or digital), lecture handout, multiple practice exams, and BARBRI’s exclusive multiple-choice questions. You can register for the free BARBRI MPRE Review Course here: barbri.com/mpre

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Your Petition for Admission to the Massachusetts bar by Examination must be filed with the Supreme Judicial Court for The County of Suffolk at least 75 days prior to the exam. The official filing period will be posted on the examiners website in the months leading up to the exam. Completed Petitions, including all filing requirements, will be referred to the Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) to determine whether you have the qualifications and requirements for admission.

Note, if you are applying for non-standard test accommodations, the filing period for the February exam is August 1 – November 1, and the filing period for the July exam is January 1 – April 1.

It’s important to be aware of the bar exam fees and the BBE fee schedules. The deadline for each exam administration is set by the Supreme Judicial Court Clerk’s Office for Suffolk County.

Exam Petition Fee: $815
Technology Fee: $75
E-filing fee: $22

Find Petition for Admission instructions, forms and details at: mass.gov/guides/guide-to-filing-a-petition-for-admission-byexamination-first-time

Find information on test accommodations at: mass.gov/guides/nonstandard-testing-accommodations-for-the-bar-exam

For more information and exam details, download the free BARBRI Bar Exam Digest at: barbri.com/bar-exam-digest or by scanning the code.

In Massachusetts, your Petition for Admission by Examination will incorporate character and fitness questions – this is not a separate application. The BBE will then conduct an internal investigation based on your responses.  

You will be asked to disclose details about your academic history, your residential history for the past 5 years, and your employment history since 18. You will also need to include your law school certificate. Additionally, you will need 2 letters of recommendation with one being from an attorney, as well as any criminal record and civil proceedings. Candor is key.

You can use a laptop for the essay portion of the Massachusetts Bar Exam. Be sure to sign the Bar Exam Laptop Computer Testing Program form and include it, with the $75 fee payment, as part of your filed petition. You’ll then receive an email from ExamSoft about how to register your laptop. ExamSoft will directly bill you a software license and service fee of $97.35 to your email address on file. ExamSoft will require you complete a mock exam to certify your computer for the bar exam.

Full details regarding the Laptop Computer Testing Program, visit: mass.gov/service-details/using-your-laptop-at-the-bar-exam

Massachusetts uses the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) and requires a passing score of 270 out of a total of 400 points.

UBE scores are based on:

• 20% – Two Multistate Performance Test (MPT) questions on day one (morning session)
• 30% – Six Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) questions on day one (afternoon session)  
• 50% – 200-question, multiple-choice Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) on day two (morning and afternoon sessions)

MPT format: “Closed universe” practical questions using instructions, factual data, cases, statutes, and other reference material supplied by examiners

MEE essay subjects: Business Associations (Agency and Partnership; Corporations and Limited Liability Companies), Conflict of Laws*, Family Law*, Trusts and Estates (Decedents’ Estates; Trusts and Future Interests)*, Article 9 (Secured Transactions) of the Uniform Commercial Code* plus all MBE subjects

*Effective with the July 2026 bar exam, the following subjects will no longer be tested on the MEE: Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Trusts and Estates, and Secured Transactions.

MBE subjects tested: Constitutional Law, Contracts/Sales, Criminal Law/Procedure, Evidence, Federal Civil Procedure, Real Property, Torts

Petitioners seeking admission in Massachusetts are required to complete the Massachusetts Law Component (MLC). This untimed, online, open-book, multiple-choice test covers the essential highlights and key distinctions of Massachusetts law and procedure. Passing is 80% or 40 out of 50 questions correct.

Examinees will receive an email inviting them to register for the Applicant Portal (Portal), sent in approximately early January for February examinees and early June for July examinees. This email will come from MALawComponent@bbe.state.ma.us with the subject “Welcome to Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners (MBBE) Applicant Portal.” Through the portal you will be able to download the MLC outlines and access the exam. From when an exam is started, it must be completed within 4 days, otherwise it will expire. Petitioners may repeat the MLC as many times as needed without penalty, however there is a 24-hour waiting period after an unsuccessful submission before a new exam may be started. The BBE recommends you take the MLC after the bar exam. The deadline is March 31 for February applicants and September 30 for July applicants.

For additional MCL details, including how to start and study outlines, go here: mass.gov/how-to/the-massachusetts-law-component-mlc