It’s the defining moment that transforms a law school graduate into a licensed attorney. But what exactly is this test that keeps people awake at night?
Simply put, the bar exam is a standardized test designed to assess whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a specific jurisdiction. Without it, your Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree is an academic achievement, but not a license to practice.
Learn About the Bar Exam + UBE From the Bar Prep Experts
At BARBRI, we’ve helped licensed attorneys pass the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) since its inception in 1972 and the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) since its introduction in 2011. In fact, our bar exam courses have prepared candidates to pass every U.S. state and jurisdiction bar exam administered for over 50 years. That’s more than 100 exams of proven success. We’ve learned a few things during that time to teach you what the bar exam is.
Defining the Bar Exam
The bar exam is the final hurdle towards becoming a licensed attorney in the United States. Before you can practice law in any U.S. state or jurisdiction, you typically must go through that state’s admissions process and pass that state’s bar exam.
Every jurisdiction administers a bar exam to test a candidate's ability to think like a lawyer. The exam exists to prove that you possess the “minimum competency” required to practice law in that jurisdiction.
To be admitted to the bar in the United States, you will likely need to accomplish three things:
- Graduate from an accredited law school
- Be approved by a state’s board of bar examiners (this may require passing a “character and fitness” investigation)
- Pass accreditation exams, typically including the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) and a bar examination
There are some nuances to these requirements, however. A small number of states allow individuals to take the bar exam upon graduation from a law school approved by a state body but not accredited by the American Bar Association. An even smaller number of states permit an applicant who has not attended law school at all to take the bar exam after studying under a judge.
What Does It Mean to Pass the Bar Exam?
Passing the bar examination is a monumental achievement. Once you meet the minimum scoring requirements in your jurisdiction, the rest of your legal career opens up to you.
After you have a chance to relax, consider these next steps to move forward:
- Take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) if you haven’t yet (prep for the MPRE for free with BARBRI)
- Get your state bar number (note that the bar admissions process differs by jurisdiction)
- Finalize a job offer (if you don’t have a position set already)
How Hard is the Bar Exam?
While the bar exam has a well-deserved reputation for being hard, it’s important to remember that it is a pass/fail, minimum competency exam. Passing the bar exam requires a completely different mindset and preparation approach than law school finals.
But you can do it. You absolutely can pass the bar exam.
To pass the bar, you don’t have to be great in any one area. The key to passing is simply doing well enough, in enough areas, to land on the passing side of the bar exam curve. You want to build a base of knowledge that is wide and shallow rather than narrow and deep.
How Long is the Bar Exam?
For most jurisdictions, the bar exam format is two days long and held on the last Tuesday and Wednesday in February and July of each year. There are still a few states that administer a 2 ½- or 3-day bar exam.
While the format and content covered can vary for each state’s exam, there is a growing trend toward adopting the UBE or NextGen UBE.
Whether you’ll be taking the exam in a state that administers the UBE or a state-specific exam, there are some universal truths that cover almost all state bar exams. Check out this video to learn these “universal truths” and more on what is the bar exam:
The great news is that we compile all the information you need to know about the dates, format, subjects tested, deadlines, fees and more—for each U.S. state—in the BARBRI Bar Exam Digest.
Are you an international law graduate or lawyer in another country, or a U.S. LL.M. student? We have an Extended Bar Exam Digest specifically for you that covers passing the UBE, California, or New York Bar Exam from anywhere in the world.
Download the Extended Bar Exam Digest
What is the Uniform Bar Exam UBE?
The Uniform Bar Exam was put into effect by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), but it is administered, graded and scored by individual states. The UBE was first adopted by just three states. Today, the majority of U.S. states have adopted the UBE, making it the standard for aspiring attorneys nationwide.
A major advantage of the Uniform Bar Exam is that it results in a portable score, meaning you can transfer your results to other UBE jurisdictions.
What is on the Bar Exam?
The exact components of the bar exam vary by jurisdiction, depending on whether the jurisdiction/state has adopted the legacy UBE or NextGen UBE (beginning in July 2026). For jurisdictions using the UBE, the bar exam format is a rigorous two-day marathon. The exam breaks down into three distinct components, each carrying a different weight toward your final score.
The Uniform Bar Exam is composed of:
- The Multistate Performance Test (MPT), weighted at 20% of your overall exam score
- The Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), weighted at 30% of your overall exam score
- The Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), weighted at 50% of your overall exam score
| Day 1: MPT & MEE | 2, 90-minute MPT tasks | 6, 30-minute MEE questions |
| Day 2: MBE | 100 multiple-choice questions | 100 multiple-choice questions |
The Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
The MPT is essentially an open-book exam. You are given a file and a library containing all the materials you need to produce a lawyer-like work product, such as a legal memo or a brief. It tests your fundamental lawyering skills in a highly realistic environment.
On the morning of the first day, you will face two MPT tasks. You have three hours to complete this session, giving you exactly 90 minutes to tackle each individual task.
The Multistate Essay Exam (MEE)
The MEE tests your ability to identify legal issues, separate relevant facts from irrelevant ones, and present a reasoned analysis. It demands a strong understanding of fundamental legal principles.
On the afternoon of the first day, you will complete six essay questions over three hours. This gives you 30 minutes to complete each essay. Testable subjects include all MBE subjects, plus Business Associations, Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Trusts and Estates, and Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. You may be presented with more than one subject within the same essay question.
The Multistate Bar Exam (MBE)
The MBE is a multiple-choice exam testing your knowledge of Constitutional Law, Contracts and Sales, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Federal Civil Procedure, Real Property, and Torts.
The MBE is a demanding multiple-choice exam. It tests your extensive knowledge of Constitutional Law, Contracts and Sales, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Federal Civil Procedure, Real Property, and Torts.
On the second day of your exam, you will face 200 multiple-choice questions over a six-hour session. You have three hours to complete 100 questions in the morning, followed by another three hours to complete the final 100 questions in the afternoon.
We recommend preparing for the MPT, MEE, and MBE with flashcards and other BARBRI AdaptiBar supplements to augment your bar exam prep. You can also find more information about the UBE, the MPT, MEE and MBE on the NCBE website.
Note: Unlike the UBE format, the NextGen UBE will also integrate various question types in each of its exam segments. Learn what will be different with the NextGen UBE. The National Conference of Bar Examiners website maintains an up-to-date list of what jurisdictions have adopted a particular exam.
What is the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE)?
No conversation about the bar exam would be complete without mention of the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination. Often called the “ethics exam,” the MPRE is separate from the bar exam itself, but it is also required for admission in all but two U.S. jurisdictions (Wisconsin and Puerto Rico). Plus, the Connecticut and New Jersey Bars accept the completion of a law-school course on professional responsibility in lieu of the MPRE.
The MPRE measures knowledge of established standards related to a lawyer's professional conduct during a two-hour format of 60 multiple-choice questions. The MPRE is offered three times a year in March, August, and November.
The MPRE’s questions are largely based on the American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct, but also cover relevant court decisions as well as procedural and evidentiary rules. Most students take the MPRE during their second or third year of law school.
Although the MPRE might seem like a walk in the park compared to other aspects of the bar exam, you don’t want a failed MPRE standing between you and a law license. BARBRI’s free MPRE prep course will give you everything you need to succeed on the MPRE.
UBE Scores and Portability
UBE scoring is based on a 400-point scale with each jurisdiction setting its own minimum-passing score. Minimum-passing scores usually range between 260 and 280. NextGen UBE scoring is based on a single number on a scale from 500 to 750. Here’s what to know about NextGen UBE scoring and score portability.
Your UBE score is portable to another UBE state as long as you sit for the entire exam at one time in the same location. You may transfer the score to a state with a lower required passing score, even if you do not pass the bar exam in the state in which you sat.
For example, a student who takes the UBE in Colorado scores 272 and fails to achieve the required passing score of 276. The student may, however, transfer that score to Utah—a neighboring UBE jurisdiction with a passing score of 270.
Keep in mind that UBE score transferability comes with time limits. For many states, your score expires after three to five years.
In states that have not adopted the UBE, applicants seeking to be admitted into states other than the state in which they initially took the bar exam typically must take that new state’s exam.
However, many states have reciprocity agreements with other states. These bar reciprocity agreements allow attorneys to gain admittance to a new state’s bar without having to take another bar exam. The requirements to gain admittance based on reciprocity vary by state. Typically, the attorney seeking admittance must have practiced law for a particular number of years.
Note: The NCBE offers a Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements for a fee.
How Does the Bar Exam Work for International Law Graduates and Lawyers or U.S. LL.M. Students?
Are you an international candidate wondering how the process works for you? For many U.S. states, you must have a J.D. from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school to sit for the exam.
However, several states operate with more open policies. Jurisdictions like New York and California frequently permit foreign law graduates and lawyers from outside the United States to sit for their bar examinations. These states generally do not impose admission restrictions based purely on nationality or residence, opening the door for global talent to practice law in the U.S.
Learn More About International U.S. Bar Exam Eligibility
Which State Bar Exam Should I Take?
How should you choose a state bar exam, particularly if you’re currently still on the job hunt or undecided about where to practice? Here are some considerations to help with your decision.
- Location: Research where you truly want to live and work. Do you have a support system nearby? Do you plan to return to your hometown?
- Legal Industry: Investigate the local job market. Is your desired legal specialty actually available and thriving in that specific region?
- Professional Network: Evaluate your contacts. Does your law school boast a strong alumni network in the state? Do you have local mentors?
- Bar Exam Scoring and Reciprocity: Review the required passing scores. Knowing where else you can transfer your score gives you tremendous flexibility.
- Bar Admission Requirements: Examine the state bar exam subjects tested, the exam’s format, CLE requirements, and fees associated with maintaining good standing.
- Eligibility: Confirm that you actually qualify to sit for that state’s exam. Every jurisdiction makes its own rules regarding who can test and who can be admitted.
When to Expect Bar Exam Results
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have to wait anywhere from one to three months to know whether you passed the bar. We encourage you to check out our Bar Exam Digest for your jurisdiction, where we link you to your state bar examiner’s official website. There, you’ll be able to find official details as to when you’ll receive your bar exam results.
What Does the Future of the Bar Exam Look Like?
The bar exam is waiting. With the right preparation, you will be ready for it. BARBRI is your definitive guide to both the legacy UBE and NextGen UBE. We know the material, we know the strategy, and we know how to help you pass.
Get started with BARBRI Bar Review today and take the final step toward becoming a licensed U.S. attorney.
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