What is the Multistate Essay Exam? The Ultimate Guide to the MEE 

Every bar exam in the United States contains an essay component. There are more than 40 states, along with a handful of other jurisdictions, that administer the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) and the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE). Jurisdictions that administer the UBE weight the MEE component 30%. 

The MEE is the component of the bar exam that most closely mirrors standard law-school exams. The MEE tests your ability to: 

1. spot a hypothetical factual situation’s pertinent legal issues; 
2. distinguish between relevant and irrelevant material; 
3. clearly, concisely, and logically analyze the applicable legal issues in writing; and 
4. provide a reasonable solution to the issues at hand by applying fundamental legal principles. 

About the MEE 

The MEE consists of six 30-minute questions. The MEE is the component of the bar exam that most closely mirrors standard law-school exams. Examiners are looking for clear and concise, but complete, answers to each question. Conclusions are not as important as the demonstration of your ability to reason and analyze. 

If you are taking the bar exam in a jurisdiction that does not utilize the MEE, that jurisdiction’s bar-exam essay section will likely still be similar in structure to the MEE. Check out the free BARBRI Bar Exam Digest for information regarding your jurisdiction's specific bar exam essay section.  

MEE Subjects 

There are 12 subject areas tested on the MEE: 

• Business Associations 
• Civil Procedure 
• Conflict of Laws 
• Constitutional Law 
• Contracts and Sales 
• Criminal Law and Procedure 
• Evidence 
• Family Law 
• Real Property 
• Torts 
• Trusts and Estates 
• Article 9 (secured transactions) of the Uniform Commercial Code 

The NCBE offers an in-depth outline of the topics the MEE covers. Keep in mind that MEE questions may test more than one area of law.

Preparing for the MEE 

Among all the components of the bar exam, the MEE — and bar exam essay sections in general — often causes students the most stress. Unlike the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) and its multiple-choice options, the MEE requires a demonstration of your ability to effectively communicate legal principles in writing. 

If law school has prepared you for anything, it’s this. So there’s no reason you should be particularly frightened by the MEE. You’ve undoubtedly taken a number of exams in law school testing the exact skills required for this exam. 

The Best Way to Pass the MEE: Study and Practice 

The MEE tests a breadth of legal topics requiring you to spend ample time simply learning the law. To succeed on the MEE, you need to be able to recite dozens of rules from memory. This is a skill best mastered through consistent, repetitive study. 

Completing practice MEE questions will also help you get comfortable with the exam’s format. As with law-school essay exams, you’ll want to utilize either the Conclusion-Rule-Application-Conclusion (CRAC) or Issue-Rule-Application-Conclusion (IRAC) format to organize your answer. The more practice you have with bar-exam essay questions, the more natural you’ll feel with properly structuring your answer. 

The Writing Guide and Critical Pass Flashcards available in BARBRI’s AdaptiBar bar prep supplements are effective study tools to help you achieve maximum points on bar exam essays. Additionally, the NCBE provides free MEE questions and analyses from previous administrations of the exam. Previously used MEE questions are also included in BARBRI Bar Review to help in understanding what bar examiners are looking for in an essay answer.  

MEE Scores 

The MEE counts for 30 percent of your UBE score. This weight may vary in jurisdictions that use the MEE but don’t administer the UBE. 

MEE Test Dates 

The MEE is administered by participating jurisdictions on the Tuesday before the last Wednesday in February and July of each year. 

Pass the Bar Exam with BARBRI Bar Review 

BARBRI Bar Review is a proven, comprehensive program designed to help you master the MEE and pass the bar exam. We’ll guide you step-by-step through the bar exam journey by helping you build substantive knowledge while learning effective writing strategies.