How Hard is the Bar Exam? Plus Study Tips

Every new lawyer has heard the stories: the bar exam is a beast. It’s often called one of the hardest professional exams in the country.

If you’ve just finished law school (or maybe you didn’t go to law school) and plan to practice law, you probably wonder, “How hard is the bar exam, really?” This article breaks down exactly what makes the bar exam so challenging – from its content and format to the differences between states – and what you can do to conquer it.

With first-time takers in 2024 achieving an impressive 83% pass rate, many candidates are proving that with the right prep, success is absolutely within reach.

Let’s dive in with an easy-to-read, step-by-step breakdown so you can get the full picture of the bar exam’s difficulty – and how to handle it.

Key Takeaways

• It’s a Multi-Headed Monster: The bar exam’s difficulty isn’t just about knowing laws; it’s a tough combo of tons of subjects, crazy time pressure, big money worries, and a major mental and physical workout.
• Aiming for “Good Enough” Takes “Great Effort“: While the exam is supposed to test for “minimum competency” to practice law, the sheer amount of material and different state passing scores mean you’ll need to give it all.
• Your State, Your Rules: Bar exams aren’t one-size-fits-all! How they’re set up, what’s tested, and even pass rates can change a lot by state, so always dig into your specific jurisdiction’s requirements.
• Study Smart, Not Just Endlessly: Focus on active learning, get in plenty of timed practice for every exam section, and definitely make self-care a priority – it’s not just about logging endless hours!
• The Future is About Skills: Big changes are coming with the NextGen bar exam. It’s designed to focus more on testing real-world lawyering skills along with core legal knowledge, so it’s an important shift to watch.

So, What Exactly Is This Bar Exam?

At its core, the bar exam is a licensing test. Its main job is to see if someone has what it takes to practice law in a certain state or U.S. territory. Think of it like a gatekeeper. Being a lawyer comes with a lot of responsibility, from handling really important life decisions to private information.

So, the bar exam tries to make sure that anyone who gets a law license meets a basic level of skill.

Each state (and U.S. territory) administers its own bar exam, typically twice a year (once in February and once in July). Passing the bar exam is mandatory to get admitted to the bar (hence the name) and legally practice law in that jurisdiction.

Bar Exam Format and Components

What exactly does the bar exam consist of? In most states, the exam has several components that together evaluate your legal knowledge and practical skills. The common parts of the bar exam are:

In most places, the bar exam is two days long. A standard schedule in a UBE state is: Day 1 – morning session with two MPT tasks (3 hours) and afternoon session with six MEE essays (3 hours); Day 2 – the MBE (100 multiple-choice questions in the morning, 100 in the afternoon). Non-UBE states have similar timing, just with their own question sets.

Subjects Tested on the Bar Exam

One reason the bar exam feels so hard is the huge range of subjects it covers. Essentially, you’re responsible for almost every major topic you studied in law school (and a few you might not have). Here are the key subjects tested:

Core MBE Subjects (The “Big 7”)

These seven subjects are always tested on the multiple-choice MBE and commonly appear in essays:

• Civil Procedure: rules for lawsuits (jurisdiction, pleadings, trials, etc.).
• Constitutional Law: structure of government, powers, rights (First Amendment, Due Process, Equal Protection, etc.).
• Contracts (including UCC Article 2 for sales): forming and enforcing agreements.
• Criminal Law and Procedure: crimes (homicide, theft, etc.) and criminal process (Fourth Amendment search/seizure, etc.).
• Evidence: rules about what information is admissible in court (hearsay, relevance, privileges).
• Real Property: land and property law (ownership, leases, mortgages, estates, etc.).
• Torts: civil wrongs like negligence, intentional torts (battery, defamation), and liability.

Additional Essay Subjects

Many jurisdictions (especially UBE states) test a broader range of topics in their essays beyond the MBE seven. These can include:

• Business Associations: business entity law (Agency, Partnerships, Corporations, LLCs).
• Family Law: marriage, divorce, child custody, support.
• Trusts and Estates: wills, trusts, and inheritance issues (often called Decedents’ Estates).
• Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Articles 3/9: areas like Secured Transactions (UCC Article 9) and sometimes Negotiable Instruments (Article 3).
• Conflicts of Law: principles that determine which jurisdiction’s law applies in multi-state cases (often integrated into other essays).
• Other State-Specific Topics: Some states add subjects like state constitutional law, community property (in California), or oil and gas law (in Texas), to reflect local law practice.

Professional Responsibility/Ethics

Most states require a separate test called the MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination), which covers legal ethics. It’s not part of the two-day bar exam but is another exam lawyers must pass (often taken before the bar exam). While the MPRE is separate, some ethical issues might still pop up within bar exam essay questions as part of scenarios.

As you can see, the scope is massive. You’re looking at memorizing dozens of legal doctrines across multiple subjects. It’s like taking all your law school finals at once. The bar expects not just rote facts but the ability to apply these rules to new fact patterns. Keeping this breadth of material straight is a big challenge for examinees.

Uniform Bar Exam vs. State-Specific Exams

When discussing bar exams, you’ll hear about the Uniform Bar Examination. The UBE is a standardized bar exam developed by the NCBE that many states have adopted to make the process uniform and scores portable. Here’s what that means:

Uniform Bar Exam

The UBE is a coordinated exam consisting of the MBE, MEE, and MPT. If you take the UBE, you receive a score that can be transferred to other UBE jurisdictions (for a certain time period), meaning you might not have to retake the bar if you move to another UBE state. The content is the same everywhere: 200 MBE questions, six essays, two performance tasks.

A majority of states (around 41 states plus D.C. and some territories) use the UBE. States like New York (since 2016), Texas (since 2021), and Illinois use the UBE, among many others. Each state sets its own passing score (cut score) for the UBE, but the exam itself is identical across those states.

Non-UBE State Exams

While the UBE has made many bar exams more similar, it’s super important to remember that not every state uses it. Some of the biggest states, like California and Florida, have their own unique bar examinations. Louisiana, because of its different legal history, and Puerto Rico also have their own formats.

This matters because if a state has its own exam or adds a lot of state-specific parts to the UBE, it can directly change how hard the exam feels. It often means more stuff to learn (local laws on top of general principles) and less, or no, ability to transfer your score to other states.

California’s Famous Challenge (California Bar Exam)

California’s bar exam is known for being very difficult, and its pass rates have often been low. For many years, pass rates have been around 40-50%, and sometimes even lower for the February exam. For example, in 2025, the overall pass rate was 56%, with first-time test takers passing at 62%.

Structure: The California exam is a two-day test. It has five one-hour essay questions, one 90-minute Performance Test (similar to the MPT), and 200 multiple-choice questions (this used to be the MBE, but the state is starting to use its own multiple-choice questions from February 2025).

A Quick Look at New York (New York Bar)

New York is a huge legal market and uses the UBE. The minimum score to pass the UBE in New York is 266. In 2025, New York’s overall pass rate was 39%, with first-timers at 57%.

But, passing the UBE isn’t the only thing you need for a New York license. There are extra state-specific things to do:

• New York Law Course (NYLC): An online course about New York-specific law (about 15 hours).
• New York Law Exam (NYLE): An online, open-book multiple-choice test on the NYLC material.
• A 50-hour pro bono (free legal work) service requirement.
• A skills requirement for those who started law school after August 1, 2016.

Even though it’s a UBE state, the New York bar is still seen as very challenging. This is partly because it attracts a lot of very competitive test takers, including grads from top law schools and international candidates. This can make the “curve” or how scores are adjusted feel tighter.

Other States to Note

Florida: This state is known for having a tricky bar exam that doesn’t use the UBE. It focuses heavily on Florida-specific law, including its own multiple-choice questions on Day One, and essays that are often described as feeling like very difficult law school final exams.

West Virginia: West Virginia is a UBE state and needs a pretty high passing score of 270. It has been named as a state with a difficult bar exam. Pass rates can change; for the February 2025 exam, the overall pass rate was 54% (71% for first-timers).

The Big Lesson

Always Check YOUR State! The main point here is clear: “the bar exam” isn’t the same everywhere in the U.S. You must research the exact format, subjects, passing score, and any extra requirements for the specific state(s) where you want to practice law.

Choosing a UBE state can give you flexibility with transferring your score, but even then, the local passing standard and any state-specific add-ons can really change how hard the exam feels. There are different bar exams for a reason!

The Burning Question: Okay, But How Hard Is It, Really?

We’ve looked at the structure. Now, let’s get to the main point. What makes this exam so famously difficult? It’s not just one thing; it’s a mix of factors that all add up. This is where we really dig into how hard the bar exam is.

It’s Not Just One Thing: The Many Layers of Tough

• So. Much. To. Know. This is probably the first thing that hits you. You’re expected to have a good working knowledge of a dozen or more subjects. It truly feels like a “mega-final exam” covering almost everything you learned in law school, and then some.

Often, you’ll find yourself having to teach yourself whole subjects that you didn’t take as classes, or that you took so long ago they feel like a foggy memory. The comprehensive scope of topics is just huge.

• The Clock is ALWAYS Ticking: Every section of the bar exam is timed, and the pace is non-stop.
  • On the MBE, you have about 1.8 minutes (one minute and 48 seconds) per question. That’s not much time to read a story, figure it out, think about four answer choices, and pick the best one.
  • For the MEE, you have just 30 minutes per essay.
  • MPT tasks give you 90 minutes each. This constant time pressure adds a huge amount of stress and makes you make quick decisions.
    
• Brain Scramble (Mental Friction): You’re not just sitting and answering one type of question for hours. You’re constantly switching gears – from multiple-choice to essays to performance tests.

You’re pulling information from different areas of law, sometimes within minutes of each other. This “mental friction,” as one source calls it, is tiring. It needs amazing mental quickness and stamina.

• Knowing vs. Doing (Application is Key): Just memorizing rules won’t be enough.
  
  • For essays, you need to find the issues, state the rules correctly, and then use those rules well with the facts given, explaining your thinking clearly.
    
  • For the MBE, as we talked about, it’s often about finding the “best” or “least incorrect” answer among several pretty good options. This needs deep understanding and thinking skills, not just remembering things on the surface.
    
• Length and Stamina: Most bar exams are two full days (about 6 hours of testing each day, sometimes more). That is exhausting. Keeping focus for that long is hard enough, and doing it while tackling difficult questions is even harder.

By the afternoon of day 2, people are drained. Physical and mental stamina play a huge role – it’s not just knowing the material, but being able to perform while tired and stressed.

• Your Wallet Will Feel It: Let’s be honest: taking the bar exam is expensive.
  • Registration Fees: Just to sign up for the exam, you could be looking at fees near $1,000, sometimes more, depending on the state and if you’re using a laptop.
  • Bar Review Courses: Most people use commercial bar review courses that can easily cost $2,000, $3,000, or even more. These bar prep courses are a big expense.
  • Tutors & Extras: If you want extra help, a private tutor can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to your bill. Study aids and extra materials also add up.
  • If you don’t pass? You have to pay many of these costs all over again for the next try. The money stress alone can be a big problem.

All these factors combine to make the bar exam a formidable challenge. It’s often said that preparing for the bar is as much a test of discipline and endurance as it is of intellect. The good news: with proper preparation, it is manageable (most do pass eventually, as the stats show). But there’s no denying that it’s a tough hurdle – arguably the toughest exam a lawyer will ever take

Let’s Look at the Numbers: What Bar Exam Pass Rates Tell Us

Pass rates are one of the most direct, if sometimes blunt, ways to see how hard the bar exam is. They tell you, straight up, how many people who take the test actually pass the bar exam. And the numbers can be pretty serious.

The National Picture (National Average):

• Looking at the U.S. as a whole, overall pass rates in recent years have been in the high 50s. For instance, the overall pass rate was 58% in 2023 and 59% in 2022.
• July vs. February Exams: You’ll almost always see higher pass rates for the July exam compared to the February one. In July 2023, the overall pass rate was 66%, but in February 2023, it was only 40%. A big reason for this difference is that the February exam usually has more repeat takers, and repeat takers generally pass at lower rates than first-time test takers.

Who Passes More Often?:

• Graduates from ABA-approved law schools taking the exam for the first attempt usually have the highest success rates.
• Graduates from non-ABA-approved law schools and those who got their law degrees outside the U.S. tend to have lower pass rates. In 2023, these groups had pass rates of 20% and 34%.

Bar Exam Pass Rates and Difficulty: A State-by-State Snapshot

Pass rates change a LOT from state to state. What’s seen as “hard” can often be seen in these numbers.

• Toughest Bar Exams (States with historically lower pass rates or high cut scores):
  • California: As mentioned, it’s famously one of the hardest bar exams. The 2023 overall pass rate was 45%, and for first-timers, it was 61%.
  • Delaware, Arkansas, and Nevada have also been named as having challenging exams or lower pass rates at different times.
  • New York (UBE): In 2023, the overall pass rate was 59%, with first-timers at 73%. Still very competitive.
  • West Virginia (UBE): For the February 2025 exam, the overall pass rate was 54%, and 71% for first-timers. The July 2023 rates were higher: 72% overall and 76% for first-timers.
• “Easier” Bar Exams (States that often have higher pass rates, often with lower UBE cut scores): Some of the easiest bar exams might be found in states like:
  • Utah: One report showed an 88% overall pass rate and 90% for first-timers. (UBE score: 260)
  • South Dakota: Often has pass rates over 75%. (UBE score: 260)
  • Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Vermont: Also often mentioned as having more achievable pass rates. (UBE scores: MT 266, ID 270, WY 270, VT 270)
  • Missouri: Noted with an 80% overall pass rate. (UBE score: 260)

This difference shows that the “bar” for passing is literally set at different heights depending on where you take it. A minimum passing score can vary widely. For example, some states require a UBE score of 260, while others need 270 or higher.

What Makes Pass Rates Go Up or Down?

It’s not just one thing. Factors include:

• How hard state-specific laws are if they’re tested a lot.
• The format of the exam (essays vs. multiple-choice, performance tests). The exam consists of these different parts.
• Grading standards – some states might just be tougher graders.
• The quality of legal education and how well test-takers in that state are prepared.
• The LSAT scores and college GPAs of the people applying, as these often link to bar exam performance.
• How good the bar prep courses used by students.

A low bar exam pass rate in a certain state doesn’t just mean the questions are harder; it could mean the passing score (cut score) is set higher, or that the group of people taking the exam at that time faced more challenges. It’s complex.

Your Game Plan: Building a Study Schedule That Works

Knowing how hard the bar exam is can be scary, but it’s also the first step to making a plan to beat it. So, how do you get ready for such a challenge? It takes a smart plan, a lot of hard work, and taking care of yourself along the way. Bar preparation is key. Planning ahead and sticking to a strong study schedule is a must.

• How Much Time Do You Need? Most experts say you should plan to study for 400 to 600 hours over an 8 to 10-week period, treating it like a full-time job.
• Don’t Wait! Start Early: Don’t put it off! Starting your bar preparation early helps you cover all the material without rushing, cuts down on stress, and gives you time for review and practice.
• Little by Little: Make a detailed study schedule that breaks down the huge amount of material into smaller daily and weekly goals. Set aside time for each subject, and be real about what you’re good at and what you’re not – you might need to spend more time on subjects you find harder.
• Stick With It! Follow your schedule as much as you can. Being consistent builds up steam and helps you learn better.

A good study plan is your map. It keeps you on track, makes sure you cover everything you need to, and helps manage that “I’m so overwhelmed!” feeling that can come with facing so much material.

Heads Up: The NextGen Bar Exam is Coming!

The bar exam is getting a major update with the new NextGen bar exam, set to start rolling out in July 2026. The main goal is to better test the practical skills new lawyers actually use, shifting the focus slightly away from massive memorization and more towards applying legal knowledge in realistic scenarios.

If you’re in law school or heading there soon, this is key info for your future bar preparation. Here’s what you really need to know about the NextGen exam:

• New Format & Feel: It’ll be shorter (about 9 hours over 1.5 days) and taken on your laptop. A big change is the “integrated design,” meaning legal knowledge and lawyering skills will be tested together, not in separate sections.
• Different Question Mix: You’ll see a mix of:
  • Stand-alone multiple-choice questions.
  • “Integrated question sets” that use one story for several questions (these could be multiple-choice or short written answers, maybe involving drafting or client counseling).
  • Longer “performance tasks” similar to the current MPT, where you use provided materials to complete a task.

The NextGen exam will be introduced in phases by different states starting July 2026, and the current Uniform Bar Exam components (MBE, MEE, MPT) won’t be offered after February 2028. Scores from the NextGen exam are intended to be portable between states that adopt it, similar to the current UBE.

This change really signals a shift in bar exams towards more practical, skills-based assessment, which will likely influence both law schools and how students pass the bar exam in the future.

Final Thoughts

Whew! I’ve covered a lot of information, and if there’s one thing that’s crystal clear, it’s that the bar exam is, indeed, a very hard test. From the huge amount of material and the intense time pressure to the big money costs and the emotional ups and downs of bar preparation, it’s a challenge on many levels.

But here’s what I really want you to take away: “hard” does not mean “impossible.” Not at all.

Every year, thousands of people from all different backgrounds successfully get through this tough process and earn the right to call themselves “attorneys.” They do it not because they’re superhuman, but because they understand what they’re facing, they make a plan, they put in the focused work, and they believe in themselves. I hope this article has made the bar exam a little less mysterious for you. So, take a deep breath, get your resources together, and know that you’ve got this!

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