What is the Bar Exam? Everything You Need to Know

You’ve invested years in law school, navigated countless casebooks, and now you’re staring down the ultimate rite of passage: the bar exam. It feels like the final boss before you can call yourself an attorney, right?

Consider this: In 2020, 60,784 individuals took the bar exam, and only 61% passed overall. Notably, the February pass rate was just 41%, while July’s was higher at 71%.

But here’s the good news: once you know what you’re up against, you can create a clear roadmap to success.

So, let’s demystify the bar exam—what it tests, how it’s built, and what you need beyond pure memorization to cross that finish line.

Key Takeaways

• Minimum Competency, Not Perfection: The bar exam tests for fundamental readiness to practice law, not legal superstardom.
• C&F Honesty is Paramount: Full disclosure on your Character & Fitness application is critical; omissions can be more harmful than the underlying issue.
• UBE Score Portability Has a Shelf Life: A passing Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) score can often be transferred to other states, but usually only within 3-5 years.
• NextGen Bar Arrives July 2026: A major bar exam evolution (NextGen) starts in 2026, emphasizing practical skills and integrated testing.
• Foreign-Trained? Plan for Extra Steps: Lawyers with non-U.S. degrees typically need credential reviews and may require a U.S. LL.M. to qualify for the bar.

What Is the Bar Exam?

The bar exam is the licensing test that law school grads (and some non‑JD candidates) must pass to practice law in a given jurisdiction.

At its heart, the bar exam is about minimum competency. That sounds a bit underwhelming, right? But it’s important, and it doesn’t mean the bar isn’t a hard exam. The goal isn’t to find the next legal superstar or someone who knows every single law by heart.

Instead, it’s designed to ensure that individuals on the verge of becoming licensed attorneys have the fundamental knowledge and ability to “think like a lawyer”. They need to be able to analyze problems, understand legal principles, and apply them to real-life situations responsibly.

• Purpose: To confirm you’ve got the knowledge and skills needed for the legal profession.
• Who Administers It: Typically, each state’s bar association or board of law examiners.
• Outcome: Pass the exam, plus clear the character and fitness process, and you earn admission to the bar in that jurisdiction.

When you pass, you get sworn in as an attorney, which means you can represent clients, appear in court, and give legal advice in that state.

Getting Your Ticket: Who Can Actually Take the Bar Exam?

Not just anyone can walk in off the street and take the bar exam. There are some key requirements you generally need to meet:

1. Education: Usually, you need a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
2. Pass the Bar Exam: You have to pass the specific bar exam for the state where you want to practice.
3. Pass the Ethics Exam: You need to pass a professional responsibility exam, most commonly the MPRE.
4. Pass the Character & Fitness Check: You must prove you have good moral character and fitness to be a lawyer. We’ll dig into this fitness process more later.
5. Apply and Pay: You need to formally apply for admission and pay the required fees.

Let’s break down the education and ethics parts a bit more.

The Usual Path: Getting a JD Degree

For folks educated in the U.S., the standard path is getting that JD degree from an ABA-approved law school. These are typically three-year programs focused on U.S. law, emphasizing case analysis and legal reasoning.

Are there exceptions? Yes, but they’re less common:

• Some states (like California and Alabama) allow graduates from state-approved, non-ABA law schools to take the exam.
• A tiny number of states, like California, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington, allow “reading law,” an apprenticeship where you study under a judge or lawyer instead of going to law school.
• New York has a few unique paths, including combinations of law school and law office study, or qualifying based on practice experience in another state after graduating from an unapproved school.

But for the vast majority, the ABA-accredited JD is the ticket.

What About Lawyers Trained Outside the U.S.?

This gets a bit more complicated. If you earned your law degree in another country, getting eligibility for a U.S. bar exam involves extra steps and varies a LOT by state.

• Credential Evaluation: Your foreign degree will likely need to be evaluated to see if it’s equivalent to a U.S. JD. This can take time, sometimes up to a year.
• Extra U.S. Education: Many states require foreign-trained lawyers to get additional education here, usually a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from an ABA-approved law school. Some states might even require a full U.S. JD.
• Practice Experience: Sometimes, experience practicing law in your home country can help you qualify, especially in states like California.
• State Differences: States like New York and California are known for having relatively more open pathways for foreign lawyers compared to others like Virginia or Oregon, which might have stricter rules or require admission elsewhere first.

Bottom line: If you’re a foreign-trained lawyer, you’ll need to research the specific rules of the state where you want to practice very carefully and likely plan for extra steps like credential evaluation and possibly an LL.M. U.S. citizenship isn’t usually required, but you need to comply with immigration laws.

Don’t Forget the Ethics Exam! (The MPRE)

Before you can be admitted almost anywhere in the U.S., you also need to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). Only Wisconsin and Puerto Rico don’t require it (and Connecticut/New Jersey allow a law school ethics course instead).

• What it is: A two-hour, 60 multiple-choice test on legal ethics and professional conduct. Note that only 50 questions count towards your score, while 10 are test questions for future exams.
• What it covers: Rules about the lawyer-client relationship, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, duties to the court, and general professional conduct, based mainly on ABA Model Rules.
• Who gives it: Developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and administered via computer at Pearson VUE testing centers three times a year (usually March, August, November).
• Passing Score: Each state sets its own passing score.

Think of the MPRE as the “don’t be a bad lawyer” test. It’s a separate hurdle focused entirely on the ethical rules of the road for the legal profession.

The Character & Fitness Check: Are You Fit to Practice?

Passing exams isn’t enough. Every state also requires you to pass a Character and Fitness (C&F) evaluation. This is basically a deep dive background check to make sure you have the honesty, trustworthiness, and reliability needed to be a lawyer. The main goal? Protecting the public and the justice system.

What Do They Look Into?

The C&F application, which the state’s bar examiners meticulously review, is thorough. You’ll need to provide detailed information about:

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You also typically need to provide references, sometimes including lawyers who know you.

Why the MPRE Matters

The MPRE evaluates your grasp of professional ethics, which is crucial for maintaining client trust and upholding professional integrity. Because many jurisdictions require passing the MPRE before—or shortly after—licensing, taking it early in your preparation can help you separate ethics study from broader bar review and ensure you meet all admission requirements without added overlap.

MPRE Preparation Strategies

1. Review the Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Focus on high-yield rules like confidentiality, conflicts, and duties to the court.
2. Use Question Banks: Practice with 300+ MPRE-style questions under timed conditions.
3. Flashcard Drills: Create ethics flashcards highlighting rule elements and exceptions.
4. Timed Full-Length Tests: Simulate the two-hour test environment to build stamina and pacing.
5. Target Weak Areas: Analyze missed questions to identify patterns (e.g., advertising rules or obligation to report misconduct).

Anatomy of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE)

While the overall bar exam format can differ if a state offers its unique test, most U.S. jurisdictions have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) for consistency. Here’s how it breaks down:

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Together, these components span two days and about 15 hours of testing.

Test Days:

• Day 1 Morning: MEE (3 hours)
• Day 1 Afternoon: MPT (3 hours)
• Day 2: MBE (6 hours, split into two 3‑hour sessions)

This “uniform” format makes it easier to transfer scores between UBE jurisdictions. While it’s a marathon both mentally and physically, knowing the rhythm, with essays one day, multiple‑choice the next, helps you plan breaks, meals, and study blocks.

Now let’s look at those three UBE components, which are also used in various combinations by many non-UBE states.

1. The Multistate Bar Exam (MBE): Multiple-Choice Mania

The MBE is the big multiple-choice section, used by almost every jurisdiction except Louisiana and Puerto Rico.

Format: 200 multiple-choice questions spread over six hours (two 3-hour sessions of 100 questions each). Each question has four answer choices.

Scoring: Only 175 questions actually count toward your score. The other 25 are “pretest” questions the NCBE is trying out for future exams, and you won’t know which is which. Your score is based on the number you get right; there’s no penalty for guessing. This raw score is then scaled.

Purpose: To test your ability to apply fundamental legal principles and reasoning to fact patterns. It tests “majority law” or generally accepted principles, not usually state-specific rules.

Subjects (7 Core Areas, 25 scored questions each) :

• Civil Procedure (usually Federal Rules)
• Constitutional Law (U.S. Constitution)
• Contracts (including UCC Article 2 on Sales)
• Criminal Law and Procedure
• Evidence (usually Federal Rules)
• Real Property
• Torts

Weight: 50% of the UBE score.

2. The Multistate Essay Examination (MEE): Time to Write

The MEE tests your ability to analyze legal issues and communicate that analysis effectively in writing.

Format: Six essay questions, with 30 minutes allotted for each, totaling three hours.

Purpose: Can you spot the legal issues in a story (hypothetical)? Can you state the relevant legal rules? Can you apply those rules to the facts and reach a logical conclusion? Can you write it all down clearly and concisely?. The IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion) or CREAC structure is often recommended.

Subjects (Broader Range) :

• Business Associations (Agency, Partnership, Corporations, LLCs)
• Conflict of Laws (usually tested with another subject)
• Family Law
• Trusts and Estates (Wills, Trusts, Future Interests)
• UCC Article 9 (Secured Transactions)

Weight: 30% of the UBE score.

Grading: Graded by the bar examiners in the state where you take the exam.

3. The Multistate Performance Test (MPT): Lawyer for a Day

The MPT is designed to simulate real-world lawyering tasks and test practical skills, not your memory of specific laws.

Format: Two 90-minute tasks. For each task, you get a “File” with facts (like client interviews, letters, pleadings) and a “Library” with the relevant laws (cases, statutes) needed to complete the assignment. Some info might be irrelevant or conflicting, just like real life!.

Purpose: Can you sift through facts? Can you understand and apply unfamiliar laws provided to you? Can you solve the client’s problem or complete the assigned task? Can you write effectively for a specific purpose, such as an objective memo vs. a persuasive brief? Can you manage your time? Can you spot ethical issues?.

Task Types: You might be asked to draft things like:

• An objective memo to a supervisor
• A persuasive brief or memo
• A letter to a client
• A contract clause
• A closing argument outline
• A discovery plan

Weight: 20% of the UBE score (10% per task).

Grading: Graded by local bar examiners, focusing on your skills, not pre-existing legal knowledge.

Don’t Forget State-Specific Exams!

It’s worth repeating: not every state uses the UBE. Big players like California and Florida have their own unique exams.

The takeaway: Always, always check the exact format and subjects tested in the specific state(s) where you plan to get licensed!

Beyond the UBE: State‑Specific Variations

Although 41 jurisdictions now use the UBE, including New York, Texas, and Illinois, you’ll still find a few holdouts with their unique bar exams. California, for instance, mixes in performance tests and essays but keeps its own scoring system. Territories like Puerto Rico and states such as Louisiana have unique formats reflecting local law traditions.

Why might you choose a particular state’s bar exam over the UBE?

Local Law Focus: If you know you’ll stay in one jurisdiction, those extra state essays can give you an edge. You won’t need to transfer your score elsewhere.

But if you’re eyeing multi‑state practice or moving down the road after a few years, the UBE’s portability—allowing you to transfer your score to another participating jurisdiction—can be a huge plus.

What Scores Do I Need, and Can I Transfer Them?

Each UBE jurisdiction sets its own passing score, typically between 260 and 280 on a 400‑point scale. For example:

• New York: 266
• Colorado: 276
• Minnesota: 270

Once you clear that threshold, you can send your score to any other UBE state whose minimum you meet. Just keep in mind that most jurisdictions place a time limit on score validity, often three to five years. If you don’t transfer in that window, you may need to retake the entire UBE.

The Future is (Almost) Here: The NextGen Bar Exam

Heads up! The bar exam landscape is about to change. The NCBE is rolling out the NextGen bar exam, starting in July 2026 in some states.

Why the Change?

The goal is to better test the skills and knowledge new lawyers actually use, based on research into modern legal practice. It aims for a better balance between litigation and transactional skills and reflects updates in legal education.

What’s Different?

Length: Shorter – 9 hours over 1.5 days (two 3-hour sessions Day 1, one 3-hour session Day 2).

Delivery: Taken on your own laptop at proctored, in-person locations using a secure platform.

Integrated Design: Tests legal knowledge and lawyering skills together, not separately.

Question Types

• 40% stand‑alone multiple‑choice
• 25% integrated sets (one fact pattern + several questions)
• 33% longer performance tasks (like MPTs)

Foundational Subjects

Contracts, Torts, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Criminal law and procedure, Evidence, Real Property, Business Associations

• Family Law: Resource‑based testing July 2026–Feb 2028; full coverage from July 2028
• Trusts & Estates: Resource‑based testing July 2026–Feb 2028+

Core Skills

Legal research & writing, issue‑spotting, analysis, investigation, client counseling, negotiation, dispute resolution, client management (negotiation via text scenarios)

Adoption & Portability

Rollout begins July 2026, with more states joining through 2028. Scores transfer between participating NextGen jurisdictions—and during transition, both UBE and NextGen scores are accepted.

The NextGen exam represents a significant shift, aiming to make the bar exam more relevant to modern practice. This shift to the NextGen exam will require adjustments not only from current candidates and law schools but also from prospective students entering law school, who should be aware of these future testing realities.

Ready to Tackle the Bar Exam?

Whew! That was a lot, but hopefully, you now have a much clearer picture of what the bar exam is all about. It’s more than just a test; it’s a comprehensive process involving education, ethics checks, character evaluations, and, yes, a very challenging examination covering both legal knowledge and practical skills.

Whether it’s the widely used UBE with its MBE, MEE, and MPT components, or a state-specific exam like California’s, the goal remains the same: to ensure new lawyers meet a minimum standard of competence before they’re entrusted with representing clients and upholding the law. And with the NextGen exam on the horizon, the process continues to evolve to meet the demands of the modern legal profession.

It’s a demanding journey, requiring intense preparation and resilience. So, with a solid study plan and clear milestones—sign up for upcoming exam dates, create your study calendar, and stick to it—you’ll enter test day with confidence.

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