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Bar Exam & MPRE Resource Guide : Introduction to the Bar Exam

This guide will provide resources to help you prepare to take the bar exam and MPRE.

The Bar Exam

  • Bar admission requirements are promulgated by each state. The most common testing configuration consists of a two-day bar examination. One day of testing is devoted to the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) and the second day is typically comprised of essays from a broad range of subject areas prepared by the board of bar examiners of each state.
  • The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is a standardized 200-item test covering six areas of the law (Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts). The MBE is administered in all states except Washington and Louisiana.
  • The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a fifty question, two-hour, multiple-choice exam separately administered three times a year. It is required in all states except Washington, Wisconsin and Maryland. On-line registration is available.
  • The Multistate Performance Test (MPT) has also been adopted in several jurisdictions. It is three 90-minute skills questions covering legal analysis, fact analysis, problem solving, resolution of ethical dilemmas, organization and management of a lawyering task, and communication.
  • The Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) is coordinated by NCBE and is composed of the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), two Multistate Performance Test (MPT) tasks, and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). It is uniformly administered, graded, and scored by user jurisdictions and results in a portable score that can be transferred to other UBE jurisdictions.  It is administered over two days, with the MBE given on the last Wednesday of February and July and the MEE and MPT given on the Tuesday prior to that. Jurisdictions that use the UBE may also require applicants to complete a jurisdiction-specific educational component and/or pass a test on jurisdiction-specific law in addition to passing the UBE.

Bar Exam Tips

Bar Prep Tips

  1. Determine where and when you will study.
  2. Know what resources are availale to you (like this guide).
  3. Create a study schedule.
  4. Eliminate potential sources of stress.
  5. Deal with anxiety.
  6. Get outlines from others.
  7. Practice tests matter & practice under test-like conditions.
  8. Take care of yourself - eat well, exercise & take small breaks.
  9. Do what works for you.

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