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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.

Director of Delaware Law School Bar Pass Program

Michael S. Lofts
302-477-2125
mslofts@widener.edu

 

 

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) consists of 200 multiple-choice questions covering seven subject areas: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts. "The purpose of the MBE is to assess the extent to which an examinee can apply fundamental legal principles and legal reasoning to analyze given fact patterns." The MBE is administered in all US jurisdictions except Louisiana and Puerto Rico.
  • The Multistate Performance Test (MPT) consists of two 90-minute items. The MPE " is designed to test an examinee’s ability to use fundamental lawyering skills in a realistic situation and  complete a task that a beginning lawyer should be able to accomplish. User jurisdictions may select one or both MPT items to include as part of their bar examinations. Jurisdictions that administer the Uniform Bar Examination use both MPT items." (NCBE)
  • 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.

http://www.barexammind.com/bar-exam-tips/

 

Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a two-hour, sixty question multiple-choice exam separately administered three times a year. It is required for admission to the bars of all but two US jurisdictions (Wisconsin and Puerto Rico.)