About the Bar Exam
The Bar Exam is likely the most important test of your legal career.
The Bar is a rigorous and intensive exam held over the course of two or three days (depending on your jurisdiction). Passing a state's Bar Exam is a key step toward being licensed to practice law within that state.
In most states, the bar exam consists of:
- Essay questions requiring detailed answers to complex fact patterns, testing you on both general legal principles and that state's particular laws.
- The Multistate Bar Examination or MBE, which is currently given in 48 states. It is made up of 200 multiple choice questions.These questions test your knowledge of common law principles in seven substantive areas – Torts, Contracts, Real Property, Constitutional Law, Evidence, Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure.
- The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (the MPRE) is an ethics exam required in most jurisdictions to practice.
Many states will also add a practical component and some may include multiple choice or short answer questions in addition to the state specific essays.
Individual states decide when and how to administer their Bar Exams and what subjects will be included on the state specific portions. Individual states also decide how to grade their Bar Exams and what level constitutes a passing score.
To view info specific to your state, make a selection from the drop-down menu at the top of this page.
