What it is
To practice law, you must pass your jurisdiction's bar exam (plus the MPRE ethics exam and a character-and-fitness review). A major change is underway: the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam launched in July 2026 and is replacing the legacy format over a 2026–2028 transition. Both are developed by the NCBE, but each jurisdiction sets its own passing score.
Format & structure
- NextGen UBE (the new exam)An integrated, computer-based exam over ~1.5 days — no separate sections. It combines standalone multiple-choice, integrated question sets, and performance tasks, testing legal knowledge and lawyering skills (including professional responsibility woven into scenarios).
- Legacy UBE (during the transition)Three components: the MBE (200 multiple-choice, ~50%), the MEE (essays, ~30%), and the MPT (performance tasks, ~20%) — over two days.
- MPREThe Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam — a separate 2-hour, 60-question ethics exam, still required in most jurisdictions even under NextGen.
How it's scored
Bar scores are scaled, and each jurisdiction sets its own minimum passing score (and the UBE score is portable across UBE jurisdictions). The MPRE also has a jurisdiction-set passing score. There's no single national cutoff — check the state where you'll seek admission.
Registration & cost
Register with the bar admissions authority in your jurisdiction (and with the NCBE for the MPRE and score transfers). Fees are significant (often several hundred dollars, plus prep costs). You'll also complete a character-and-fitness application.
Test dates & timing
The bar exam is offered twice a year (typically late July and February); the MPRE is offered three times a year. Plan the MPRE before or around the bar, per your jurisdiction's rules.
How to prepare
- Use a bar-review courseMost graduates take an intensive multi-week commercial bar-prep course
- Prep for the NextGen skillsThe new exam rewards applying law and lawyering skills, not just memorization
- Take the MPRE strategicallyA focused few weeks on legal ethics
- Build first-year foundationsCore doctrinal subjects underpin the exam
Strategies & tips
- Confirm your jurisdiction's exam and dateKnow whether you'll sit the NextGen or legacy exam and the passing score
- Practice under timed, realistic conditionsFull simulated exams build stamina
- Weight your effort by the formatLegacy: the MBE is half; NextGen: skills are integrated throughout
- Don't neglect the MPREIt's a separate requirement
How scores are used
Passing the bar (and MPRE, plus character-and-fitness) is required to be licensed to practice law in a jurisdiction. A portable UBE/NextGen score can ease admission in other participating jurisdictions. It's strictly licensure — not admissions.
Accommodations & support
Accommodations for documented disabilities are handled by your jurisdiction's bar authority and the NCBE — apply early, as review takes time.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the NextGen bar exam?A new integrated exam (from July 2026) that replaces the separate MBE/MEE/MPT over a 2026–2028 transition.
- Is the MPRE going away?No — it remains a separate ethics exam required in most jurisdictions.
- What score do I need?Each jurisdiction sets its own passing score.
- When is it offered?The bar twice a year (July/February); the MPRE three times a year.
- Will I take NextGen or legacy?It depends on your jurisdiction and year — check its transition date.
Key facts
- WhatLaw licensure exams (NCBE + state boards)
- Main examNextGen UBE (from July 2026; replacing MBE/MEE/MPT)
- EthicsMPRE (separate, required in most states)
- ScoreSet by each jurisdiction (UBE score portable)
- Used forAdmission to practice law
Where to learn more
Confirm your jurisdiction's rules and current details: