Bar Admission Agencies

Bar admission is regulated by each state's board of bar examiners. Bar requirements are state-specific and vary from state to state, so it's important to check the requirements for the jurisdiction in which you plan to practice law.

• District of Columbia Committee on Admissions
• Maryland Board of Law Examiners
• Virginia Board of Bar Examiners
• New York State Board of Law Examiners
• NCBE Jurisdiction Information
  This map contains links to bar admission agencies and bar requirements for all jurisdictions.

The Exam

The bar exam is composed of multiple-choice and essay questions. The number of essay questions varies from state to state.

• Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)
  A six-hour, 200-question multiple-choice examination covering Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.
  • An outline of the specific subject matter tested on the MBE can be found here.
• Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
  An examination consisting of 90-minute tasks requiring the application of fundamental lawyering skills in a realistic situation. Skills tested are factual analysis, legal analysis and reasoning, problem solving, identification and resolution of ethical dilemmas, written communication, and organization and management of a legal task.
  • In UBE jurisdictions, applicants must complete two MPTs.
• Multistate Essay Examination (MEE)
  The MEE consists of six 30-minute essay questions. Areas of law that may be covered on the MEE include the following: Business Associations (Agency and Partnership; Corporations and Limited Liability Companies), Civil Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Real Property, Torts, Trusts and Estates (Decedents' Estates; Trusts and Future Interests), and Uniform Commercial Code (Secured Transactions). Some questions may include issues in more than one area of law. The particular areas covered vary from exam to exam.
  • An outline of the specific subject matter tested on the MEE can be found here.
• Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)
  A two-hour, 60-question multiple-choice examination administered three times each year and designed to measure knowledge and understanding of established standards related to a lawyer’s professional conduct.' This is additional requirement for admission to practice. The MPRE is administered in March, August, and November.

Components of the Bar Exam

UBE (DC, MD, NY, etc.)

• MBE – 200 questions
• MPT – 2 questions
• MEE – 6 questions

Virginia

• MBE – 200 questions
• 9 essay questions & 10 short answer questions – written by Virginia bar examiners

Subject Matter for Essay Questions

UBE 

1. Business Associations
2. Civil Procedure
3. Conflict of Laws
4. Constitutional Law
5. Contracts
6. Criminal Law and Procedure
7. Evidence
8. Family Law
9. Real Property
10. Torts
11. Trusts and Estates (Decedents' Estates; Trusts and Future Interests)
12. Uniform Commercial Code (Secured Transactions)

Virginia

1. Agency
2. Criminal Law
3. Professional Responsibility
4. Uniform Commercial
5. Code Conflict of Laws
6. Domestic Relations
7. Real and Personal Property
8. Virginia Civil and Criminal Procedure (including appellate practice)
9. Constitutional Law Equity (remedies)
10. Sales Contracts Evidence
11. Taxation
12. Business Organizations
13. Federal Practice and Procedure
14. Torts
15. Wills and Estate Administration
16. Creditor's Rights
17. Local Government Law
18. Trusts