The bar exam is the licensing test every future lawyer in the United States must pass before practicing law. The two questions people ask most are how hard is the bar exam and how long is the bar exam — this guide answers both with the current format, real pass-rate context and a practical study plan.
Want to see where you stand right now? Take our free USA bar exam practice test and get an instant scored result with explanations.
Key takeaways
- Most states give the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE): two days and about 12 hours of testing.
- The NextGen bar exam began replacing the UBE in some states in July 2026, on a state-by-state schedule.
- Most first-time takers from ABA-accredited law schools pass; repeat takers pass at much lower rates.
- Plan on roughly 400–600 study hours over 8–10 weeks.
USA Bar Exam: Quick Facts
- Administered by
- State bar admission boards (most exam content written by NCBE)
- Length (UBE)
- 2 days, about 12 hours of testing
- Components
- MBE (200 questions) · MEE (6 essays) · MPT (2 tasks)
- Scoring
- 400-point scale; most UBE states require 260–270
- When
- Last Tuesday–Wednesday of February and July
- Study time
- 400–600 hours (8–10 weeks full-time)
What Is the Bar Exam?
The bar exam tests whether a law graduate has the minimum knowledge and skills needed to practice law. Each state (and D.C. and the U.S. territories) sets its own admission rules, but most use exams written by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE).
Most jurisdictions give the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). A UBE score is portable: you can transfer it to other UBE states within their time limits instead of retaking the test. A few large states, most notably California, still give their own bar exam.
Separately, almost every state also requires the MPRE, a two-hour, multiple-choice ethics test you take on a different date, often while you are still in law school.
More on What Is the Bar Exam →How Long Is the Bar Exam?
The standard UBE takes two days and about 12 hours of testing: two 3-hour sessions each day. Some states add a local-law component, and California gives its own two-day exam. The table below shows a typical UBE schedule.
| Day & session | Component | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 — Morning | Multistate Performance Test (MPT): 2 tasks, 90 minutes each | 3 hours |
| Day 1 — Afternoon | Multistate Essay Exam (MEE): 6 essays, about 30 minutes each | 3 hours |
| Day 2 — Morning | Multistate Bar Exam (MBE): 100 multiple-choice questions | 3 hours |
| Day 2 — Afternoon | MBE: 100 multiple-choice questions | 3 hours |
If you are asking how long the whole process takes: law school is three years, study for the bar takes 8–10 weeks, and results usually come out about 6 to 12 weeks after the exam, depending on the state.
Good to know
The NextGen bar exam started in some jurisdictions in July 2026. NCBE says it takes about 9 hours over a day and a half. States are switching on different timelines, so check your state bar’s website for the version you will take.
How Hard Is the Bar Exam?
The bar exam is widely considered one of the hardest professional licensing exams in the USA. It isn’t hard because any one question is impossible. It’s hard because of how much it covers (seven MBE subjects plus more on the essays), the speed it demands (about 1.8 minutes per MBE question), and how tiring two full days of testing are.
How hard is the bar exam in practice? Nationally, most first-time takers from ABA-accredited law schools pass the July exam. Repeat takers pass at much lower rates, and states with higher cut scores or their own exams, especially California, often report overall pass rates around 50%.
- How much it covers: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Real Property and Torts on the MBE, plus subjects like Business Associations, Family Law, Trusts & Estates and Secured Transactions on the essays.
- Tricky questions: MBE questions reward knowing the rules exactly. Two answer choices are often very close.
- Time pressure: you must write six essays in three hours.
- Endurance: most people underestimate how tiring 12 hours of testing is.
The good news: the bar exam tests minimum competence. You don’t need an A. A UBE score of 260–270 out of 400 passes in most states, which usually means getting about 60–65% of MBE questions right while writing solid essays.
More on How Hard Is the Bar Exam →What’s on the Bar Exam? Subjects and Scoring
Your UBE score combines three parts: MBE 50%, MEE 30% and MPT 20%. The MBE is scaled so that scores stay comparable from one exam to the next.
| Component | Format | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| MBE | 200 multiple-choice questions (175 scored), 7 subjects | 50% |
| MEE | 6 essays on up to 12 subjects | 30% |
| MPT | 2 practical tasks (memo, brief, letter) using a provided File and Library | 20% |
The MPT is the most overlooked part, but it gives you the most points for your study time. It tests lawyering skills, not memorized law, so a few timed practice runs can raise your score a lot.
More on What’s on the Bar Exam? Subjects and Scoring →Sample Bar Exam Questions
Real bar exam questions on the MBE are fact patterns followed by four answer choices. Here are three short examples in the same style. Answers are below each one.
Good to know
1. Evidence. At a robbery trial, a witness testifies that, seconds after the robbery, a bystander shouted, “That guy in the red hat just grabbed her purse!” The defense objects. The statement is most likely: (A) inadmissible hearsay (B) admissible as an excited utterance (C) admissible as a dying declaration (D) inadmissible character evidence. Answer: B. It’s a statement about a startling event made under the stress of excitement (FRE 803(2)).
Good to know
2. Contracts. A merchant signs a letter promising to sell 100 chairs at a fixed price and to hold the offer open for 60 days. The buyer paid nothing for the promise. Two weeks later the merchant tries to revoke. The offer is: (A) revocable because there was no consideration (B) irrevocable as a firm offer under UCC §2-205 (C) void under the statute of frauds (D) revocable because chairs are not goods. Answer: B.
Good to know
3. Torts. A plaintiff is found 60% at fault and suffers $100,000 in damages in a pure comparative negligence jurisdiction. The plaintiff recovers: (A) $0 (B) $40,000 (C) $60,000 (D) $100,000. Answer: B. Damages are reduced by the plaintiff’s share of fault.
Want more? Our bar exam practice test has 60+ MBE-style and format questions with explanations, and you can focus on one subject at a time.
More on Sample Bar Exam Questions →A 10-Week Bar Exam Study Plan
Most successful candidates study full-time for 8–10 weeks after graduation. Here is a proven structure:
- Weeks 1–4 — Learn the rules. Go through outlines subject by subject and do 25–50 MBE questions a day.
- Weeks 5–7 — Apply them. Do 50+ MBE questions a day, 2–3 timed essays a week and 1 MPT a week. Keep an error log.
- Week 8 — Full simulation. Take a full practice exam under real timing, then review every mistake.
- Weeks 9–10 — Refine. Focus on weak subjects, memorize rule statements and cut back 2–3 days before the exam.
Pro tip
Take a diagnostic before you start. A short bar exam practice test shows which subjects need the most time, so you don’t spend weeks re-studying what you already know.
Thinking about a finance career instead of law? The USA CFP exam is another demanding professional licensing exam with a similar two-session format.
More on A 10-Week Bar Exam Study Plan →Bar Exam Day Tips
- Check your state’s list of allowed items (laptop software, ID, clear bags) a week before the exam.
- Pace the MBE at about 34 questions per hour and never leave an answer blank, since wrong answers aren’t penalized.
- On essays, write the rule first, then apply it to the facts (IRAC). Graders reward organization.
- Read the MPT task memo first, then the Library, then the File.
- Sleep and eat normally. Last-minute cramming the night before usually hurts more than it helps.
ExamSoft (Examplify) and the Bar Exam
ExamSoft is the company behind Examplify, the laptop testing software many law schools and bar jurisdictions have used for the written parts of the bar exam (essays and performance tests). If your jurisdiction uses it, you will usually need to:
- Check that your laptop meets the minimum system requirements and install Examplify before the deadline.
- Register the laptop and complete the required mock exam, which tests your setup.
- Download the exam file before the download deadline. It stays locked until exam day.
- Upload your answers promptly after each session and keep your upload confirmation.
Important
Software and delivery differ by jurisdiction and by exam version. Some jurisdictions use other vendors or test-center computers, especially for the NextGen bar exam. Always follow your state bar’s own technology instructions.
Did Kim Kardashian Pass the Bar Exam?
Did Kim Kardashian pass the bar exam? Not yet. Her most recent Kim Kardashian bar exam results (July 2025 California Bar Exam) were not a pass. Searches for the Kim Kardashian bar exam story spiked because her journey shows California’s less common path into law: the Law Office Study Program, sometimes called “reading the law,” where you study under a supervising attorney instead of attending law school.
- 2021: she passed California’s First-Year Law Students’ Examination (the “baby bar”) on her fourth attempt. The baby bar is required for Law Office Study Program students.
- 2025: she finished the program and sat for the California Bar Exam in July 2025. She did not pass that administration, which had an overall pass rate of about 55%.
- 2026: according to media reports, she skipped the February and July 2026 exams and plans to retake the bar later.
Her story shows two things: the bar exam is hard even with a lot of resources, and retakes are common. Many successful lawyers didn’t pass on their first attempt. If you’re preparing now, start with our bar exam practice test to find your weakest subjects.
More on Did Kim Kardashian Pass the Bar Exam →How Many Times Can You Take the Bar Exam?
In most U.S. jurisdictions there’s no limit on bar exam attempts. A handful cap attempts or add requirements after several failures, such as extra study or board permission. Always check your jurisdiction’s rules before registering.
More on How Many Times Can You Take the Bar Exam →Bar Exam Results and Pass Rates
Results usually come out 2–4 months after the exam. NCBE and each state board publish pass rates. First-time takers from ABA-accredited schools pass at much higher rates than repeat takers. See state guides for the California, Florida, New York and Texas bar exams, and the Uniform Bar Exam.
More on Bar Exam Results and Pass Rates →Practice Bar Exam Questions
Our free practice bar exam draws MBE-style questions at random, including contract law questions. Use the topic filter to drill Contracts, Torts, Evidence and more, then retry the ones you missed.
More on Practice Bar Exam Questions →Free practice test
Ready to test yourself?
Choose your test length, practice with instant feedback or take it exam-style, and get your score with an explanation for every answer.
Go to the USA Bar Exam practice test →USA Bar Exam FAQs
How hard is the bar exam compared to other exams?
The bar exam is generally ranked among the hardest US professional exams because of how much it covers and its two-day length. Still, most first-time takers from ABA-accredited law schools pass with structured preparation.
Full answer →How long is the bar exam?
The Uniform Bar Exam is two days with about 12 hours of testing: the MPT and MEE on day one and the 200-question MBE on day two. The NextGen bar exam, being adopted state by state from July 2026, is shorter at about 9 hours.
Full answer →How long should I study for the bar exam?
Most candidates study 400–600 hours over 8–10 weeks full-time. Part-time and repeat takers often spread their studying over 4–6 months.
Full answer →What score do you need to pass the bar exam?
UBE scores are out of 400. Most UBE states set the passing score between 260 and 270. Non-UBE states such as California use their own scales.
Full answer →Can you take the bar exam without going to law school?
A few states (such as California, Vermont, Virginia and Washington) allow a law office study or apprenticeship path. Everywhere else requires a JD, usually from an ABA-accredited school.
Full answer →How many times can you take the bar exam?
Most states allow unlimited attempts, but some limit the number of tries or require extra steps after several failed attempts. Check your state’s admission rules.
Full answer →Did Kim Kardashian pass the bar exam?
Not yet. Kim Kardashian passed California’s “baby bar” in 2021 but did not pass the July 2025 California Bar Exam. Media reports say she skipped the 2026 exams and plans to retake it later.
Full answer →What is the bar exam?
The bar exam is the licensing exam you must pass to practice law in a U.S. state. Most states use the two-day Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT), and the NextGen bar exam is being phased in from July 2026.
Full answer →What is ExamSoft on the bar exam?
ExamSoft makes Examplify, laptop software many jurisdictions have used for the essay and performance-test parts of the bar exam. You install it, register your laptop, complete a mock exam, download the exam file before the deadline and upload your answers afterward.
Full answer →Official sources
Disclaimer: This guide is for general information and is not legal advice. Bar admission rules vary by jurisdiction. Always confirm dates, fees and requirements with your state’s bar admission authority. Read our editorial policy.