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.
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.
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)
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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.