ReedBarReview.com - Explanation of Various Exams

Explanation of Various Exams

Bar Exam Format

While all bar exams differ somewhat - see your state bar examiners' explanation at www.ncbex.org -- what follows is an explanation of various parts of bar exam:

Multistate Bar Exam (MBE)

Six major subjects are tested: Constitutional Law, Contracts/Sales, Criminal Law/Procedure, Evidence, Real Property and Torts. The MBE consists of 200 multiple choice questions; 100 questions are tested in the morning over a 3-hour period and another 100 questions are tested in the afternoon over another 3-hour period. The MBE is given on the same day in 48 states using the exam, on the last Wednesday in February and the last Wednesday in July, respectively.

Essay Day

Essays testing specific state law or general law for those states who have adopted the Multistate Essay Examination. Time allotted for each essay ranges from 20 minutes to one hour. The number of essays tested varies from state to state. Subjects range from Administrative Law to the Uniform Commercial Code. See www.ncbex.org for what is tested in your particular state.

Multistate Performance Test (MPT)

This "closed universe" practical problem using instructions, factual data, cases, statutes, and other reference material supplied by the examiners is tested over a 90-minute period. (California allows 3 hours for this examination.) Most states will use one or two of these MPTs for part of the bar examination process.

Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)

60 multiple-choice questions testing on the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct of which 50 are graded.
2 hours to complete the examination.
Scaled scores range from 50 - 150; see your jurisdiction's requirements for the passing score required.

Various Tests at a Glance

Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)	200 multiple choice questions testing you on six major subjects. You will be tested on 100 questions in the morning and 100 questions in the afternoon in 3-hour blocks - approximately 1.7 minutes/question.
Essay Testing	Several essays generally tested in 20-minute increments up to 1-hour increments depending on the jurisdiction.
Multistate Performance Test (MPT)	One or two 90-minute examinations testing lawyering skills. In California you will be tested on two 3-hour Performance Tests.
Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)	60 multiple-choice questions testing you on the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Only 50 of the 60 questions count towards your score (50-150 points on a scaled basis. Each state requires a specific passing score... see ncbex.org for you jurisdiction's requirements. 2 hours and 5 minutes are allowed to complete the examination.
Other Required Tests	Some states test on additional subjects in multiple choice format or fill-in-the-blanks format, e.g., Florida and Texas – check with your state’s requirements.

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