Examining the Bar Exam

The bar exam is the final frontier for law students. It's the last obstacle you need to overcome before becoming a lawyer. The main point of taking the bar exam is so that you can formally be admitted to the practice of law. After you're admitted to a state's bar, you're all set to hit the ground running in your new career.

Familiarizing yourself early (such as in the first month of your final year of law school) with your state's bar exam application deadlines and registration procedures is important. States vary in how early you need to register with their bar offices so that you can take the bar exam. Some deadlines are so early that you need to start getting your application materials together many months before the actual exam. Although it is possible to register for a state's bar exam after the regular deadline has passed (by registering before the late deadlines), substantial fees often are associated with this procedure. In a similar vein, if you have a disability, make sure that you check with your jurisdiction early-on so you can find out what you need to do to receive accommodations for the bar exam.

The bar exam is a two- to three-day event, depending on your state, and that doesn't include the professional responsibility exam, which is given on other dates. The bar exam always takes place twice a year in late July and late February. Most people take it in July, right after graduation, but the small number of people graduating in December usually opt to take the February bar exam.

Although each jurisdiction (state, U.S. territory, or Washington, D.C.) gives its own bar exam, across the board, they're generally similar. Because some particulars — requirements, fees, registration dates, and parts of the exam — differ between jurisdictions, you need to go to the Web site of your state bar to find out the specifics. For a comprehensive listing of state bar offices, check The National Conference of Bar Examiners Web site and click on "bar admission offices" for a complete listing.

If you want to practice law in a state that's different from the one where you take the bar exam, you need to check with the new state to determine its policies regarding admittance.

The bar exam officially can have four parts. Some jurisdictions employ all four and others only two or three. The National Conference of Bar Examiners administers all parts of the exams, including:

• Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). A two-hour, 50-question multiple-choice test given three times per year (not corresponding to the bar dates) in March, August, and November. It tests your knowledge of ethics and professional responsibility.

• Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). A six-hour, 200-question multiple-choice test that focuses on core legal subjects, such as contracts, property, and torts, among others. You know, the stuff you learned — and have forgotten — from first year.

• Multistate Essay Examination (MEE). A three-hour, six-question essay test. It covers 2L (second year) and 3L topics, such as corporations, family law, sales, and secured transactions, to name a few. Only some jurisdictions require test-takers to take this particular test.

• Multistate Performance Test (MPT). A 90-minute per question test featuring three skills questions. Besides answering questions about fact analysis and problem solving, expect to actually review a client file and answer questions about it.

Always keep in mind that exactly what you'll be tested on depends on your particular state. States differ in terms of how many of these parts they test, and how much time (for example, a half-day versus a whole day) they allot to each part. To find out specifically what you do and don't need to take, contact the state where you're seeking admission.