Bar Exam and MPRE Resource Guide

The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) is the non-profit corporation that develops and produces the licensing tests used by most U.S. jurisdictions for admission to the bar: the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT); coordinates the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which results in score portability; and, develops the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) required for admission to the bar by most U.S. jurisdictions.

NCBE offers high-quality, affordable study aids to familiarize users with the format, style, and types of questions it develops for the bar examination. NCBE's study aids are delivered in a mobile-friendly eLearning platform with interactive learning features and can be purchased at the NCBE Study Aids Store.

Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), developed by NCBE, is a two-hour, 60-question multiple-choice examination that is administered three times per year. The purpose of the MPRE is to measure examinees' knowledge and understanding of established standards related to the professional conduct of lawyers.

Uniform Bar Examination (UBE)
The Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) is coordinated by NCBE and is composed of the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), two Multistate Performance Test (MPT) tasks, and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). It is uniformly administered, graded, and scored and results in a portable score that can be transferred to other UBE jurisdictions. The UBE is designed to test knowledge and skills that every lawyer should be able to demonstrate prior to becoming licensed to practice law. It results in a portable score that can be used to apply for admission in other UBE jurisdictions.

• Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)
  The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is a six-hour, 200-question multiple-choice examination developed by NCBE and administered by user jurisdictions as part of the bar examination on the last Wednesday in February and the last Wednesday in July of each year. The purpose of the MBE is to assess the extent to which an examinee can apply fundamental legal principles and legal reasoning to analyze given fact patterns.
• Multistate Essay Examination (MEE)
  The Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) is developed by NCBE and consists of six 30-minute questions. It is administered by user jurisdictions as part of the bar examination on the Tuesday before the last Wednesday in February and July of each year. The purpose of the MEE is to test the examinee's ability to: (1) identify legal issues raised by a hypothetical factual situation; (2) separate material which is relevant from that which is not; (3) present a reasoned analysis of the relevant issues in a clear, concise, and well-organized composition; and, (4) demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental legal principles relevant to the probable solution of the issues raised by the factual situation. The primary distinction between the MEE and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is that the MEE requires the examinee to demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively in writing.
• Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
  The Multistate Performance Test (MPT) is developed by NCBE and consists of two 90-minute items. The MPT is designed to test an examinee's ability to use fundamental lawyering skills in a realistic situation and complete a task that a beginning lawyer should be able to accomplish. The MPT is not a test of substantive knowledge. Rather, it is designed to evaluate certain fundamental skills lawyers are expected to demonstrate regardless of the area of law in which the skills are applied.