Bar Exam Information

Bar exams are designed to test knowledge and skills that every lawyer should be able to demonstrate prior to becoming licensed to practice law. Each jurisdiction sets its own requirements (including deadlines) for licensure, but the steps typically include the following:

1. Satisfying All Eligibility Requirements and Applying for Admission to the Bar. Each jurisdiction establishes eligibility and other requirements for admission to the practice of law. For example, see the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Rule I for the Government of the Bar.

2. Completing and Clearing the Character & Fitness Process. Similar to above, each jurisdiction establishes its own rules and processes to help ensure that applicants possess the requisite character, fitness, and moral qualifications for admission to the bar. It is worth noting that Ohio’s Character & Fitness process occurs in the fall of your 2L year to be considered timely. This rule applies to dual-degree students who may be taking non-JD courses during what would have been their 2L year.

3. Passing the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). Developed by National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), the MPRE is a 2-hour, 60-question multiple-choice exam designed to measure knowledge and understanding of established standards related to a lawyer’s professional conduct. It is required for admission to the bars of nearly every U.S. jurisdiction. The MPRE is administered three times per year (March, August, and November), and many law students choose to take it in August prior to the start of their 3L year. When planning when to take the MPRE, be mindful of your state’s requirements. For example, Kentucky requires a passing MPRE score to sit for the bar exam.

4. Passing the Bar Exam (including Any Jurisdiction-Specific Law Components). Many jurisdictions, including Ohio, have adopted the NCBE’s Uniform Bar Exam (“Legacy UBE”) and/or its eventual replacement, the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam (“NextGen UBE” and, collectively with the Legacy UBE, the “bar exam”), as the primary means for testing bar applicants’ knowledge and skills. In addition, some jurisdictions have state-specific examinations that applicants must pass to become licensed in that state. For example, Ohio requires applicants to pass the Ohio Law Component to ensure that its applicants have knowledge of unique aspects and rules of the Ohio judicial system.

The NextGen UBE will have a phased rollout between July 2026 and February 2028. All NextGen UBE jurisdictions will administer the new exam in July 2028, and the Legacy UBE will no longer be offered. You can find a full list of whether, and when, each jurisdiction plans to administer the NextGen UBE here. For example, Ohio will begin administering the NextGen UBE in July 2028, and Kentucky will begin administering it in July 2027.

The bar exam is administered twice per year (the last Tuesday and Wednesday in February and July), and the locations vary by jurisdiction. Law students who choose to sit for the bar exam typically do so in July following graduation. 

In addition to testing foundational lawyering skills (e.g., legal writing, issue spotting and analysis, etc.), the bar exam tests your knowledge of select foundational concepts and principles, including:

Business Associations and Relationships

Civil Procedure

Constitutional Law

Contract Law (including Sales (Article 2 of the UCC))

Criminal Law and Constitutional Protections of Accused Persons (Criminal Procedure)

Evidence

Family Law (tested as a foundational topic starting with the July 2028 NextGen UBE)

Real Property

Torts

The NextGen UBE will also integrate questions related to Professional Responsibility.

The Legacy UBE is a 2-day exam (12 hours total) that is comprised of: six essays (the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE)), two performance tests (the Multistate Performance Test (MPT)), and 200 multiple-choice questions (the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)).

The NextGen UBE is a 1.5-day exam (9 hours total) that is comprised of: integrated question sets (i.e., a combination of multiple-choice, medium-answer questions, and/or short-answer questions), performance tasks, and standalone multiple-choice questions. You can find more information about each of these types of questions (as well as sample questions) here.

The Legacy UBE is scored on a 400-point scale, and the NextGen UBE is scored on a scale from 500 to 750. Examinees who take these exams earn a portable score that can be transferred to seek admission in other participating jurisdictions.

Each jurisdiction, however, determines its minimum passing score and admission requirements. For a list of the Legacy UBE minimum passing scores, see here (e.g., Ohio’s is 270). For a list of the NextGen UBE passing scores that have been announced thus far (as well as additional jurisdiction-specific information), see here (e.g., Ohio’s is 620).

Through the required curriculum and upper-level elective courses, UC Klekamp Law offers courses that align with all subject matter tested on the bar exam and that prepare you for the practice of law. For our 3Ls and newly graduated students, we also offer the spring semester Legal Analysis and Drafting for the Bar Exam course as well as various workshops throughout the summer prior to the July bar exam.

In addition, we strongly recommend that students take a commercial bar review course to assist with their preparation for the bar exam following graduation. While we do not endorse any particular vendor, we are able to share alumni experiences, data, and feedback to help you decide which bar review course is best suited for your needs.

Applicants with disabilities and special needs may seek accommodations for both the MPRE and the bar exam. While MPRE accommodation decisions are made by the NCBE, bar exam accommodation decisions are made by each jurisdiction’s bar admission agency.

Though you are free to seek accommodations on these exams, there is no guarantee that these requests will be granted. As such, candidates seeking such accommodations should carefully consult the specific instructions provided by the NCBE and/or the relevant jurisdiction’s bar admission agency and adhere to all requirements and procedures. For example, you can find more information about seeking accommodations on the Ohio bar exam here.

Please be aware that the accommodations request process requires obtaining documents from doctors, former institutions, and records of prior testing accommodations. Allow ample time to gather materials.

You can find more information about many of these requirements on the NCBE website, but your primary resource for jurisdiction-specific requirements should be the relevant state’s bar admission agency’s website. For example, the Supreme Court of Ohio's Office of Bar Admissions website provides updated information about application processes (including eligibility, important dates, and fees) as well as its Bar Admissions Portal and contact information for questions.

Though you are responsible for understanding, and completing, all bar admission requirements and preparing for the bar exam, the Office of Academic Success and Bar Programs is here to help you navigate these processes, as needed. If you need assistance, please feel free to contact either member of our team listed below:

Dyann Margolis, Associate Dean for Academic Success and Bar Programs and Assistant Professor of Practice (margoldn@ucmail.uc.edu)

Kate Selander, Director for Academic Success and Bar Programs and Adjunct Professor (selandkb@ucmail.uc.edu)