Once lawyers earn their Juris Doctor (J.D.), they can sit for the bar exam. The bar exam is required for them to become practicing lawyers. The test is undergoing some changes in the near future and the questions will be changed. We’ve covered everything you need to know below and provided some places to find bar exam sample questions.
What is the Bar Exam?
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The “bar exam” refers to a series of tests offered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). A law student must pass these in order to be licensed to practice law in a specific jurisdiction, such as a state or U.S. territory. However, the exact tests you’ll need to take depend on your state. You might also have to take a jurisdiction-drafted exam, or a state bar exam, to practice in a specific area.
The bar exam is made up of these components:
- Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is a six hour test with 200 multiple choice questions that cover Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Civil Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.
- Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) has 30-minute essay questions on Business Associations, Civil Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Real Property, Torts, Trusts and Estates, and Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code.
- Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a two hour test with 60 multiple choice questions. It tests a lawyer’s knowledge and understanding of established standards and professional conduct.
- Multistate Performance Test (MPT) has 90-minute tasks that test a lawyer’s skills in realistic situations. It includes factual analysis, legal analysis and reasoning, problem solving, identification and resolution of ethical dilemmas, written communication, and organization and management.
- Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) includes the MBE, two MPT tasks, and the MEE.
What is the NextGen Bar Exam?
The NextGen Bar Exam, also administered by NCBE, will be introduced in July 2026. It’s set to replace the MBE, which will be retired in 2028. The two tests will run concurrently for those two years, and students may have the option to take one or the other. However, test availability will depend on the state. For example, Florida is not offering the NextGen Bar Exam until July 2028.
The exam will cover foundational concepts and principles, including civil procedure, contract law, evidence, torts, business associations, constitutional law, criminal law, and real property. It will also have questions on foundational lawyering skills, such as legal research, legal writing, issue spotting and analysis, investigation and evaluation, and more. A family law section will be added in July 2028.
Overall, the NextGen Bar Exam will assess specific skills including, issue spotting and analysis, investigation and evaluation, client counseling and advising, negotiation and dispute resolution, client relationship and management, legal research, and legal writing and drafting. It includes three categories: multiple-choice questions, integrated question sets, and performance tasks, similar to the tasks in the MPT.
5 Places to Find Bar Exam Sample Questions
1. The NCEB
One of the best places to find bar exam sample questions is the NCBE itself. Their website features subject matter outlines, free sample questions, key vocabulary, and general advice for each of the bar exam components. One such example directly from NCBE is:
Multiple-Choice Question 1
You are a criminal defense lawyer representing a client who has been charged with fentanyl possession. The police found the fentanyl in the guest bedroom of the client’s uncle’s house when responding to a noise complaint at the house. Before entering the house, the officers knocked on the door. When the uncle answered the door, the officers asked if they could look inside the house, and the uncle agreed. The client did not live in the house and was not there at the time of the search. The client had stayed in the guest bedroom of the house two nights prior to the search. The uncle told the officers that the client was the last person to have slept in that room.
You are considering filing a motion to suppress the fentanyl under the Fourth Amendment.
Which of the following legal topics are the most important for you to research to determine the likelihood of success on a motion to suppress? Select two.
A. Consent search.
B. Exigent circumstances.
C. Hot pursuit.
D. Probable cause.
E. Reasonable suspicion.
F. Standing.
There are also study aids available for purchase.
2. Your State’s Bar
If your state has a required state bar exam, you may also be able to find some resources through your State’s Bar. For example, The State Bar of California has examination questions, essay questions, performance tests, and examples of passing answers going back several years. You can also purchase study aids from specific years.
3. Law Schools
Law schools may also have resources you can pull from. For example, New York Law School has law school exam questions on their website. While they’re not specifically for the bar exam, they can still be a helpful study tool. Ask your school or library if they have similar resources.
4. Online
In addition, you can find several professional bar exam prep resources and tutors online. However, keep in mind that most of this will require payment, but they may have some free resources available.
5. NextGen Bar Exam SAmple Questions on NCBE
However, if you’re going to be taking the NextGen Bar Exam, you might need to prepare a little differently. The questions will be changing when that test goes live. The NCBE has already released several sample questions on their website, including example multiple-choice questions, integrated question sets, and performance tasks. Additional sample questions and study aid materials are set to be published in the coming years.
Passing the bar exam is no easy feat. Many students have to take the tests several times in order to pass. If you’re thinking about becoming a lawyer or have already started law school, you should look into the requirements in your state so you can start planning ahead.
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