The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE®) | The 2025 Ultimate Guide

Discover how the MBE is structured, scored, and weighted in the bar exam.
In-Hero CTA
In-Hero CTA
Bar exam candidate answering questions on the multistate bar exam

The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is a standardized exam consisting of 200 multiple-choice questions that assess a candidate's ability to apply fundamental legal principles and reasoning in legal practice. It is a key component of the bar exam in every U.S. jurisdiction except Puerto Rico and Louisiana.

Administration of the MBE

The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE®) administers the MBE, which prospective attorneys must pass to practice law in most U.S. jurisdictions. In states that use the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE®), the MBE accounts for 50% of the total score.2

Historically, each state had a unique bar exam, making it difficult for lawyers to become licensed in multiple states. To address this issue, NCBE developed a standardized bar exam known as the UBE, which is uniformly administered, graded, and scored. The UBE was first administered in 2011 in Missouri and North Dakota and has since been adopted by 41 of the 56 U.S. jurisdictions.3

The UBE consists of 3 components: the MBE, the Multistate Essay Examination® (MEE), and the Multistate Performance Test® (MPT).3,4,5 While not all non-UBE jurisdictions administer the MPT or MEE, 54 of 56 jurisdictions administer the MBE as part of their bar exam.

Click here to retain 50% more MBE content with UWorld's industry-leading visual aids.
Click here to retain 50% more MBE content with UWorld's industry-leading visual aids.

The Importance of the MBE

In most U.S. jurisdictions, the MBE accounts for 50% of a candidate's total bar exam score, although there may be variations in non-UBE jurisdictions.1 Aside from the MBE's importance to the aspiring legal professional, it also functions to:

  • Standardize Legal Knowledge: Despite variations in law among jurisdictions, the MBE ensures that bar candidates have a fundamental understanding of the law's universal core concepts. 
  • Streamline Score Portability: Since the MBE is standardized, successful examinees can more easily become licensed in participating jurisdictions.
  • Foster Fairness: Graders score the MEE and MPT. While they do their best, achieving 100% objectivity is impossible. In contrast, the MBE's multiple-choice format means that answers are either right or wrong, introducing a level of objectivity.

While most non-UBE jurisdictions also weigh the MBE at 50%, some do not. MBE weights for non-UBE jurisdictions are as follows:

Non-UBE Jurisdictions that administer the MBE MBE % weight
Nevada 33%
Delaware 40%
Mississippi
Virginia
California 50%
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Wisconsin
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands

*South Dakota and Palau do not combine MBE scores with written component scores.3

Themis's bar prep course provides everything you need to pass the bar exam. Click here to enroll.
Themis's bar prep course provides everything you need to pass the bar exam. Click here to enroll.

MBE Eligibility, Registration, and Fees

Each jurisdiction has its own registration process, eligibility requirements, and fees. Bar exam costs can range from $2,000 to over $7,000, including registration, character assessments, and bar prep courses.6 To find specific details, visit your jurisdiction’s Supreme Court or Board of Bar Examiners website.

Most jurisdictions require candidates to:

  • Graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
  • Pass a character and fitness investigation.

How to Apply for the MBE

You must apply to take your jurisdiction's bar exam in order to sit for the MBE. Select your state from the NCBE’s interactive map for more details.1 Most candidates will have to: 

  1. Create an NCBE Account to receive an NCBE number.7
  2. Review jurisdiction-specific instructions.
  3. Submit required documents and fees by the deadline.

MBE Format, Subjects, and Sample Questions

Jurisdictions administer MBE questions developed by the NCBE. Test yourself with our free MBE practice questions to get an idea of their content, format, and difficulty.

MBE Format

Examinees will answer 200 multiple-choice questions evenly divided between two 3-hour sessions on the second day of the UBE. Each of the 7 MBE subjects contains 25 questions, along with an additional 25 unscored pilot questions for future exams.1 The pilot questions are indistinguishable from graded questions, so it is important to approach every question seriously.

MBE Tested Subjects

Below is an overview of MBE subjects. For a more detailed outline, refer to the official NCBE subject matter outline, and then check out our summaries of each MBE subject.3

  • Jurisdiction and venue
  • Law applied by federal courts
  • Pretrial procedures
  • Jury trials
  • Motions
  • Verdicts and judgments
  • Appealability and review
  • The nature of judicial review
  • The separation of powers
  • The relation of nation and states in a federal system
  • Individual rights
  • Formation of contracts
  • Defenses to enforceability
  • Contract content and meaning
  • Performance, breach, and discharge
  • Remedies
  • Third-party rights
  • Homicide
  • Other crimes
  • Inchoate crimes; parties
  • General principles
  • Constitutional protection of accused persons
  • Presentation of evidence
  • Relevancy and reasons for excluding relevant evidence
  • Privileges and other policy exclusions
  • Writings, recordings, and photographs
  • Hearsay and circumstances of its admissibility
  • Ownership of real property
  • Rights in real property
  • Real estate contracts
  • Mortgages/security devices
  • Titles
  • Intentional torts
  • Negligence
  • Strict liability and product liability
  • Other torts
Sign up for UWorld’s MBE QBank with 2,000+ questions, including 1,375+ recently released by NCBE.
Sign up for UWorld’s MBE QBank with 2,000+ questions, including 1,375+ recently released by NCBE.

MBE Scoring and Difficulty

MBE questions are uniform for each administration, but minimum passing scores range from 130 to 143, depending on the jurisdiction.8 The MBE score you receive does not reflect the number of questions you answered correctly. Instead, it has been scaled using a statistical method known as equating to ensure fairness among different exam versions.

For example, if the July exam is more difficult than the February exam, final scores are calibrated to assist those who took the more challenging exam. MBE mean scaled scores have remained relatively stable over the past few years, hovering around 140.

Read more about MBE scoring.

MBE Study Tips and Resources

Check out our MBE study guide for a deeper dive into study tips and resources. Here’s a quick overview with links to pages that expand on each tip:

  • Develop smart study skills and learn about test-taking strategies.
  • Make the most of the final week before the exam and be prepared on exam day.
  • Don’t neglect stress management.
  • Optimize your study schedule.
  • Use spaced-repetition flashcards, especially for memorizing blackletter law.
  • Practice with exam-like questions featuring in-depth explanations that help you understand why each answer is correct or incorrect.
  • Simulate the MBE with practice exams that reflect the actual exam's time constraints, interface, difficulty, and content.
  • Keep your digital notes organized and unique to your learning style; using visuals is a huge plus. 
  • Use an MBE mobile app that allows you to review flashcards and practice questions anywhere. 
MBE QBank user testimonial: Questions are the closest to the real MBE. Click here to try free MBE questions.
MBE QBank user testimonial: Questions are the closest to the real MBE. Click here to try free MBE questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The MBE is a multiple-choice component of the bar exam.
Minimum passing scores vary by jurisdiction but range from 130 to 143.8
The MBE is the multiple-choice component of the bar exam. It’s typically accompanied by a performance test and an essay exam.
No. The MBE is a component of the bar exam. You must pass all components to pass the bar exam.

Jurisdictions choose bar exam locations. Check the appropriate state board of bar examiners or Supreme Court website for up-to-date exam locations.

What does it take to pass the bar exam? Which course preps should you refer to? Find out what you need to know to become the next attorney in your state!

References

  1. National Conference of Bar Examiners. (n.d.). Multistate Bar Examination (MBE®). Retrieved from https://www.ncbex.org/exams/mbe/
  2. UWorld Legal. (n.d.). About the bar exam. Retrieved from https://legal.uworld.com/bar-exam/about-the-bar-exam/
  3. National Conference of Bar Examiners. (n.d.). About the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE®). Retrieved from https://www.ncbex.org/exams/ube/about-ube
  4. UWorld Legal. (n.d.). About the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE®). Retrieved from https://legal.uworld.com/bar-exam/about-the-mee/
  5. UWorld Legal. (n.d.). About the Multistate Performance Test (MPT®). Retrieved from https://legal.uworld.com/bar-exam/about-the-mpt/
  6. StateRequirement. (n.d.). Bar exam cost by state. Retrieved from https://staterequirement.com/what-is-the-bar-exam/bar-exam-cost/
  7. National Conference of Bar Examiners. (n.d.). NCBE account login. Retrieved from https://auth.ncbex.org/login
  8. Missouri Board of Law Examiners. (n.d.). Bar exam PDF document. Retrieved from https://www.mble.org/getpdfform.action?id=51
Quick Links
View More...
Scroll to Top