MPRE® Scores | A Comprehensive Guide for 2026

See MPRE® passing scores by state, percentiles, and subject weights. Learn how the exam is scored and strategies that will help you pass the first time.
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The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE®) tests professional conduct and ethics. The exam is administered 3 times a year by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE®) and consists of 60 multiple-choice questions over a 2-hour period. The MPRE is a prerequisite for admission to the bar exam in most U.S. jurisdictions, making it essential that you know exactly what you need to pass.1

MPRE® Passing Score by State

The minimum passing score (MPS) for the MPRE varies by jurisdiction, ranging from 75 to 86. The most common MPS is 85, followed closely by 80.

MPS* Jurisdiction**
75 Alabama, District of Columbia, Georgia, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Palau, U.S. Virgin Islands
77 South Carolina
79 New Hampshire
80 Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands
82 Tennessee
85 Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming
86 California, Utah
Jurisdiction** MPS*
Alabama 75
Alaska 80
Arizona 85
Arkansas 85
California 86
Colorado 85
Connecticut 80
Delaware 85
District of Columbia 75
Florida 80
Georgia 75
Hawaii 85
Idaho 85
Illinois 80
Indiana 80
Iowa 80
Kansas 80
Kentucky 80
Louisiana 80
Maine 80
Maryland 85
Massachusetts 85
Michigan 85
Minnesota 85
Mississippi 75
Missouri 80
Montana 80
Nebraska 85
Nevada 85
New Hampshire 79
New Jersey 75
New Mexico 80
New York 85
North Carolina 80
North Dakota 85
Ohio 85
Oklahoma 80
Oregon 85
Pennsylvania 75
Rhode Island 80
South Carolina 77
South Dakota 85
Tennessee 82
Texas 85
Utah 86
Vermont 80
Virginia 85
Washington 85
West Virginia 80
Wisconsin N/A
Wyoming 85
Guam 80
Northern Mariana Islands 80
Palau 75
Puerto Rico N/A
Virgin Islands 75

Source: NCBE1

*Minimum passing scores are subject to change. Check with your jurisdiction for the latest MPS and registration requirements.

**Wisconsin and Puerto Rico do not require the MPRE. Connecticut and New Jersey accept the completion of a law school course on professional responsibility in lieu of passing the MPRE.

How the MPRE Is Scored

The MPRE is scored using a process called “equating” that adjusts your raw score to a scale from 50 (low) to 150 (high) based on the overall difficulty of the exam form. This means that someone who answers fewer questions correctly on a difficult exam form may receive the same score as someone who answers more questions correctly on an easier exam form. This ensures that tests administered at different times measure candidate performance consistently. It also makes it impossible to know how many questions you need to answer correctly to pass.2

Answer all questions. Your score is based on the number of questions you answer correctly, with no penalty for incorrect answers.

Of the exam's 60 multiple-choice questions, 50 are scored and 10 are unscored pretest questions. Because the pretest questions appear the same as scored questions, you should answer each question to the best of your ability. Every question has 1 best answer out of 4 possible answers.3

MPRE Subject Weights

The MPRE subject matter outline lists the exam's 12 topics and their approximate weights on each exam form. Since the MPRE consists of 50 scored multiple-choice questions, we can estimate how many questions per subject will contribute to your score.

Subject Weightage # Questions
Regulation of the Legal Profession 6-12% 3-6
The Client-Lawyer Relationship 10-16% 5-8
Client Confidentiality 6-12% 3-6
Conflicts of Interest 12-18% 6-9
Competence, Legal Malpractice, and Other Civil Liability 6-12% 3-6
Litigation and Other Forms of Advocacy 10-16% 5-8
Transactions and Communications with Persons other than Clients 2-8% 1-4
Different Roles of the Lawyer 4-10% 2-5
Safekeeping Funds and Other Property 2-8% 1-4
Communications About Legal Services 4-10% 2-5
Lawyers’ Duties to the Public and the Legal System 2-4% 1-2
Judicial Conduct 2-8% 1-4

Source: NCBE4

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MPRE Average Score and Percentiles

In November 2025, the average MPRE score was 96.7 on a scale from 50 to 150. This was well within the range of mean scores published since 2021.

MPRE Mean Scaled Scores
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
March Exam 99.0 95.6 94.9 97.1 93.9
August Exam 96.0 96.0 96.9 97.0 96.3
November Exam 97.5 97.2 98.0 95.6 96.7

Source: NCBE5

The NCBE does not publish official MPRE score percentiles. However, it does publish statistical information that helps summarize candidate performance.

MPRE Scaled Score Statistics
Year Exam Window Examinees Mean Scaled Score Standard Deviation Maximum Minimum Median
20246 March 21,029 97.1 19.6 146.0 55.0 96.0
August 18,094 97.0 18.6 146.0 55.0 96.0
November 19,736 95.6 18.6 146.0 55.0 95.0
Total 58,859 96.6 19.0 146.0 55.0 96.0
20237 March 20,184 94.9 19.2 146.0 55.0 94.0
August 19,005 96.9 19.7 146.0 55.0 96.0
November 21,275 98.0 18.8 146.0 55.0 97.0
Total 60,464 96.6 19.2 146.0 55.0 95.0
MPRE Scaled Score Distributions
50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140
Percent of 2024 Examinees6 March 1.8% 5.7% 10.4% 20.8% 17.7% 18.0% 11.8% 7.1% 3.7% 2.9%
August 1.7% 5.0% 10.2% 18.0% 21.0% 19.2% 13.1% 6.3% 3.7% 1.7%
November 1.8% 5.6% 13.9% 17.1% 20.9% 19.9% 10.1% 5.5% 3.5% 1.6%
Percent of 2023 Examinees7 March 2.4% 6.0% 13.4% 19.7% 20.4% 17.1% 9.8% 5.7% 3.5% 1.9%
August 2.1% 5.1% 13.0% 16.3% 22.2% 17.1% 10.6% 7.9% 3.1% 2.5%
November 1.5% 4.2% 9.9% 19.2% 21.5% 16.8% 12.3% 8.9% 3.4% 2.3%

When are MPRE Scores Released?

Your MPRE score will likely be posted to your NCBE account within 5 weeks of your testing date, and it will only be available until the next test administration. For example, if you took your exam in March, it will be accessible until August. We recommend accessing and saving your score as soon as possible. If you need to access your score after it is no longer available, contact MPRE Score Services.2

MPRE Score Reporting

The NCBE automatically reports your MPRE score to the jurisdiction you designated when registering for the exam. If you'd like to report your score to another jurisdiction, or if you did not specify a jurisdiction during registration, contact MPRE Score Services.2

How Long Does Your MPRE Score Last?

Your jurisdiction determines the validity period of your MPRE score. In some jurisdictions, such as California8 and Washington, D.C.,9 scores do not expire. In others, you may have a specific time frame to complete additional licensure requirements. For example, New York candidates may take the MPRE before or after the bar exam; however, their score is only valid for 4 years from the date of the MPRE test.10 In Texas, a passing MPRE score is valid for 5 years from the testing date.11 Check your jurisdiction for up-to-date requirements.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The NCBE assesses MPRE performance through a scaled score that ranges from 50 to 150.
A “good” MPRE score is any passing score set by your jurisdiction. It is not a competitive exam. In recent years, the mean score has averaged close to 96, which is above the passing standard in all jurisdictions.

A score of 85 on the MPRE is attainable by most candidates. However, in 2023 and 2024, a score of 85 was within 1 standard deviation of the mean, meaning a sizable portion of test-takers did not pass. We recommend studying with Themis’ free MPRE review to improve your chances of passing.

The MPRE fail rate varies by jurisdiction and testing period. In 2023 and 2024, approximately 15% to 20% of examinees scored below 80, the second most common passing score. This means more examinees fell below 85, the most common passing score.

You must designate your jurisdiction with the NCBE when you register for the MPRE. If you did not make a designation or would like to add multiple jurisdictions, you must contact MPRE Score Services to request an MPRE Score Report.

Yes, the NCBE charges candidates for score services related to MPRE score reports, unofficial score transcripts, score verification, and related requests. Refunds are not provided for any reason. Visit the NCBE website for more information.

References

  1. National Conference of Bar Examiners. (2025). About the MPRE. Retrieved from https://www.ncbex.org/exams/mpre/about-mpre
  2. National Conference of Bar Examiners. (2025). MPRE Scores. Retrieved from https://www.ncbex.org/exams/mpre/mpre-scores
  3. National Conference of Bar Examiners. (2025). Preparing for the MPRE. Retrieved from https://www.ncbex.org/exams/mpre/preparing-mpre
  4. National Conference of Bar Examiners. (2020). MPRE Subject Matter Outline (PDF). Retrieved from https://www.ncbex.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/MPRE_Subject_Matter_Outline.pdf
  5. National Conference of Bar Examiners. (2025). Statistics. Retrieved from https://thebarexaminer.ncbex.org/statistics/
  6. National Conference of Bar Examiners. (2024). 2024 Statistics: The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). Retrieved from https://thebarexaminer.ncbex.org/2024-statistics/the-multistate-professional-responsibility-examination-mpre/
  7. National Conference of Bar Examiners. (2023). 2023 Statistics: The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). Retrieved from https://thebarexaminer.ncbex.org/2023-statistics/the-multistate-professional-responsibility-examination-mpre/
  8. National Conference of Bar Examiners. (2025). Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements: Chart 10. Retrieved from https://reports.ncbex.org/charts/chart-10/
  9. National Conference of Bar Examiners. (2025). Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements: Chart 6. Retrieved from https://reports.ncbex.org/charts/chart-6/
  10. The New York State Board of Law Examiners. (2025). Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). Retrieved from https://www.nybarexam.org/MPRE/MPRE.html
  11. The Supreme Court of Texas. (2010). Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas (PDF). Retrieved from https://www.txcourts.gov/All_Archived_Documents/SupremeCourt/AdministrativeOrders/miscdocket/00/00-9016.pdf
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