The Florida Bar Exam
Structure, Topics, Dates, Cost, Scores, and Eligibility

Florida is one of the few remaining jurisdictions that has not adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE®). While the Florida Bar Examination includes one component of the UBE—Multistate Bar Examination (MBE®)—the remainder of the exam tests both federal and Florida-specific law. As a result, the Florida Bar Exam is considered one of the more difficult bar exams nationwide. Fortunately, this article will prepare you with detailed information on dates, format, subjects, costs, results, and more.

Florida Bar Exam Structure

The Florida Bar Exam consists of essay and multiple choice sections testing general law and Florida law, and the MBE. The exam is broken into four 3-hour sessions administered over two days:

3-hour sessions Day 1 - Part A Day 2 - Part B
Morning 3 Essay Questions 100 MBE questions
Afternoon 100 Florida-specific multiple choice questions 100 MBE questions
Increase Your MBE Score By 20+ Points!
Master legal rules easier with in-depth answer explanations that include practical visual aids.
Start Your FREE Trial!
Pass the MBE by practicing with real MBE questions.

Florida Bar Exam Dates, Requirements, and Scheduling

Applications must be postmarked on or before November 15, 2023, for the February exam and May 1, 2024 for the July exam. There are additional fees for late applications (see table). Applications received after January 16, 2024 (February Bar) or June 17, 2024 (July Bar) will not be accepted.

Exam Dates

2024 Florida Bar Exam Dates and Filing Deadlines
Examination
Dates		 February 27-28, 2024
(Tuesday & Wednesday)		 July 30-31 2024
(Tuesday & Wednesday)
Examination
Location		 Tampa Convention Center
333 South Franklin St.
Tampa FL		 Tampa Convention Center
333 South Franklin St.
Tampa FL
Timely Filing
Deadline		 Postmarked on or before
November 15, 2023		 Postmarked on or before
May 1, 2024
$325 Late Fee
Deadline		 Postmarked on or before
December 15, 2023		 Postmarked on or before
June 3, 2024
$625 Late Fee
Deadline		 Received by
January 16, 2024		 Received by
June 17, 2024
Requirements

To sit for the Florida Bar Exam, you must obtain a JD degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) or be enrolled in such an institution that will result in the awarding of a JD degree.

Don’t Leave Your Legal Career Up to Chance!
Ace the MEE Your First Time.
Start Your FREE Trial
Illustration of partial performance in a contract.

Scheduling

To apply for the Florida State Bar Exam, create an account on their website, log in, navigate to "Applicant Portal," and continue through the registration process. You can start and stop the application process as needed, but you must complete it within 6 months of creating your account.

Florida Bar Exam Costs and Fees

The fee structure for the Florida Bar Exam has many tiers based on when you began law school or started practicing law. For a full breakdown of all applicable fees, check out the Florida Board of Bar Examiners Application Fee Worksheet.

Application Type Cost
Previously filed a bar application in Florida
(as a law student registrant) 		$600
Filing a bar application in Florida
(for the first time) 		$1,000
Late Filing fee $325
Final Filing fee $625
Laptop Fee $125

You may choose to postpone your exam, in which case you will be subject to the following fees:

  • If the board receives the applicant’s written notice of postponement under Rule 4-45 at least seven days before the commencement of the administration of the postponed examination, the fee is $100.
  • If the board receives the applicant’s written notice of postponement under rule 4-45 prior to but less than seven days before the commencement of the administration of the postponed examination, the fee is $200.
  • If you decide to reapply for the exam (instead of postponing), the reapplication fee is $450.
Payment Policies

The Florida Board of Bar Examiners accepts electronic payment via ACH or eChecks, or checks made payable to the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. Credit card payments are not accepted. Applications are not considered complete without payment, and there are no refunds.

Cost-Saving Options

For cost-saving options, check Stetson University College of Law’s list of scholarships and outside opportunities. In addition, The Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers (CFAWL) offers an annual Bar Study Scholarship. All full- or part-time law students taking the Florida Bar Exam for the first time are eligible.

Crush the MPT!
Exclusive access to dozens of practice questions from recent bar exams.
Enroll Now
A licensed attorney Themis essay grader looking at a Themis student’s MEE answer.

Florida Bar Exam Subjects and Topics

The FL Bar Exam tests a candidate's legal knowledge, analytical skills, and competence to practice law. It covers a range of subjects, from Constitutional Law and Contracts to Florida-specific law. Candidates will be assessed by their ability to apply legal principles and effectively solve problems to ensure they can competently represent clients and complete entry-level legal tasks.

Testable Subjects on Part A

Part A tests your knowledge of both general law and Florida law. The first segment of part A includes questions on Florida Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure and the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration. The remaining 5 segments will include no more than 3 of the following topics:

Florida has laws that apply throughout the state (general laws) and laws limited to particular areas, persons, or things (special laws). However, certain subjects require statewide uniformity:

  • Rules of evidence
  • Election laws
  • Punishment for crimes
  • Divorce and adoption laws
  • Assessment or collection of taxes for state or county purposes
  • Laws regarding hunting or fresh-water fishing

Federal Constitutional Law makes up 25 of the 175 scored multiple-choice questions on the MBE and may be tested on the Florida-specific section of the Florida Bar Exam.

When analyzing essay questions about Trusts, ask yourself the following questions: Was a valid trust created? Were other types of trusts created? What are the Trustee’s fiduciary duties? Can a beneficiary access the income of their interest? Can creditors reach the trust? (why or why not?), and What ethical considerations might there be regarding the trust instrument? Additionally, review:

  • types of trusts and the duties of a trustee
  • duty of care
  • duty of loyalty
  • duty to allocate property to principal and income

The standard forms of Business Entities are sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, and S corporations. Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) are allowed by state statute. Each state has unique laws regulating Business Entities. For example, Florida has no state income tax for LLCs, but you cannot form a series LLC in Florida.

Visualizing the multiple contingencies, remainders, or grantees of conveyances with diagrams will make understanding their relationships easier. The old legalese might be intimidating for some, but familiarity will make analysis easter. Topics within Real Property include titles, mortgages/security devices, real estate contracts, real property, and right in real property.

Read up on Federal Record Code and how it relates to and differs from Florida’s.

Much of the subject matter centers on the theory of negligence. Ensure that you know how to define unlawful actions appropriately before selecting a response. Ask yourself: Would a sensible person behave in this manner? Other topics include intentional torts, strict liability and product liability, and other torts.

States determine who receives your property if you die without a will (intestate). These laws vary from state to state. The same variance is true for the Administration of Estates. For example, Florida has no estate tax, but individuals are still subject to the federal estate tax.

Criminal Law is an arm of Constitutional Law and governs policies by which authorities investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate crimes. Remember that violating the US Constitution is a federal crime and overrules Florida state laws. However, state laws involve traffic violations, contract breaches, robbery, burglary, theft, arson, etc.

Important subjects for review include:

  • Forming contracts
  • Performance
  • Breach and discharge
  • Defenses to enforceability
  • Contract and content meaning
  • Remedies
  • Third-party rights
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) governs all commercial transactions in the US, but it’s not actually federal law. The Florida State Bar Exam tests Articles 3, which deals with negotiable instruments, and Article 9, which deals with secured transactions.

The Florida Supreme Court has stated that Florida family courts should be able to resolve family disputes in the most effective and efficient way possible. Family court jurisdiction in Florida involves many case types, including child support, dissolution of marriage, and annulment. Review the Florida Supreme Court decisions that have been instrumental in shaping family courts in the state.

The Supreme Court of Florida establishes the rules regulating The Florida Bar. Chapter 4 of the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar covers professional conduct, and Chapter 5 covers the regulation of trust accounts.

According to The Florida Bar Professionalism Handbook, “professionalism is the pursuit and practice of the highest ideals and tenets of the legal profession.” Tenants include character, competence, civility, and commitment.

Testable Subjects on Part B

Part B consists of the MBE subjects and topics include Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.

Florida MPRE Requirements

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE®) is a 2-hour, 60-multiple-choice question exam that assesses an examinee's knowledge of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Candidates must pass the MPRE before being admitted to the Florida Bar and can register through the NCBE.

Florida MPRE Minimum Passing Score

The Florida MPRE exam's minimum score is 80 on a scale from 50 to 150. Nationwide, MPRE minimum scores range from 75-86, putting Florida neatly in the middle. Eligibility for taking the MPRE is relatively flexible in Florida. For example, you can take the MPRE before you graduate from law school and before or after you pass the bar exam. However, you must pass the MPRE within 25 months of passing the Florida Bar Exam. 

Like the bar exam, performance on the MPRE is measured on a scaled score. The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NBCE®) does not publicize the calculations it uses to convert raw scores into scaled scores. However, we estimate that passing the Florida Bar Exam with a scaled score of 80 equates to a raw score of approximately 58%, or about 29 correct answers of the 50 that are graded.

Florida Bar Exam Scoring, Results and Pass Rates

The Florida Bar exam requires an average scaled score of 136 to pass. The final average scaled score is the sum of 50% of the MBE and 50% of the Florida essay/multiple choice exam. Therefore, a high score on one section of the exam can compensate for an unsavory score on the other.

Scaled scores are not to be confused with raw scores. For example, the essay portion of the exam is worth 300 points (100 points per essay), and the 100-question multiple choice section is worth 90 (10 questions are not graded). So, the highest raw score a person can get on the Florida Bar exam is 390 points.

So why scaled scores? You'll notice a difference if you have to retake the exam in February because you failed in July. It would be pretty easy to cheat if exam versions were identical. However, this creates an issue of fairness. What if February's exam is slightly more challenging than July's? Thus, exam administrators employ a statistical method called equating to remedy such disparities. Equating transforms raw scores into scaled scores by awarding bonuses to tougher exams and penalizing those that are easier.

Scaled scoring makes it difficult to predict exactly how many points you need to pass an exam, and the Florida Board of Bar Examiners doesn’t release its calculations. However, from past exams we estimate the examinees will need a raw score in the range of 260-280 to achieve an average scaled score of 136. Because there is no way of knowing the difficulty level of your exam, it’s best to aim for a minimum raw score of 280 on the Florida Bar Exam.

Florida Bar Exam Results

Florida Bar Exam Results are released in mid-April for the February exam and mid-September for the July exam. The Supreme Court of Florida posts pass/fail results to the Supreme Court of Florida website for 30 days, starting at noon after the morning they are released. For anonymity, results are attached to an examinee's applicant file number.

Once the Supreme Court has released the results, examinees can view them on their online portal page. Applicants without a portal account will receive pass/fail results by mail. You cannot request results over the phone, and the Florida Supreme Court does not release individual score rankings.

Florida Bar Exam Pass Rates

Note that in Florida, some examinees take only part A or part B. The data on total applicants below represents examinees who took both.

Exam Overall
Pass Rate		 First-Timer
Pass Rate		 Repeater
Pass Rate		 Results
Release Date
July 2023 61% 72% 30% September 18
Feb 2023 39% 55% 26% April 11

Here are the annual pass rates for the Florida Bar Exam since 2016, divided into first-time examinees and repeaters:

Value. Transparency. Results.
There’s a reason Themis + UWorld is the only bar review course that consistently publishes our pass rates.
Learn More
Themis pass rates

What Makes the Florida Bar Exam Unique?

For example, Torts is tested on the MBE (Part B) and may show up on Part A. When answering a question on Part A, if Florida law varies from general law (MBE Torts), you should answer the question according to Florida law.

According to Themis, a leading bar review provider, Florida Professional Conduct has been tested over 90% of the time (as a component of an essay), while Florida Evidence has been tested over 60% of the time on the Florida multiple-choice and, more recently, on the Florida essays since 2013.

The Florida Supreme Court expanded the number of testable subjects in 2013. While most of the expanded testable subjects remain today, in 2020, the Court removed two subjects: Delinquency and Dependency. Even with these subjects removed, the volume of testable subjects on the Florida Bar Exam remains one of the highest in the country.

Florida Bar Exam for Foreigners

Foreigners may take the Florida Bar if they: 

  • Have an LLM from an ABA-accredited law school that meets the board’s criteria and have practiced in a US jurisdiction for 2 years OR demonstrate that you have been practicing law for at least 5 years in a US jurisdiction and are in good standing in that jurisdiction
  • Provide evidence in the form of work-product samples that illustrate legal training and academic expertise.
  • Have a “reputation for professional competence” that is “above reproach”. 

Final Takeaways about Florida Bar Exam

Themis + UWorld gets you exam-ready with exam-like practice with content and questions curated by an in-house team of subject matter experts. Our in-depth answer explanations for each answer choice and industry-leading images make the hard stuff easy to understand. Here's an overview of what you'll get:

UWorld's wide range of study tools for bar exam
Learn More

Contact Details of Florida State Bar

The Florida State Bar is open from 8 am - 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday. See the table below for useful contact information.

Contact the Florida Bar
Mailing Address

US Postal Service

1891 Eider Court

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1750

Fedex, Priority USPS, and other

1891 Eider Court

Tallahassee, FL 32308-4537
Fax Number (850) 414-6822
Telephone Number (850) 487-1292

Florida Bar Exam FAQs

You must re-register and pay a $450 reapplication fee.
You can take the Florida Bar Exam however many times you need to pass.
You can transfer your Florida MBE score to another jurisdiction. To do so, you have to electronically submit a request for MBE score services through your NCBE Account.
Most law school graduates taking the Florida bar exam sit for both parts of the exam the first time. However, you may sit for the MBE in Florida and complete Part A during the next administration.
Florida doesn’t offer reciprocity with any other US jurisdiction. All applicants are required to submit an application to the Florida Bar Examination and complete a character and fitness investigation.
The Florida Bar exam is one of the hardest Bar exams according to its pass rates. While pass rate is not necessarily an indicator of objective difficulty, Florida is unique in the immense volume of tested subject matter.

Individuals filing a bar exam application in Florida for the first time must pay a fee of $1,000. Those who filed an application as a Law student registrant pay $600 (see details).

The deadlines for timely filing are November 15, 2023, and May 1, 2024, for the February and July 2024 exams, respectively. You will incur additional fees for filing past the timely filing deadline.
The Florida Bar exam lasts from 8 am – 5:15 pm over the course of two days. An hour-long lunch break divides the exam schedule into 2 sessions, each with 15 minutes for exam room entry, 15 minutes for test instructions, and 3 testing hours.
To take The Florida Bar Exam, you must have a JD degree or pursue one at an ABA-accredited law school. Alternatively, you could qualify with an LLM degree from a program that meets the board’s Curricular Criteria or has been practicing law for at least 5 years.
We recommend dedicating 400 study hours to the FL Bar Exam. Most students begin studying 8-10 prior to their exam’s administration. However, starting sooner may aid retention and decrease burnout, so we recommend starting as early as 4-6 months out if possible, especially if you work full-time.
You can transfer your MBE score to Florida if your score meets or exceeds the Florida minimum passing score of 136 and was earned within 25 months of passing Part A of the General Bar Examination and the MPRE or within 25 months of the date you will take those exam components. The transfer process depends on the state in which you took the bar exam. Check the NCBE’s MBE Score Services for details. If you’ve taken the bar in a state that does not transfer scores via the NCBE, you’ll have to fill out Florida’s MBE Score Transfer Form.
The Florida Bar Exam is offered biannually, once in February and once in July.
Becoming a licensed attorney in Florida includes earning a bachelor’s degree, taking the LSAT, earning a JD, and passing the Florida State Bar Exam and MBRE within 25 months of each other.
No, you cannot practice law without a law degree in Florida. Only California, Vermont, Virgina, and Washington allow you apprenticeships over law school.

To request special accommodations for the Florida Bar Exam you must submit a test accommodations petition. You can find detailed instructions on the Florida Board of Bar Examiners website.

References

Florida Bar of Examiners. Florida Board of Bar Examiners, https://www.floridabarexam.org/

The Supreme Court of Florida. Florida Bar Exam Results Comparisons, https://www.floridasupremecourt.org/Bar-Scores/Florida-Bar-Exam-Results-Comparisons/.

Florida Exam Dates and Locations Reference: Florida Board of Examiners

Scroll to Top