The New Hampshire Bar Exam
Structure, Topics, Dates, Cost, Scores, Eligibility and Sample Questions
Since February 2014, the New Hampshire Bar Exam has been using the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE®) format, which divides the exam into three components: the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE®), the Multistate Performance Test (MPT®), and the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE®).
Candidates who intend to practice law in different states will benefit from the increased score portability among the 41 participating UBE jurisdictions. This resource provides all the details on the NH Bar Exam results, dates, deadlines, fees, applications, and more.
New Hampshire Bar Exam Structure
The UBE is divided into two days, each with 6 testing hours. The MPT and MEE are administered on day one, and the MBE on day two.
New Hampshire Bar Exam Dates, Requirements, and Scheduling
You can't pass an exam that you don't take. Mark the dates and deadlines shown below on your calendar and review the eligibility requirements below. Save yourself some stress by collecting the proper documentation and submitting your application early.
Exam dates
| Filing Periods | February 27-28, 2024 | July 30-31, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Filing Deadline | December 1, 2023 | May 1, 2024 |
Requirements
- Graduate from an American Bar Association (ABA) approved law school* with a Juris Doctorate (JD) or Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
*Graduates of Massachusetts School of Law are permitted to sit if they have first been admitted in Massachusetts.
Scheduling
- Obtain an NCBE® number
- Submit Petition and Questionnaire for Admission to the Bar of New Hampshire and all associated documentation
- Submit the Application for the New Hampshire Bar Examination
- Submit one check or money order for $725 to the State of New Hampshire
- Submit ADA Nonstandard Testing Accommodations Application (if applicable)
| Send Application and Fees to: |
Sherry M. Hieber General Counsel New Hampshire Supreme Court Office of Bar Admissions One Granite Place, Suite N400 Concord, New Hampshire 03301 |
New Hampshire Bar Exam Cost and Fees
| Application Fees | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First-time taker | $725 | ||
| Repeat taker | $725 | ||
| Attorney | $725 | ||
| Admission on Motion | $1,225 | ||
| UBE Transfer | $725 | ||
| Laptop Registration | $52.50 | ||
Payment policies
Applicants must submit exam fees by check or money order made payable to the State of New Hampshire.
Cost-saving options
- The Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) provides funding for law school loan debt for lawyers who practice at selected New Hampshire nonprofit legal service organizations
- Browse AccessLex Institute Law School Scholarship Databank
- Check out the ABA website, which offers 100+ opportunities and programs for young lawyers and law students.
- Join a study group and split the bar exam preparation materials cost among group members.
- Research free or low-cost study online study materials like past bar exam questions and answers to supplement commercial study aids.
- Some bar exam prep companies offer discounts or promotions to students who register early or refer friends to their program.
New Hampshire Bar Exam Subjects and Topics
The NH 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 Criminal Law and Evidence. Candidates will be assessed by their ability to apply legal principles, draft legal documents, and effectively solve problems to ensure they can competently represent clients and complete entry-level legal tasks.
MEE Subjects
Some MEE subjects may be tested together. Others may not be tested at all. For example, Civil Procedure has been tested on almost every MEE for the past ten years, while Criminal Law has only appeared a few times.
Learn More
- About the MEE
- MEE Study Guide
- MEE Subjects and Topics (includes MEE subject frequency chart)
MBE Subjects
The MBE contains 200 multiple-choice questions divided evenly over 7 subjects. You'll notice that 7 x 25 does not equal 200. That's because 25 MBE questions are unscored questions that act as field tests for future exams.
Learn More
MPT Tasks
The MPT is designed to test an examinee's "lawyering skills" using only the materials provided. These tasks are conducted in a closed-universe, fictional jurisdiction called "Franklin." The laws of the real world do not apply, so your critical thinking skills and understanding of fundamental legal principles are key.
Learn More
New Hampshire 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 ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Candidates must pass the MPRE before they can take the New Hampshire Bar Exam. You can register through the NCBE.
Learn More
New Hampshire MPRE minimum passing score
You can take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE®) before or after the bar exam, but earning a score of 79 or higher is necessary to become a lawyer in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire Bar Exam Scoring, Results and Pass Rates
The UBE employs scaled scoring to ensure fairness across exam versions. Scaled scoring accounts for the fact that one exam administration may be more or less difficult than another administration. For example, February's exam may be more difficult than July's. It wouldn't be fair if you failed because you just happened to receive a harder exam version.
To solve this, your raw scores are transformed into scaled scores through a statistical method called equating. Unfortunately, the NCBE does not release data on the calculations it uses to determine scaled scores.
New Hampshire bar exam scoring/grading
New Hampshire's minimum passing score is 270. Since the UBE is divided into two equally weighted sections—writing (MPT/MEE) and the MBE—you want to aim for a 135 on each section.
However, you do not need to score 135 on each section to pass the NH bar exam. For example, an exceptional MBE score can balance out a subpar score on the writing section. What's important is that the sum of your two scores is 270 or higher.
New Hampshire bar exam results and pass rates
Results are typically released 10 weeks after an exam administration. Below are the pass rates for the past 6 years.
| Exam | First Timers | Repeaters | Overall | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | No Of Candidates | Pass Rate | No. Of Candidates | Pass Rate | No. Of Candidates | Pass Rate |
| 2022 | 93 | 61% | 27 | 26% | 120 | 53% |
| 2021 | 97 | 69% | 20 | 25% | 117 | 62% |
| 2020 | 104 | 76% | 22 | 32% | 126 | 68% |
| 2019 | 121 | 67% | 41 | 22% | 162 | 56% |
| 2018 | 148 | 56% | 57 | 19% | 205 | 46% |
| 2017 | 198 | 75% | 36 | 31% | 234 | 68% |
New Hampshire Bar Exam Reciprocity
New Hampshire offers reciprocity with every state EXCEPT:
- CALIFORNIA
- DELAWARE
- FLORIDA
- HAWAII
- LOUISIANA
- NEVADA
- SOUTH CAROLINA
- VERMONT
To gain admission to the New Hampshire Bar without examination (Admission on Motion), you must:
- Have been actively practicing law in a US jurisdiction* for 5 out of the last 7 years
- Be in good standing in all of the jurisdictions in which you're licensed
- Have completed 900 minutes of New Hampshire-specific legal education in the past year
*For Maine/Vermont: Have been actively practicing law in Vermont/Maine for at least 3 years.
What Makes the New Hampshire Bar Exam Unique?
The New Hampshire bar exam itself is not unique. It follows the same format as the many other participating UBE jurisdictions. However, New Hampshire has the Daniel Webster Scholar Honors Program (DWS)—a pioneering initiative that allows students to bypass the traditional bar exam upon successful completion of the program.
This program is a collaboration between the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, the New Hampshire Supreme Court, the New Hampshire Board of Bar Examiners, and the New Hampshire Bar Association. It's been praised for its innovation in legal education and is the first program of its kind in the country.
New Hampshire Bar Exam for foreigners
If you have a law degree from a foreign country and want to apply for the New Hampshire Bar, you must:
- Have a law degree from a country that follows English Common Law
- Already be a practicing lawyer either in that country or in a US jurisdiction
- Prove that your foreign law education is similar in quality to a law degree from a school accredited by the American Bar Association.
Final Takeaways
The difference between those who fail the New Hampshire Bar Examination and those who pass is the right study plan. A quality full bar review course will help improve your score, whether it's your first, second, or even third time taking the NH 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:
Contact details of the New Hampshire state bar
| Phone Number | (603) 224-8806 |
| [email protected] | |
| VBA Education Services | [email protected] |
| Mailing Address |
Sherry M. Hieber General Counsel New Hampshire Supreme Court Office of Bar Admissions One Granite Place, Suite N400 Concord, New Hampshire 03301 |
New Hampshire Bar Exam FAQs
Submit a request for nonstandard testing accommodations on or before the deadline for the appropriate bar exam application.
- Questionnaire (Form A)
- Disability documentation (Form B)
- Qualified professional – Learning Disability (Form B-LD) (if applicable)
- Qualified professional – ADHD (Form B-ADHD) (if applicable)
- Law School Statement (Form C)
|
Send forms to: |
Mary Tenn, Esquire NH Board of Bar Examiners c/o Office of Bar Admissions One Granite Place, Suite N400 Concord, New Hampshire 03301 |