The New Mexico Bar Exam
Beginning in February 2016, the New Mexico Bar Examination transitioned to the National Conference of Bar Examiners' (NCBE®) Uniform Bar Examination (UBE®) format. This format consists of three components: the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE®), the Multistate Performance Test (MPT®), and the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE®).
Aspiring lawyers who plan to practice in various states can take advantage of the improved score portability across the 41 participating UBE jurisdictions. This guide offers comprehensive information on the NM Bar Exam results, schedules, deadlines, fees, applications, and more.
New Mexico Bar Exam Structure
The New Mexico Bar Exam follows the exam structure of the UBE. Examinees will sit for the MPT and MEE on day one and the MBE on day two. Details regarding the time constraints and content of each component are as follows:
New Mexico Bar Exam Dates, Requirements, and Scheduling
You can’t pass a test you can’t take. That’s why it’s so important to familiarize yourself with eligibility requirements, filing deadlines, and the scheduling process. Below we provide a simple outline of the most important information you need to know to get started with your NM Bar Exam.
Exam Dates
While there are 3 filing deadlines, we highly recommend filing for the New Mexico Bar Exam as early as possible to avoid progressively higher late fees. See the schedule below for details.
| Filing Periods | July 2023 | February 2024 | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Deadline | January 20 | September 20 | $500 |
| 2nd Deadline | April 2 | November 2 | $700 |
| Final Deadline | May 2 | December 2 | $1,000 |
Requirements
To sit for the New Mexico Bar Exam, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Education — Must hold a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) or a JD from a non-ABA approved law school and have practice law for four out of the six years preceding the application.
- Character and Fitness — Must successfully complete a character and fitness evaluation, demonstrating their moral and ethical fitness to practice law in the state.
- Application — Must submit a completed application by the specified deadline, including all required documents and fees.
- State-Specific Law Component — Must complete and pass the New Mexico state-specific law course.
Scheduling
To schedule your New Mexico Bar Exam Application appointment, follow these steps:
- Create an NCBE Account and obtain an NCBE Account Number
- Upload a copy of the NCBE Character and Fitness Application
- Register for the correct New Mexico Bar Exam through the NCBE
- Upload the NCBE Acknowledgement of Complete Application Page
- Upload Authorization and Release and Certificate of Understanding Form
- Pay the required fee
- Upload a copy of a current credit report
- Upload the Laptop Release of Liability Form (if applicable)
- Upload Non-Standard Testing Accommodations Request Form (PDF) (if applicable)
New Mexico Bar Exam Cost and Fees
The application fee for the New Mexico Bar Exam is cheaper ($500) for those who apply with less than one year until they graduate from law school. Examinees who want to take a repeat exam within one year of their failed exam may do so for a fee of $100. In all other cases, the application fee is $1,000. We recommend submitting your application as soon as possible to avoid late fees.
| Application Fees | |||
| Less than 1 year of law school left | $500 | ||
| Repeat exam within 1 year | $100 | ||
| All other | $1,000 | ||
| Late Fees | |||
| First Late | +$200 | ||
| Second Late | +$500 | ||
| Other Application Fees | |||
| Admission on Motion | $2,500 | ||
All fees are non-refundable. Remittances for fees must be made payable to the New Mexico Board of Bar Examiners.
Cost-Saving Options
A $500 to $1,000 application fee isn't cheap. Neither is law school. Fortunately, there are cost-saving options available to eligible candidates. The University of New Mexico (UNM), for example, offers a Bar Examination Scholarship and Loans every year to graduating third-year law students to aid their preparation for the bar exam.
UNM isn't your only option. Check out the AccessLex Institute Law School Scholarship Databank for a scholarship that may be better suited to your situation. The ABA, which offers 100+ opportunities and programs for young lawyers and law students, is also worth looking into. Even if you don’t qualify for a scholarship, there are some basic things you can do to save money while preparing for the bar exam:
- Join a study group and split the cost of bar exam preparation materials 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 Mexico Bar Exam Subjects and Topics
The NM Bar Exam covers a wide range of subjects and topics, from Constitutional Law to Criminal Law. Through this examination, future attorneys demonstrate their ability to analyze complex legal issues, complete entry-level legal tasks, and effectively represent their clients in New Mexico's legal system.
MEE: Testable Subjects
The MEE requires candidates to identify legal issues, apply relevant legal principles, and demonstrate their ability to analyze fact patterns and compose well-reasoned, organized, and concise written responses. Subjects include:
Some subjects may show up together. Others may not show up at all. Until you’re sitting for the MEE, you’ll have no way of knowing what subjects you’ll confront. However, historically, some subjects have been tested more frequently than others. For instance, over the past ten years, Civil Procedure has been tested on practically every MEE, whereas Criminal Law has only been tested sporadically. Less common topics, however, may still appear alongside others.
Check out our MEE Study Guide and Prep Tips for details on planning your studies and determining what's essential so you use your time wisely. Also, check out our MEE Subject Matter Outline for in-depth explanations of MEE subjects and sub-topics.
MBE: Testable 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 the NCBE pilots for future exams. There is no way to identify which questions are scored or unscored, so it's best to imagine that they are all just as important. MBE subjects are as follows:
MPT: Testable items
The MPT is designed to test a candidate's practical lawyering skills by assessing their ability to complete real-world legal tasks in a realistic and time-pressured environment. Candidates must complete written assignments, such as drafting a memo, brief, contract, or other legal documents, using materials provided (i.e., statutes, cases, and client fact patterns).
It's important to note that these tasks take place in the fictional jurisdiction of "Franklin." Legal knowledge outside of this jurisdiction does not apply. Instead, the MPT evaluates critical thinking, problem-solving, legal analysis, factual analysis, communication, organization and management of a legal task, and the recognition and resolution of ethical dilemmas.
There’s a reason Themis + UWorld is the only bar review course that consistently publishes our pass rates.
New Mexico MPRE Requirements
Applicants must take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE®) before they can be admitted to the New Mexico Bar within five years of an applicant's bar exam date or one year following a bar exam appointment where a successful score was achieved. Read our article, About the MPRE, to learn more about the mandatory exam.
MPRE minimum passing score
New Mexico requires a minimum MPRE passing score of 80. This score sits in the middle of the lowest minimum passing score of 75 and the highest of 86. The MPRE is a 2-hour, 60-multiple-choice question exam that assesses an examinee's knowledge of the ABA's Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
New Mexico Bar Exam Scoring, Results and Pass Rates
You must achieve a minimum score of 260 out of 400 for admission to the New Mexico Bar. Since the UBE is divided into two equally weighted sections—writing (MPT/MEE) and the MBE—you want to aim for a 130 on each section. However, you do not need to score 130 on each section to pass the NM bar exam. For example, an exceptional score on the MBE can balance out a subpar score on the writing section. What's important is that the sum of your two scores is 260 or higher.
Note that 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.
Exam Results and Pass Rates
The New Mexico Bar Exam's repeater pass rates are markedly lower than the first-timer pass rates. This is typical across all jurisdictions and is likely due to the fact that many who fail their first bar exam don't change their study habits or resources.
| Exam | Overall Pass Rate |
First-Timer Pass Rate |
Repeater Pass Rate |
Results Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 2023 | 44% | 72% | 24% | March 31 |
| July 2022 | 75% | 79% | 52% | September 9 |
Here are the annual pass rates for the New Mexico Bar Exam since 2017 divided into first-time examinees and repeaters:
| Exam | First Timers | Repeaters | Overall | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | No Of Candidates | Pass Rate | No. Of Candidates | Pass Rate | No. Of Candidates | Pass Rate |
| 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021 | 183 | 77% | 38 | 45% | 221 | 71% |
| 2020 | 416 | 86% | 53 | 58% | 469 | 83% |
| 2019 | 239 | 75% | 84 | 48% | 323 | 68% |
| 2018 | 254 | 73% | 46 | 43% | 300 | 68% |
| 2017 | 238 | 86% | 70 | 47% | 308 | 77% |
*Aggregate exam scores for 2022 have not yet been released.
New Mexico Bar Exam results are typically released 6-8 weeks following an exam administration. Results were released on September 9, and March 31, for the July 2022 and February 2023 exams, respectively.
New Mexico Bar Exam Reciprocity
To qualify for reciprocity, candidates must meet the following qualifications:
- Have graduated with a JD from an ABA-approved law school or graduated with a JD from a non-ABA-approved law school and have practice law for four of the six years preceding the application
- Be deemed of good moral character and be physically and mentally fit to practice law
- Be in good standing in any other jurisdiction in which you were admitted to practice law
- Be professionally qualified for admission to the bar of New Mexico
- Be in compliance with any orders for child or spousal support
- Be licensed in a state that shares reciprocity with New Mexico and has practice law in the state for five of the last seven years
New Mexico has reciprocity with the following states:
What Makes the New Mexico Bar Exam Unique?
The New Mexico Board of Bar Examiners requires that candidates take a one-day, live course on New Mexico law. The class is held four times a year via Zoom and attendees must be present for the entire 4-and-a-half-hour class to receive credit. The cost of the class is included in your application fee. Topics include Indian Law, New Mexico community property, and professionalism.
New Mexico Bar Exam for foreigners
Individuals who have graduated from foreign law schools may be eligible to take the New Mexico Bar Exam, transfer a qualifying UBE score, or apply for admission without examination if they meet certain requirements.
- To take the exam or transfer their UBE score, they must have actively practiced law in the US state where they were admitted for 4 out of the 6 years preceding their application
- To apply for admission without examination, they must have practiced law for five out of the seven years prior to their application.
Final Takeaways
The difference between those who fail the New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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 Mexico State Bar
If you wish to contact the New Mexico State Board of Law Examiners office with inquiries regarding the NM Bar Exam, please see the details below.
| Medium | Info |
|---|---|
| Phone Number | 501-374-1855 |
| Fax Number | 501-374-1855 |
| cleNew [email protected] | |
| Mailing Address |
2100 Riverfront Drive, Suite 110 Little Rock, New Mexico 72202-1747 |
New Mexico Bar Exam FAQs
How long Is the Bar Exam in New Mexico?
Can anyone take the Bar Exam in New Mexico?
How hard Is the New Mexico Bar Exam?
What are New Mexico Bar Exam application deadlines and fees?
How many times can I take the New Mexico Bar Exam?
How much does it cost to retake the New Mexico Bar Exam?
What is the minimum passing UBE score for New Mexico?
Does New Mexico offer reciprocity with any jurisdiction?
Yes, New Mexico offers reciprocity with the following jurisdictions.
Can I transfer my MBE score from another jurisdiction to New Mexico?
Can I transfer my New Mexico UBE score to another jurisdiction?
What is the time limit for accepting a transferred UBE score in New Mexico(i.e., maximum age of the UBE score)?
What is the Admission Without Examination process like?
How long does it take to study for the New Mexico Bar Exam?
Can you practice law without a law degree in New Mexico?
How do I become a licensed attorney in New Mexico?
How to request special accommodations for the New Mexico Bar Exam?
You must fill out a Reasonable Testing Accommodations and submit it to your NM Bar Exam application and with all supporting documentation by the filing deadline for the exam.