Frequently Asked Questions About The Bar Exam

Frequently Asked Questions About The Bar Exam

It is the final hurdle before you become an attorney. It is days, not hours, long and spawned more horror stories than you want to think about. We are referring to the bar exam. You probably have so many questions about the bar exam that you don’t know where to begin. What is the bar exam?  How much do you need to know in order to pass?  And, of course, how bad is it? In this post, we answer some of your most frequently asked questions about the bar exam.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Bar Exam

1. How long is the bar exam?

The Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), which is administered in 35 states plus Washington DC, takes place over two six-hour days. One day is devoted to multiple-choice questions and another day to essay-writing and performance tests. For the states that don’t use the UBE, the answer varies. In California, for example, the day of essay-writing is 6.5 hours long instead of 6. Some states even have a three-day bar exam!

2. Is the bar exam timed?

Yes. You will have two three-hour sessions to complete two sets of 100 multiple-choice questions. (This portion of the bar exam is commonly referred to as the “MBE.”) In most states, the written performance tests are 90 minutes each. Keep in mind that not all states utilize performance tests, so it’s important to check on this so you know what to study!  For other essays, you will get a packet of several essays at once, and you will need to manage your time so you don’t waste too much of it on one essay and fail to get to the others.

3. How many subjects are on the bar exam?

On the MBE, you will be tested on seven subjects: constitutional law, civil procedure, criminal law/procedure, evidence, contracts, torts, and real property. The majority of these subjects should sound familiar because they are required in your first year of law school. Depending on where you ultimately take the bar exam, these subjects also appear on the essay portion, along with other subjects, some state-specific. In total, you may have 12 to 14 subjects to keep track of.

See our post on MEE subjects.

See our post on California Bar Exam subjects.

4. How many bar exam takers pass their first time?

According to the ABA, the average pass rate for first-time bar exam takers in 2020 was 83 percent. The ABA breaks down the bar passage rate a bit more with their bar passage statistics. Since the bar exam went online in October 2020, bar exam pass rates appear to be increasing!

5. How many hours a day should I study for the Bar exam?

If you have nothing else to do in the eight weeks or so leading up to the bar exam, you should generally treat studying for the bar exam like a full-time job.  This equates to approximately eight hours a day, and at least 40 hours per week. However, if you are working or have other commitments, there are ways to create a more flexible study schedule and be just as successful. This may include starting earlier than the “traditional” bar prep period.  For more information on this topic, check out this blog post about how much you should study for the bar exam!

Don’t let all those horror stories scare you. You, too, can pass the bar, and JD Advising can help!

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