What Do MPRE Changes Mean For the Bar Exam?

The National Conference of Bar Examiners has started the process of converting the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) from a paper-based to a computer-based delivery platform. The transition will happen in phases and will be completed by 2020. More details will be posted in the months ahead.

It seems that the MPRE will now be a computer-based exam starting in 2020. Naturally, it got us to wondering what this could mean for the bar exam. One conclusion that jumped out to us immediately is that…

MPRE changes could be a test for moving the bar to computer-based.

The MPRE changes could be a proving ground for seeing whether it’s feasible to make the bar exam computer-based. Since the bar exam is longer and has more parts, the NCBE will obviously want to test out their platform before they commit to the change. The MPRE provides the NCBE the perfect opportunity to tweak its platform and perfect it before the bar exam is switched over.

Obviously, no one wants technical hiccups to disrupt bar exam day. Since the MPRE is less complicated a test to deliver online (in our opinion), this could be the first step to making the bar exam totally digital. In an age where almost everything is available digitally, this makes sense to us! While it’s way too early to tell if a physical copy of the bar will be offered, we think things could be moving in a more digital direction in the near future!