Topic 2: When Should I Take the MPRE?

Topic 2: When Should I Take the MPRE?

Are you wondering when to take the MPRE? Here, we tell you when the MPRE is offered and when we recommend that you take it. 

When is the MPRE offered?

The MPRE is administered three times a year (with two test dates each administration)

• March
• August
• November

The upcoming MPRE dates are as follows:

• Tuesday, March 28, 2023
• Wednesday, March 29, 2023
• Wednesday, August 9, 2023
• Thursday, August 10, 2023
• Thursday, November 2, 2023
• Friday, November 3, 2023

When should I take the MPRE? 

There is not one best time to sit for the MPRE. All MPRE exams are weighted equally in terms of difficulty.  Thus, there is not one exam that is easier to pass compared to another.

With that said, the best time to take the MPRE will be when you have time to adequately prepare for it. We generally recommend that you do the following things before taking the MPRE:

• First, take the professional responsibility course offered at your law school. Many schools offer (and even require) a professional responsibility course as part of the regular curriculum. Even if the professional responsibility course at your school focuses on state-specific rules rather than the ABA Model Rules, it still will likely provide a thorough background of the information you need to know for the MPRE. Further, you may find that your state models its rules on the ABA Model Rules (as many states do).
• Second, take an MPRE exam course. Many bar review courses provide a free MPRE course and free MPRE books if you sign up for their bar review course. If you are interested in private one-on-one tutoring for the MPRE, please contact us here. Or, if you would like to learn about JD Advising’s free course, you can find more information here.
• Third, make sure you have a dedicated time to study for the MPRE. Do not push it off until a week before or the weekend before the exam. Start early. Space out your study sessions. Make an effort to learn the law well and do as many practice exam questions as possible. Doing so now will help minimize your chances of having to take it again in the future!

Consider which exam will work best with your schedule.

The MPRE is now administered on a weekday, as opposed to a Saturday. So if you have classes every day besides Friday, you may want to take the March or November MPRE, as exams are offered on Fridays those administrations. Consider this ahead of time and don’t forget to register early!

Caution: do not take the MPRE too late!

It is best to sit for the MPRE sooner rather than later. Some jurisdictions do not allow you to take the bar exam (or only allow you to take the bar exam once or twice) if you do not have a passing MPRE score.

The last thing you want to do is delay taking the MPRE so much that you are not able to take the bar exam! Instead, plan to take it pretty early on in law school (your second year of law school is best if you are in a three-year program). It is best to undertake the MPRE with enough time left in law school so that if you do not pass the first exam, you still have the opportunity to take it again before having to worry about the bar exam. Further, it is best not to delay the MPRE until after the bar exam since at that point, failing the MPRE could mean delaying your ability to practice law.

Go to the next topic, Topic 3: How to Register for the MPRE.

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