Bar Exam Information
Preparing for the Bar Exam
It is our belief that each graduate from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Ä¢¹½tv can pass the Bar exam the first time. The key to passing the Bar exam is preparation. It is never too early to start preparing for this milestone in your legal career. The Office of Academic Support, and the Faculty and Administration of the Law School are all here to assist you.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.
Jason Czarnezki
Faculty Director of Academic Support and Bar Performance
Alison Morris
Academic Support Staff
Bar Exam Resources
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Read the New York Lawyer Assistance Trust brochure regarding the character and fitness requirements (PDF) for admission to the practice of law in New York State.
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See the subjects tested on the Uniform Bar Examination and the corresponding courses (PDF) offered at Haub Law.
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Tested on the NextGen UBE:
- All first-year doctrinal courses: Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Property, Torts
- Evidence
- Criminal Procedure-Investigation
- Corporations & Partnerships
- Commercial Law: Sales
- Family Law (NOTE: if you are taking the NextGen UBE in a jurisdiction other than NY prior to July 2028, this subject is not tested)
Helpful for the NextGen UBE:
- Wills (tested via Performance Tasks)
- Criminal Procedure-Adjudication (a few topics not covered in Criminal Procedure-Investigation)
- Products Liability (a few topics not covered in depth in Torts)
- Real Estate Transactions & Finance (a few topics not covered in Property)
- Remedies (a few topics not covered in Contracts and Torts)
Foundational Lawyering Skills tested on the NextGen UBE include legal research, legal writing, issue spotting & analysis, investigation & evaluation, client counseling & advising, negotiation & dispute resolution, and client relationship & management. Courses teaching these skills include Legal Skills I & II, all clinics & externships, Lawyering, Survey of Dispute Resolution Processes, Negotiations, Advanced Legal Research, Advanced Legal Writing, Advanced Appellate Advocacy, Drafting Legal Documents, and more designated Skills offerings.
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List of requirements to be certified for admissions to the New York State Bar
- Achieve a passing score on the Legacy UBE (administered in New York through February 2028) or the NextGen UBE (administered in New York beginning in July 2028);
- Complete an online course in New York-specific law, known as the New York Law Course (NYLC);
- Take and pass an online examination, known as the New York Law Exam (NYLE);
- Take and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE);
- Comply with the 50-hour pro bono service requirement; and
- Satisfy the Skills Competency Requirement
Before taking the UBE
Make sure there are no Holds on your Account on Pace Portal
- If there is a hold on your account, it may prevent you from graduating and being certified to take the bar exam
Comply with the ABA Requirements for Juris Doctorate Graduates Applying to Take the Bar Exam
- Pace Law graduation requirements comply with most instructional, credit hour, and course of study requirements of the ABA, however, Pace does not place a limit on how many online or distance credits may be applied toward graduation. The ABA caps the allocation at 15 credits.
Complete and Submit the Application Provided by The New York State Board of Law Examiners
- Create a BOLE Account on
- Remember your NCBE number if you took the MPRE prior to applying for the bar exam, or
- The application is online and available for the July exam from April 1 until April 30 and from November 1 until November 30 for the February exam
- There is no late application period
Request Testing Accomodations Before the Application Period Closes
- Applications for test accommodations must be received in the Board’s office no later than November 30 for the February exam and April 30 for the July exam
Turn Law School Certificate of Attendance Form and Handwriting Specimen Form into Registrar
- Both of these forms will be emailed to applicants after the period to apply to sit for the exam has closed
- The handwriting sample must be done in person in front of the appropriate personnel
- The deadline for these portions of the application to be turned into the Board is February 1 for the February exam and June 15 for the July exam. Make sure the materials are brought to registrar with enough time to complete
The New York Law Course
- The NYLC is an online, on demand course which reviews unique aspects of New York law
- The NYLC consists of approximately 15 hours of recorded lectures
- You must complete the NYLC prior to applying for the NYLE
- You must complete the NYLC up to one year prior to or three years after passing the UBE
The New York Law Exam
- The NYLE is offered four times a year typically in March, June, September, and December and you must apply at least 30 days before the exam
- You must complete the NYLE up to one year prior to or three years after passing the UBE
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination
- Take MPRE is offered in March, August, and November
- Not all states require you to pass the MPRE in order to be admitted to the state bar
- Maryland, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico do not require it
- Connecticut and New Jersey do not require it, if you successfully complete a course in Professional Responsibility
- The exam can be taken either before or after the bar exam. The score is valid for 3 years in New York.
The 50 hour pro bono requirement
- Hours may be completed in another state or country
- Qualifying pro bono work must be completed before you submit your Application for Admission to the appropriate Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court
The skills competency requirement
Added by the Court of Appeals in December 2015
- This requires applicants to establish that they have acquired the necessary skills and professional values needed to competently practice law
This can be fulfilled by satisfying one of five options:
- Law school certification of competence in skills and professional values
- Law school certification of credit acquisition
- Pro Bono Scholars Program
- Apprenticeship
- Practice in another jurisdiction
Breakdown of the required exams
Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination
- Two hour and five minute multiple choice exam
- Comprise of 60 multiple choice questions with 10 sample/test questions
- Passing score is 32 out of 50 (85%)
New York State Law Exam
- Two hour, open book, multiple choice exam
- Online
- Two hours to complete 50 multiple choice questions
- Tests New York law that is unique and different from the general law of the UBE
- Passing score is 30 out of 50
- If you fail, you must repeat the NYLC and NYLE
Legacy Uniform Bar Exam (266 out of 400 for a passing score in NY) [LAST administration in NY is February 2028]
- Multistate Essay Examination (MEE)
- Six essays which are 30 minutes each
- Tested on: Business Associations (Agency and Partnership; Corporations and Limited Liability Companies), Civil Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Real Property, Torts, Trusts and Estates (Decedents' Estates; Trusts and Future Interests), and Uniform Commercial Code (Secured Transactions)
- Counting for 30% of UBE score
- Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)
- 200 multiple choice questions
- Tested on: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property and Torts. Beginning with the February 2015 bar examination, Civil Procedure will also be tested
- Counting for 50% of UBE score
- Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
- Two 90 minute writing exercises
- Counting for 20% of UBE score
NextGen UBE (out of 750 points — NY passing score TBA) [FIRST administration in NY is July 2028]
- Standalone Multiple-Choice Questions
- 40 questions per section, 120 questions total
- Multiple-choice questions in two formats: select 1/4 options and select 2/6 options
- Counting for 49% of total exam score
- Integrated Question Sets
- 2 questions per section, 6 sets total
- Question sets based on a common fact scenario, appearing in two formats, drafting sets and counseling sets. Drafting sets contain medium-answer questions; counseling sets contain multiple-choice and short-answer questions
- Counting for 21% of total exam score
- Performance Tasks
- 1 PT per section, 3 PTs total
- Performance tasks in two formats: standard performance tasks focus on a single longer writing assignment; legal research performance tasks include several multiple-choice and short-answer questions followed by a medium-answer writing assignment
- Legal resources, in the form of a case file and library, are provided within each task
- Counting for 30% of the total exam score
Student Guide to the Bar Exam
I. Advanced Analytical Skills and MBE Strategies
Advanced Analytical Skills builds on the analytical, writing and organizational skills necessary to enhance a student’s ability to prepare for the Bar exam. Students will become thoroughly familiar with the format and components of the Bar exam. Students will review and outline substantive topics, learn methods by which to review the tested areas of law, write outlines, and complete practice essays, Multistate Performance Test questions and multiple-choice exam questions; students will receive feedback on all written answers.
In MBE Strategies, students will review the most heavily-tested areas of law on the MBE portion of the bar exam. They will complete numerous practice questions and develop the skills necessary to answer the most difficult multiple choice questions.
II. Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam
In addition to the Bar Exam, New York Bar Exam candidates must pass the MPRE before they are admitted to practice.
The MPRE is a two hour and five minute exam consisting of 60 multiple choice questions designed to test your knowledge and understanding of ethical standards of the legal profession. The exam is offered every March, August and November and should be taken before you take the Bar Exam. New York requires a score of 85 on the MPRE. Scores are scaled and range from 50 to 150, with an average of approximately 100. A raw score of approximately 32 correct out of 50 converts to a scaled score of 85.
Section 520.12 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals of the State of New York requires applicants to file the materials required for admission to the Bar within three years from the date of the initial letter sent by the Board of Law Examiners notifying the applicant of having passed the Bar examination. Thus, any applicant who has not taken and passed the MPRE at the time of receipt of notification of having passed the Bar examination must pass the MPRE and be certified by the Board to the Supreme Court, Appellate Division within three years.
Students should take the MPRE well in advance of the Bar exam. They should plan to devote approximately 25 hours to preparing for the MPRE. .
III. The Uniform Bar Exam (UBE)
The Legacy UBE
NY has been using the Uniform Bar Exam as the bar exam for the state (administered each February and July) since 2016. This "Legacy UBE" is being phased out in favor of the Next Gen Bar (see below). The final administration of the Legacy UBE in NY will be February 2028.
A can be found online.
New York Scoring:
6 Essays | 30% | 120 points
2 MPT's | 20% | 80 points
200 MBE | 50% | 200 points
Total: 400 points
A minimum passing score is 266
The MPT is a 90 minute assignment designed to test the Bar candidates' ability to use fundamental lawyering skills in a realistic situation. A Case File and a Library are provided along with an assignment such as write a memo, a brief, a statement of fact or a will. .
The NextGen UBE
Beginning with the July 2028 administration, NY will be using the NextGen UBE as the bar exam for the state. NJ has also adopted the NextGen UBE beginning in July 2028, and CT began administering it in July 2026. The exam is administered each February and July.
The NextGen UBE is made up of three sections of three hours each, administered over one and a half days. Each NextGen section contains a combination of 40 standalone multiple-choice questions, 2 integrated question sets, and 1 performance task.
A can be found online.
Official NextGen UBE scores are reported as a single number on a scale from 500 to 750. Each jurisdiction establishes its own passing score within this range. A minimum passing score in NY has yet to be announced.
Scoring:
120 multiple-choice questions | 49%
6 integrated question sets | 21%
3 performance tasks | 30%
Total: 750 points
IV. Taking a Concurrent Bar Exam
The Court of Appeals has determined that New York will not accept NextGen transfer scores from any NextGen examination administered prior to July 2028. New York will continue to accept UBE transfer scores consistent with current policies. If you are interested in practicing law in another state, .
V. Commercial Bar Preparation Courses
A commercial Bar course, which runs for approximately eight weeks prior to the Bar exam, is necessary for you to review what you have already learned in law school and to learn Bar tested subjects that you have not yet studied. The commercial Bar courses are familiar with what is tested and how it is tested. Your commercial course will provide you with materials and a study plan to help you prepare for the exam.
There are at least four commercial Bar courses in the New York area that offer full-time study programs. It is best for you to research each of them and determine which is best for you and your learning style. , , , and student representatives are often in our law school cafeteria during the school year. Research all programs to learn about each course and how the various courses differ.
Many students opt to hire individual tutors in addition to studying with a commercial bar review course. The following tutors have had success with Pace Students:
Individual Tutoring
VI. Recommendations
- Completely clear your schedule for the eight weeks prior to the Bar exam
- Enroll in Advanced Analytical Skills to jump start your Bar preparation, demystify the Bar exam and receive feedback on actual Bar exam essays and MBE strategies and MPT questions
- Enroll in our free Supplemental Bar Skills Program to get additional skills support and detailed feedback on your practice essay and MBE answers.
- Take as many Bar tested courses as possible
- Plan on studying at least 8-10 hours per day
- Take a comprehensive commercial Bar preparation course and attend every lecture
- Consider taking a supplement to your comprehensive commercial Bar preparation course
- Take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam well in advance of the Bar exam
VII. Financial Resources
Taking time off to prepare for the Bar exam can create financial hardships. The cost of the array of Bar preparation courses can also add up quickly. Loans specifically for this purpose are available from many lending sources. The following is a list of several Bar Loan providers. The Bursar can provide you with much information about financial aid.
Lenders
(800) 378-5526
*must bank with Wells Fargo to qualify*