Bar Examination & MPRE

You should apply online at www.nybarexam.org during the open registration period.

Applications

At the National Council of Bar Examiners website:

1. Obtain a NCBE number - You will also use this number to take the required Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE).  You need a score of 85 on the MPRE for New York.  It is offered in March, August and November each year.  The score Is valid for three years.
2. Create an account to access the New York Law Course and Examination.

The Board of Law Examinations (BOLE) will email you a BOLE ID and password. 

1. You will then create an Account Profile Page where you will change the password, and provide additional information, including a certification that you, as the applicant, are a "bone fide applicant for admission to the practice of law in New York and anticipate[s] being eligible and plans to site for the UBE within one year."
2. After that you will be eligible to start the New York Law Course (NYLC). The course is FREE.
3. You must complete the New York Law Course. 
   
4. You may complete the course up to one year before or any time after you take the UBE.  But, your application for admission to the bar must be files within three years from the second day you took and received a passing score on the UBE.

You must complete all segments of the New York Law Course (NYLC) before you register for the New York Law Examination (NYLE).

The deadline to register for the New York Law Examination is thirty (30) days before the fate of the NYLE.  You must complete the NYLC at least thirty days before the date of the next NYLE to register and take that NYLE.  The course may take you longer than planned, so do not expect to complete the course in a single day or the day before your anticipated registration deadline.

The NYLE is on Examsoft and requires you to pay a $27 fee to Examsoft.  Remove your law school copy of Examsoft software from your computer and load the NYLE copy of Examsoft software to insure you do not have any issues accessing the NYLE.

In addition to receiving a passing score for New York on the Uniform Bar Examination to be certified as passing the bar examination to apply for admission to practice in New York.

Applications are available online at the Board of Law Examiner's website.

Applications must be completed online or received by the New York State Board of Law Examiners within the dates specified by the Board of Law Examiners: 

• November 1 – November 30 for the February bar examination, and
• April 1 – April 30 for the July bar examination.

There is no provision for late filing except that for applicants who took the immediately preceding New York bar examination, the deadline for reapplication is 14 days from receipt of the examination results, within the filing deadlines above, whichever is later.

Application Fee and Payment

The fee for the Uniform Bar Examination in New York is $250.  If you are qualifying to take the Uniform Bar Examination in New York examination following the study of law in another country (LL.M. students), the fee is $750. 

• If you are filing an online application, you must pay by credit card (MasterCard or Visa). 
• If you are filing a paper application, you must pay by certified check, traveler's check drawn on a U.S. bank, or money order payable to: "State Board of Law Examiners."
• Debit cards are not accepted.

"Law School Certificate" & "Specimen of Applicants Handwriting"

Once you complete your online application you will receive a confirmation via email. After the deadline date passes (in December for February takers or May for July takers) you will receive a PDF of two forms sent to your email address. One is called the "Law School Certificate" and the other is the “Specimen of Applicants Handwriting.”   Records & Registration can retrieve and print your "Law School Certificate."  However, you must print and bring the “Specimen of Applicants Handwriting" to the Records and Registration Office as soon as possible to complete it in front of a member of the staff at Records and Registration.  Do NOT fill out the handwriting sample until you are in front of one of the Records staff. All New York State bar examination applicants must complete these two forms, even if you are using a laptop to take the exam.

• 15 hours of videotaped lectures
• Must answer imbedded questions – must be answered correctly to continue in the lecture.
• Subject areas are the “important and unique aspects of New York law in the subjects of Administrative Law, Business Relationships, Civil Practice and Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Matrimonial and Family Law, Professional Responsibility, Real Property, Torts and Tort Damages, and Trusts, Wills and Estates.”
• Course outline on BOLE website will be the course materials

• The New York Law Exam (NYLE) is a two hour, open book, multiple choice examination.
• Online (Examsoft) examination which will allow you to enter the site five minutes prior to the 12:00 noon starting time.  Once you type “begin,” the examination will start and you will have two hours to complete it.  No backward navigation will be allowed.  So, be careful to answer all questions.
• Tests New York law that is unique and different from the general law of the MBE (Multistate Bar Examination) and MEE (Multistate Essay Exam).
• Subject areas tested:  Administrative Law, Business Relationships, Civil Practice and Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Matrimonial and Family Law, Professional Responsibility, Real Property, Torts and Tort Damages, and Trusts, Wills and Estates.
• A content outline will be posted on the BOLE web site.
• Passing score is 30 out of 50 questions correct.
• If you fail the NYLE, you must repeat the NYLC and the NYLE.

Day 1 morning - 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  (3 hours)
2 Multistate Performance Test (MPT) questions – suggested 90 minutes each

Day 1 afternoon -  2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  (3 hours)
6 Multistate Essay exam (MEE) essays – suggested 30 minutes each

Passing score is 266 for New York.

The grading breakdown is 50% for the MBE, 30% for the MEE, and 20% for the MPT.

The MBE is given the Tuesday preceding the MBE in February and July.  The examination consists of six essays which are thirty (30) minutes each.  The subjects that may be tested include the following: 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).

The MBE is given the last Wednesday of February and July.  The states have their portion of the examination on the Tuesday before or the Thursday after or sometimes both (California).  The MBE is a 200 question multiple choice examination covering the following topics: 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.

Prior to July 2016 (old New York Bar examination):

• Passing score of 665 (out of 1000) or better on the New York Bar Examination
• Completion of 50 hour pro bono requirement
• Character and Fitness evaluation

Beginning July 2016 (NYLC, NYLE & UBE):

• Completion of the New York Law online course
• Passing Score of 30 (out of 50) or better on the New York Law Examination
• Passing score of 266 (out of 400) or better on the Uniform Bar Examination
• Completion of 50 hour pro bono requirement
• Character and Fitness evaluation

For information on Bar Examination registration, dates, deadlines and contents of the examinations, go to the National Council of Bar Examiners website. From their site, you can link to any state or United State territory that offers a bar examination under "Jurisdiction Information."