Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

Hi there, future lawyer! Do you want to practice law in the Land of Lincoln? Are you excited to take advantage of everything that Illinois has to offer for new attorneys? If so, then you should consider taking the Illinois Bar Exam in 2026.

Like all other American jurisdictions, Illinois offers the bar exam twice a year: once in February and once in July. The February 2026 version of the Illinois Bar Exam takes place over two days: February 24–25, 2026. The July 2026 version takes place from July 28–29, 2026.

Taking the bar exam is expensive, so you should know ahead of time that you’ll have to save money to pay the application fee. The amount of money that you’ll have to pay depends on when you apply and whether you’ve registered for the exam before. Here’s a quick rundown:

If you haven’t previously registered for the Illinois Bar Exam, the application fee for the February exam is $950 so long as you apply by September 15. The fee goes up to $1,150 if you apply between September 16 and November 1. If you apply between November 2 and 30, the fee goes up to $1,450.
If you’ve previously registered for the Illinois Bar Exam and you apply for the February 2026 exam by November 1, the application fee is $500. If you apply between November 2 and 30, then you’ll pay $850 instead.
If you haven’t previously registered for the Illinois Bar Exam, the application fee for the July exam is $1,200 so long as you apply by February 15. The fee goes up to $1,475 if you apply between February 16 and April 1. If you apply between April 2 and 30, the fee goes up to $1,875.
If you’ve previously registered for the Illinois Bar Exam and you apply for the July 2026 exam by April 30, the application fee is $650.
If you want to use your laptop, you can pay a laptop fee of $135.

Illinois uses the Universal Bar Exam (UBE). On the first day of the exam, you’ll answer six thirty-minute Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) essay questions during the three-hour morning session. After a break for lunch, you’ll return to answer two ninety-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) essay questions during the three-hour afternoon session. On the second day, you’ll spend six hours answering two hundred multiple-choice questions on the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). You’ll have a break for lunch in between the two sessions of the MBE.

Starting in February 2028, Illinois will be using the NextGen version of the UBE. The NextGen bar exam is designed to prioritize real-world lawyering skills more than past versions of the bar. The NextGen exam will not test the following subjects: Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Secured Transactions, and Trusts & Estates. The NextGen exam will include more questions about practical legal work, such as legal writing, negotiations, and client relationships.

What subjects will you be tested on?
For the MEE, you may be tested on Business Associations (including Agency, Partnerships, and Corporations), Civil Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, Contracts and Sales, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Real Property, Secured Transactions (including Articles 2, 3, & of the Uniform Commercial Code), Torts, and Wills & Estates. Not all of these subjects will necessarily be tested on exam day, as the UBE tends to not use every subject on the MEE. But because there’s also no guarantee of which subjects will be tested and which ones won’t, you should study all of the above subjects so that you’re fully prepared to pass the bar.

For the MPT, instead of being tested on your knowledge of a particular area of law, you’ll be asked to demonstrate your ability to write a clear and convincing argument in a memorandum or legal brief. The relevant laws that apply to the question will be given to you in the prompt. With that being said, it’s still helpful to review the MEE and MBE subjects when preparing for the MPT, although you should prioritize your writing skills.

For the MBE, you’ll be tested on Constitutional Law, Contracts and Sales, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Federal Civil Procedure, Real Property, and Torts.

What’s the minimum score for the MPRE?
To pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) in Illinois, you must receive a scaled score of at least 80. You don’t need to pass the MPRE before you take the Illinois Bar Exam.

How is the exam scored?
The MPT, MEE, and MBE are combined into a single scaled score. The MBE is worth 50% of the total score, while the MPT is worth 20% and the MEE is worth 30%. To pass, you must achieve a combined scaled score of 266 out of 400.


When are the results released?
You should expect to receive your results six weeks after the exam administration, but there’s no guarantee for which date you’ll get your score. The results for the July 2025 Illinois Bar exam were released on October 1, 2025, so although the results for the July 2026 can be expected to be received in a similar timeframe, there is no guaranteed date.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?
Yes, so long as you took the MBE using the UBE.

What about reciprocity across states?
Out-of-state lawyers may apply for admission to the Illinois Bar on motion, provided that they graduated from an ABA-accredited law school, have practiced law for three out of the past five years, have passed the UBE, and are in good standing in the other jurisdictions where they’re licensed to practice.