Indiana Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

Hey there Hoosiers! If you’re excited to become a lawyer, we’re here to help you pass the bar exam! For many aspiring lawyers, the bar exam is the most challenging part of becoming an attorney, so we’re here to guide you through the process. The Indiana Bar Exam is offered in February and July every year. The exam takes place across two days, but don’t let that worry you. You’ll have a break for lunch each day, and you’ll have plenty of time to decompress between Tuesday and Wednesday of the exam. The February exam will be administered from February 24–25, 2026, and the July exam will be administered from July 28–29, 2026.

Applying for the bar exam is expensive, so make sure to save up some money before you submit your application. The exam application fee for first-time test takers who apply for the February exam by November 15, 2025 is $250, while the fee for first-time test takers who apply by November 30 is $500. The fee for test retakers who apply by December 15 is $250, and the fee for test retakers who apply by December 30 is $500.

The exam application fee for first-time test takers who apply for the July exam by April 15, 2026 is $250, while the fee for first-time test takers who apply by April 30 is $500. The fee for test retakers who apply by May 30 is $250, and the fee for test retakers who apply by June 15 is $500.

Indiana uses the Uniform Bar Exam, also known as the UBE. The UBE has the same questions in each state where it’s administered on a given day. The test was designed to help standardize the bar admission process across the United States by testing applicants on the same material regardless of where they live. If you pass the UBE, you can apply for bar admission in another UBE state so long as you receive a high enough score. Different states have different bar passage scores. Indiana’s bar passage score is 264. So if you receive a 264 on the UBE, you can practice law in Indiana but not in Massachusetts, which requires a score of 270. But if you score a 270, you can practice in both Indiana and Massachusetts.

As mentioned above, the UBE is administered over two days. On the first day of the exam, test takers will answer six thirty-minute Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) essay questions. After a break for lunch, you’ll answer two ninety-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) essay questions. On the second day, test takers will spend six hours answering two hundred multiple-choice questions for the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). These questions are spread across two three-hour sessions, with a break for lunch in between.

Starting in July 2028, Indiana will be using the NextGen version of the bar exam. This version of the exam will focus more on testing your practical lawyering skills compared to the current bar exam. NextGen won’t test Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Secured Transactions, and Trusts & Estates. NextGen will have new questions on legal writing, negotiations, client relationships, and other subjects that touch upon an attorney’s day-to-day responsibilities.

What subjects will you be tested on?
Between the three sections of the UBE, the MEE has the widest variety of subjects. During 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 Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code), Torts, and Wills & Estates.

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. When studying for the MPT, remember to focus on developing your skills in legal writing and analysis.

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 Indiana, you must receive a scaled score of at least 80. This score must be attained within two years before or after passing the Indiana Bar Exam.

How is the exam scored?
The three sections of the bar exam are combined into a scaled score out of 400. To pass, you must achieve a combined scaled score of 264 out of 400. The MBE is worth half the total points on the UBE. The MEE is only 30% and the MPT counts for the other 20%. Just because the MBE is worth more points than the MEE and the MPT doesn’t mean that you should neglect to study for those sections, which when combined are worth half of your total score. If you don’t do that well on the MBE, it’s possible to make up the points on the MEE and the MPT, and vice versa. So remember to take all three sections seriously during your preparation.

When are the results released?
You should expect to receive your results in early April, but there is no guaranteed date for when you’ll receive your score.

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?
If you’re licensed to practice law in a different state, you can apply to be licensed in Indiana through admission on motion. To qualify, you can’t have either failed the Indiana Bar Exam in the past or have received a UBE score below 264 (the score needed to pass the UBE in Indiana). Additionally, you must have practiced law for at least three of the past five years, and you have to be in good standing in all jurisdictions where you’re licensed to practice.