Kentucky Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

Renowned for horse races, premium bourbon, and Fort Knox, Kentucky is a thriving state with a top-tier legal field, and we’re excited to help you pass the bar exam!. The exam is offered in February and July every year, and it’s split over two days. The February 2026 exam will take place from February 24–25, 2026. The July exam will take place on July 28–29, 2026.

Because the bar exam is offered only twice a year, make sure to think well in advance about when you want to apply. The regular application deadline for the February 2026 exam was October 1, 2025, with a fee of $875 for first-time test takers, and the late application deadline was November 10. Although those two deadlines have expired, you can still apply for the exam, as the extended late application deadline is December 10. Applicants who apply after October 1 but by November 10 were to pay an additional late fee of $250, but if you apply between November 10 and December 10, you’ll pay a $450 extended late fee as well as the $875 regular application fee. Attorneys pay an application fee of $1,200, while test retakers pay $325. The deadlines for the July 2026 exam haven’t been announced as of November 2025.

Kentucky uses the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). On the first day of the exam, test takers will answer six thirty-minute Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) essay questions and two ninety-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) essay questions. You’ll have a lunch break between the MEE and MPT. On the second day, test takers will spend six hours answering two hundred multiple-choice questions for the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE).

In July 2027, Kentucky will transition to the NextGen version of the UBE, which includes new questions designed to test your real-world lawyering skills. The legal subjects Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Secured Transactions, and Trusts & Estates will be dropped from NextGen. The new questions will cover topics such as client counseling, dispute resolution, and legal writing.

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 Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code), Torts, and Wills & Estates. The MEE doesn’t always test every possible subject, but we recommend studying all of them so you’re fully prepared to pass the bar.

Instead of testing your knowledge of a particular area of law, the MPT tests 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. While studying for the MPT, focus on improving your skills in legal reasoning and creating a well-structured essay. Your responses need to be organized like an actual memo or brief that you would submit at a law firm.

The MBE tests 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 Kentucky, you must receive a scaled score of at least 80.

How is the exam scored?

The Kentucky Bar Exam is scored on a 400 point scale. To pass, you score at least 266 out of 400. The MPT, MEE, and MBE are combined into one score. The MBE is worth 50% of the score, while the MPT is worth 20% and the MEE is worth 30%.

When are the results released?

Test takers should expect to receive their results in late March or early April, but there is no guaranteed date for when the scores will be released.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

Yes, so long as you’ve taken the UBE.

What about reciprocity across states?

Out-of-state lawyers may apply for admission on motion if they’ve practiced law for five of the past seven years. Kentucky has reciprocity with the following jurisdictions: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.