Maine Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

The rocky shores of Maine are home to some of New England’s finest attorneys and judges, and you can become one of them someday if you pass the bar exam. You have two opportunities per year to take the bar exam: in February and July. Regardless of whether you take the exam in the winter or the spring, the exam takes two days to complete. The first day has the essay sections of the exam, and the second day has the multiple-choice sections.

The February 2026 exam will be administered on the final Tuesday and Wednesday of the month (February 24–25, 2026). Likewise, the July 2026 exam will be administered on the final Tuesday and Wednesday of that month (July 28–29, 2026). Application fees for the bar exam vary across states; Maine’s application fee is $800. This fee applies regardless of which month you sit for the exam. Applications for the February 2026 exam are accepted from October 15 to December 20, 2025. You can apply for the July 2026 exam from March 15 to May 20, 2026.

Like most U.S. jurisdictions, Maine uses the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). This is a standardized version of the bar exam where the subjects and questions are the same in every jurisdiction. If you pass the UBE, you can apply to practice law in any UBE state so long as you have a high enough score. For instance, if you score a 270 on the Maine Bar Exam, you can apply to practice law in both Maine and Massachusetts, as they’re both UBE states which require a bar passage score of at least 270.

Here’s how the UBE works: on day one, you’ll answer six Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) essay questions. Each question takes thirty minutes to complete. After a lunch break, you’ll answer two Multistate Performance Test (MPT) essay questions. These questions take ninety minutes each. Once the MPT is over and done with, you can go home and relax so you feel refreshed for the second day of the exam. On day two, test takers will sit for the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). The MBE has 200 multiple choice questions, but these are spread out over a morning and an afternoon session with a lunch break in between.

Starting in July 2028, Maine will begin using the NextGen version of the bar exam. The NextGen exam will place more emphasis on real-world lawyering skills like legal writing, negotiations, and client relationships. NextGen won’t test the following subjects: Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Secured Transactions, and Trusts & Estates.

What subjects will you be tested on?

Although the MEE isn’t worth as much of your total score as the MBE, the MEE tests more subjects. All of these subjects are fair game on the MEE: 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. We recommend studying all of the above subjects so you’re well-equipped to pass, even though not every MEE subject will necessarily be on the exam.

The MPT doesn’t require as much preparation on legal subjects as the MEE or the MBE. The MPT is designed to test your legal writing ability, rather than your knowledge of a specific legal subject. The relevant laws that apply to the question will be given to you in the prompt.
The MBE tests a smaller range of topics than the MEE: 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 Maine, you must receive a scaled score of at least 80. Your score is valid for the next three years, regardless of when you’ve already taken the Maine Bar Exam. (In some states, your MPRE score is applicable only within a certain amount of time after taking the bar exam. This isn’t the case in Maine).

How is the exam scored?

You need to score at least 270 to pass the Maine Bar Exam. The exam is graded on a 400 point scaled score. The MPT, MEE, and MBE are combined into one scaled score out of 400. The MBE is worth half of your score, the MEE is worth 30%, and the MPT is worth 20%.

When are the results released?

You should expect to receive their results eight to nine weeks after the exam administration, but there is no guarantee of when you’ll receive your score.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

Although Maine uses the UBE, it doesn’t allow applicants to transfer MBE scores separately.

What about reciprocity across states?

According to an article on the Maine State Bar Association’s website entitled Reciprocal Admission, lawyers may apply for reciprocal admission in Maine, “upon completion of at least fifteen (15) hours of continuing legal education on Maine practice and procedure (See Maine Bar Admission Rule 11A(8)). Such CLE credit hours must be completed within one year immediately preceding the date upon which the motion for reciprocal admission is filed.”

References

Reciprocal Admission, Maine State Bar Association, https://www.mainebar.org/page/ReciprocalAdmission.