Maryland Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

Known as much for a vibrant sailing culture as it is for crab cakes, Maryland is a highly sought-after destination for future lawyers who want to help those in need through the legal profession. But taking the bar exam is complicated, so we’re here to guide you through the process. The bar exam is offered in February and July every year. The February exam takes place from February 24–25, 2026, while the July exam takes place from July 28–29, 2026. The deadline to apply for the February 2026 exam is December 20, 2025. As of November 2025, the deadline for the July 2026 exam hasn’t been set yet. If you’re taking the Maryland Bar Exam for the first time, the application fee is $750, but the fee is $400 if you’re retaking the exam.

Maryland uses the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). The UBE is split into two days, with the first day featuring the essay portions of the exam and the second day featuring the multiple choice questions. Each day of the exam has six hours of testing time total.

The two essay sections of the UBE, the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), are administered on the first day. You’ll sit for the MEE in the morning session, answering six essay questions which take a half-hour each. Once you’re done with the MEE, you get to take a lunch break. When you return to the testing area, you’ll sit for the MPT in the afternoon session. The MPT has two essay questions which take up ninety minutes each.

The second day of the exam works similarly to the first day. On day two you’ll take the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), which is split between a morning and an afternoon session. You’ll take 100 multiple-choice MBE questions during the morning session, and after a lunch break you’ll take the next 100 multiple-choice questions during the afternoon session. The morning and afternoon sessions last for three hours each.

In July 2026, Maryland will start using the NextGen version of the UBE. The NextGen exam will include more questions about practical legal work, such as legal writing, negotiations, and client relationships. The NextGen exam will not test Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Secured Transactions, or Trusts & Estates, but these subjects can appear on the February 2026 exam.

What subjects will you be tested on?

The MEE will ask you to write essay responses to questions that can be based on any of the following subjects: 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. You won’t necessarily be tested on all of these subjects, but it’s impossible to predict which subjects will be on the exam. Play it safe and study all of the MEE subjects so you’re fully prepared to pass the bar.

The MPT is unique in that it tests your legal writing ability and analysis skills instead of your memory of specific areas of law. On both MPT questions, all of the information you need to pass will be provided in the prompt, including the laws that apply to the fact pattern.

Although the MBE has over thirty-three times the number of questions as the MEE, it doesn’t test as many subjects. 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 Maryland, you must score at least 85. You must attain this score within two years of passing the UBE.

How is the exam scored?

To pass the bar exam in Maryland, you must achieve a combined scaled score of at least 266. Your MPT, MEE, and MBE scores are combined into a single scaled score out of 400. The MBE is worth 50% of your score, the MPT is worth 20%, and the MEE is worth 30%.

When are the results released?

February test takers can expect to receive their results in May 2026, and July test takers can expect them in October, but there is no guaranteed date for when the scores will be released.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

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

What about reciprocity across states?

Lawyers from other states may apply for reciprocity in Maryland if they’ve practiced law for at least three of the past five years, are in good standing in all other jurisdictions where they’re licensed, have graduated from an ABA-accredited law school, and pass Maryland’s character and fitness application.