Massachusetts Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

Massachusetts has been a pioneer in the legal profession for over 250 years. Thanks to a series of decisions by the state’s Supreme Judicial Court in the 1780s, Massachusetts was the first of the original thirteen U.S. states to fully abolish slavery. In 2004, another Supreme Judicial Court decision made Massachusetts the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage. Two prominent examples of great Massachusetts lawyers are John Adams and John Quincy Adams, who transformed U.S. history by representing unpopular defendants and winning against the odds. If you want to continue the fight for justice that has been fought by Massachusetts lawyers for over two centuries, we’re here to help you pass the bar exam!

Every year, the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) administers the bar exam in February and July. The application fee is $815. The February 2026 exam takes place from February 24–25, 2026. You must apply by December 5, 2025 to take the February 2026 exam. The application deadline for the July 2026 exam hasn’t been announced as of November 2025.

Like 40 other jurisdictions in the U.S., Massachusetts uses the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). The UBE was first used in 2011 in order to standardize the bar exam across the U.S. If you pass the UBE in Massachusetts, then you can apply for bar admission in other UBE jurisdictions so long as your UBE score is high enough to meet their requirements.

The UBE takes place over two days. On the first day of the UBE, you’ll take the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT). The MEE has six half-hour essay questions, while the MPT has two ninety-minute essay questions. You’ll have a break for lunch in between the MEE and the MPT. The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is administered on the second day of the exam. For the MBE, test takers will spend six hours answering 200 multiple-choice questions, but you’ll have a lunch break after the first 100 questions.

In July 2028, Massachusetts will shift to using the NextGen version of the bar exam. The NextGen bar exam is designed to prioritize real-world lawyering skills more than the current version of the UBE. NextGen won’t test the following subjects: Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Secured Transactions, and Trusts & Estates. NextGen will introduce new questions about practical legal work, such as negotiations and client relationships.

What subjects will you be tested on?

Between all three sections of the exam, the MEE covers the broadest range of subjects. The MEE may test you 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. Although the UBE doesn’t always test every single subject, we strongly recommend that you study every subject so you’re fully prepared to pass the bar exam. If you decide not to study a topic because you think it might not be tested, that could cause you to lose points if that topic ends up on the UBE.

Rather than testing your knowledge of substantive legal issues, as the MEE and the MBE do, the MPT tests your legal writing and analysis skills. The questions will present you with a set of facts and laws, then ask you to write a legal brief or memorandum based on the information given to you in the question. Unlike the MEE and the MBE, the relevant laws that apply to MPT questions will be provided in their respective prompts.

The MBE subjects are more straightforward. 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 Massachusetts, you must receive a scaled score of at least 85. This score is valid for the next three years. Unlike some other jurisdictions, however, there is no requirement to pass the MPRE within a certain amount of time before or after taking the bar exam.

How is the exam scored?

To pass the Massachusetts Bar Exam, you need to score at least 270 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%. While the MBE is worth the most points, make sure that when you study you don’t neglect the essay portions of the exam. If you perform strongly on the MBE but poorly on either the MPT or the MEE, you might not pass. By contrast, a poor performance on one section of the UBE can be made up for by a strong performance on another part of the exam, so make sure to fully prepare for all three sections of the exam.

When are the results released?

February and July test takers should expect to receive their results in April and October respectively, but there is no guarantee of when the scores will be released.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

While you may transfer your UBE score from another jurisdiction, you must transfer all parts of your score, not just the MBE.

What about reciprocity across states?

Lawyers from other jurisdictions may apply for reciprocity in Massachusetts if they’ve practiced law for at least five of the past seven years and have graduated from an ABA-accredited law school. Lawyers from all fifty states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands may apply for reciprocity in Massachusetts.