Mississippi Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

The state that gave birth to the blues, Mississippi holds the distinction of electing the first African-American Senator – Hiram Rhodes Revels – in 1870. If you want to practice law in Mississippi, you’ll have to pass the bar exam. Mississippi offers the bar exam twice a year: once in February and once in July. The February exam takes place from February 24–25, 2026, while the July exam takes place from July 28–29, 2026.

The filing deadline for the February 2026 exam has expired, but you can still apply for the July 2026 exam. The regular filing deadline for the July exam is February 1, 2026. If you miss that deadline, you may apply by the late filing deadline of April 1. The application fee is $850 so long as you apply by February 1. The total fee will be $1,050 if you apply after February 1.

The Mississippi Bar Exam has four components: the Mississippi Essay Examination, the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE). The Mississippi Essay Examination, the MPT, and the MEE all take place on the first day of the exam. The Mississippi Essay Examination has six essay questions, which can cover any of the following subjects: Contracts, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Domestic Relations, Evidence, Mississippi Constitutional Law, Practice & Procedure of Mississippi Courts, Professional Conduct and Ethics, and U.S. Constitutional Law.

The MEE has six thirty-minute essay questions. The MEE covers these topics: Business Associations (including Agency, Corporations, LLCs, and Partnerships), Civil Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, Contracts (including Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code), Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Real Property, Torts, Trusts and Estates, and Secured Transactions (including Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code).

The MPT has one ninety-minute essay question, where you’ll be asked to write a legal memorandum or brief in response to a fact pattern. Note that the Mississippi Bar Exam is different from most bar exams in that it has only one MPT question instead of two.

The MBE has 200 multiple-choice questions. The MBE covers a narrower 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 Mississippi, you must receive a scaled score of at least 75. This score must be attained within two years before or one year after passing the Mississippi Bar Exam.

How is the exam scored?

To pass, you must achieve a combined scaled score of 132 out of 200. The four sections of the Mississippi Bar Exam are combined into a single scaled score. The MBE is worth 50% of the total score. The MPT, the MEE, and the Mississippi Essay Examination are weighed equally to make up the other 50%.

When are the results released?

February scores are expected to be released in April, while July scores should be released in October, but there is no guaranteed release date for the results.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

Yes, but only if you’ve taken the MBE within the past twenty months in another jurisdiction.

What about reciprocity across states?

Lawyers from other jurisdictions may apply for reciprocity in Mississippi if they’ve practiced law for at least five years. Mississippi has reciprocity agreements with the following jurisdictions: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, the Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.