Missouri Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

Celebrated for its brilliant jazz musicians and the rugged Midwestern landscape that inspired the writings of Mark Twain, Missouri also has a proud legal tradition that includes some of the finest lawyers and judges in the nation. You can become a part of that tradition by passing the bar exam, which is offered in February and July every year. Both administrations of the exam take place over two days. The February 2026 exam is administered from February 24–25, 2026. The July version is administered from July 28–29, 2026.

The regular deadline for applying for the February 2026 exam was October 1, 2025, but you can still take the exam if you apply by December 1. The application fee is $1,400.

Missouri uses the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). The UBE is split into two days. On day one, test takers answer six thirty-minute Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) essay questions and two ninety-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) essay questions. Day two will be spent on six hours answering 200 multiple-choice questions on the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE).

In July 2026, Missouri will adopt the NextGen version of the UBE. The NextGen bar exam has new components that will test you on real-world lawyering skills like legal writing, negotiations, and client relationships. NextGen won’t test Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Secured Transactions, and Trusts & Estates.

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. Because we can’t predict which of these subjects you’ll be tested on, we recommend studying all of the above subjects so you’re fully prepared to pass the bar.

Rather than testing your knowledge of a particular area of law, the MPT will ask you to demonstrate your ability to write a clear and convincing argument in a memorandum or legal brief. The laws relevant to the question will be given to you in the prompt.

The MBE will test you 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 Missouri, you must receive a scaled score of at least 80.

How is the exam scored?

A score of 260 out of 400 is needed to pass the Missouri Bar Exam. The MPT, MEE, and MBE are combined into a single scaled 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?

You should expect to receive your results two months after the exam administration.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

Yes, so long as you took the MBE using the UBE.

What about reciprocity across states?

Out-of-state lawyers may apply for admission to the Missouri Bar on motion, provided that they graduated from an ABA-accredited law school, have practiced law for the past five years, have passed the UBE, and are in good standing in their other jurisdiction(s).