Nebraska Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

Deep in the American heartland, Nebraska cherishes its status as a leader in agriculture and college football. If you’re driven to practice law in Nebraska, we’re here to help you sign up for the bar exam. You can take the exam twice each year: once in February and once in July. The February version of the exam takes place from February 24–25, 2026, while the July version takes place from July 28–29, 2026.

The application fee for first-time test takers is $515, but if you haven’t passed the MPRE yet, your total fee will be $615. If you’re retaking the exam for the first time (making this your second attempt overall), your fee will be $250. However, if you need to retake the exam more than once, the application fee goes back up to $515. Although the application deadline for the February 2026 exam has already lapsed, you can apply for the July 2026 exam once that application opens.

Like 40 other jurisdictions, Nebraska uses the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). Over two days, you’ll be spending twelve hours taking the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). The MEE has six essay questions, each of which takes thirty minutes. The MPT has two essay questions, which take ninety minutes each. The MBE has 200 multiple-choice questions. The MEE and the MPT are administered on day one of the exam, while the MBE is administered on day two.

Starting in July 2027, Nebraska will use the NextGen version of the UBE. The NextGen bar exam is designed to prioritize real-world lawyering skills more than past versions of the bar. The NextGen exam will not test you on Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Secured Transactions, and Trusts & Estates. The NextGen exam will include more questions about practical legal work, such as legal writing, negotiations, and client relationships.

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. Not all of these subjects will necessarily be tested on exam day, but because there’s also no guarantee of which subjects will be tested and which ones won’t, we recommend studying all of the above subjects so you’re fully prepared to pass the bar.

The MPT will focus on your ability to write a clear and convincing argument in response to a fact pattern. You’ll need to structure response as a memorandum or legal brief, depending on the requirements in the fact pattern. The laws that apply to the question will be provided 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 Nebraska, you must receive a scaled score of at least 85.

How is the exam scored?

To pass, you must achieve a combined scaled score of 270 out of 400. The MPT, MEE, and MBE are combined into a single scaled score. The MBE is worth 50% of the total score, while the MPT is worth 20% and the MEE is worth 30%.

When are the results released?

You should expect to receive the results ninety days after the exam administration, but there is no guaranteed release date for the results.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

Nebraska doesn’t accept MBE results from other states, but you can apply for Bar admission in Nebraska if you’ve taken the UBE in another jurisdiction.

What about reciprocity across states?

You can practice law in Nebraska through reciprocity so long as you meet the following requirements: you’ve practiced law for the past five years in another jurisdiction, graduated from an ABA-accredited law school, passed a character and fitness evaluation, and received at least a 270 on the UBE.