New Jersey Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

The home of Princeton University, New York’s two biggest football teams, and some of the most important sites in America’s founding, New Jersey is an exciting place to practice law. If your heart is set on becoming a lawyer, we’re here to help! The New Jersey Bar Exam is offered in February and July of each year. The exams take place on February 24–25, 2026 and July 28–29, 2026, respectively. New Jersey has three deadlines to apply for the February administration of the bar exam. If you had applied between October 1 and 31, 2025, the application fee would’ve been $675. If you had applied between November 1 and 15, the application fee would’ve been $950. If you apply between November 16 and 30, the fee is $1,200. The final application deadline is November 30.

Likewise, New Jersey has three deadlines to apply for the July administration of the bar exam. If you apply between March 1 and 31, 2026, the application fee is $675. If you apply between April 1 and 15, the application fee is $950. If you apply between April 16 and 30, the fee is $1,200. The final application deadline is April 30.

New Jersey uses the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). The UBE has three sections: the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE). The MPT and MEE are administered on the first day of the exam, while the MBE is administered on the second day. On day one, you’ll start with the MPT in the morning session. After a break for lunch, you’ll continue with the MEE in the afternoon. The MPT has two ninety-minute essay questions, while the MEE has six half-hour essay questions. The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is administered on day two of the exam, and it’s split into a morning and an afternoon session, each of which is three hours long. Test takers will spend six hours total answering 200 multiple-choice questions, but you’ll have a lunch break in between sessions.

What subjects will you be tested on?

During 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 there’s no guarantee of which subjects will be tested and which ones won’t. Therefore, we recommend studying all of the above subjects so you’re fully prepared to pass the bar.

During the MPT, you’ll be tasked with writing either a memorandum or legal brief in response to a fact pattern. Unlike the MEE, you’ll be given the applicable laws in the prompt. You’ll be graded on your ability to write a well-structured and persuasive argument. Treat the MPT questions like an actual writing assignment at a law firm, as the MPT is meant to reflect the real-world experience of applying the law to the facts under a tight deadline.

During the MBE, 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 New Jersey, you must receive a scaled score of at least 75.

How is the exam scored?

To pass, you must achieve a combined scaled score of 266 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?

February test takers should expect to receive their results in April or May, and July test takers should expect them in October, but there is no guaranteed release date for the exam scores.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

Yes.

What about reciprocity across states?

Lawyers from other jurisdictions may apply for reciprocity in New Jersey if they have practiced law for at least five of the past seven years, have graduated from an ABA-accredited law school, meet New Jersey’s character and fitness requirements, are in good standing in their current jurisdiction(s), and pass a New Jersey ethics and professionalism evaluation.