North Carolina Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

Bordered by the sweeping Appalachian Mountains and a beautiful Atlantic shoreline, North Carolina is an exciting place to practice law. If you’re a North Carolinian looking forward to the bar exam, we’re here to help you pass! The exam is offered in February and July of each year. The February 2026 exam takes place from February 24–25, 2026 and the July 2026 exam takes place from July 28–29, 2026. Although the deadline to apply for the February 2026 exam has passed, you can still apply for the July 2026 exam. The initial deadline to apply is January 7, 2026, with a $400 application fee, but you may apply by March 4 if you pay an additional late fee of $250.

Like 40 other jurisdictions in the United States, North Carolina 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 the first day, 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 the second day of the exam, and it’s split into two sessions: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. For the MBE, test takers will spend 6 hours answering 200 multiple-choice questions.

What subjects will you be tested on?

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. Not all of these subjects will necessarily be tested on exam day. Because there’s also no guarantee of which subjects will be tested, we recommend studying all of them so you’re prepared to pass.

Rather than testing your command of particular legal subjects, the MPT will ask you to write a memorandum or legal brief in response to a fact pattern. The relevant laws that apply 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 North Carolina, you must receive a scaled score of at least 80.

How is the exam scored?

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%. To pass, you must achieve a combined scaled score of 270 out of 400.

When are the results released?

Test takers should expect to receive their scores five weeks after the exam. However, there is no guaranteed date for the release of the results.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

No, you must take the UBE to transfer your bar exam score to North Carolina.

What about reciprocity across states?

Out-of-state attorneys may apply to practice law in North Carolina if they primarily earn a living by practicing law and if they’ve practiced law for at least four of the past six years. North Carolina has reciprocity agreements with the following jurisdictions: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, the Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.