Oregon Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

With an exciting arts scene and a stunning natural landscape, Oregon is a prime destination for up-and-coming attorneys, particularly in the Portland area. If you’re an Oregonian who wants to practice law, we’re here to help you pass the Oregon Bar Exam! The exam is offered twice a year, in February and July. The February exam takes place over two days, February 24–25, 2026, while the July exam is offered on July 28–29, 2026. The initial deadline to apply for the February exam is November 17, 2025, and the application fee is $1,000. However, you can still take the exam if you apply by December 17 and pay a late fee of $400. The initial deadline to apply for the July exam is April 17, 2025, and the application fee is $1,000. However, you can still take the exam if you apply by May 17 and pay a late fee of $400. The laptop fee for both exams is $150.

Like 40 other jurisdictions in the United States, Oregon uses the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). The Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT) are administered on the first day of the exam. The MEE has six half-hour essay questions, while the MPT has two ninety-minute essay questions. The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is administered on the second day of the exam. For the MBE, test takers will spend six hours answering 200 multiple-choice questions.

In July 2026, Oregon will start using the NextGen version of the bar exam. The NextGen bar exam is designed to emphasize the importance of real-world lawyering skills in addition to your legal knowledge. The NextGen exam will not test the following subjects: 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?

The MEE can test you on any of these subjects: 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. You may not be tested on all these subjects (the MEE tends to change the tested subjects with each exam). But as there’s no way to predict the subjects that will be tested, we recommend studying all of the above subjects so you’re fully prepared to pass the bar.

The MPT doesn’t test you on your knowledge of a particular area of law. Instead, you’ll be asked to write a persuasive memorandum or legal brief in response to a fact pattern about a case. The relevant laws that apply to the question will be provided 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 Oregon, you must receive a scaled score of at least 85.

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 results two months after the exam administration, but there is no guarantee of when the scores will be released.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

Yes.

What about reciprocity across states?

Lawyers from other jurisdictions may apply for reciprocity in Oregon if they’ve passed the bar in another state, practiced law for at least twenty-four of the past forty-eight months, have graduated from an ABA-accredited law school, are not the subject of any ongoing disciplinary or criminal cases, and have not been subject to disciplinary action within the previous sixty months.