South Carolina Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

Bordered by the Blue Ridge Mountains and a glistening Atlantic coastline, South Carolina holds the distinction of having elected the first African-American to the U.S. House of Representatives: Joseph Rainey. During the Jim Crow era, many Black South Carolinians used the law to fight for their rights in the face of racial discrimination. Taking the South Carolina Bar Exam will give you the chance to carry on the tradition of those who defended their freedoms through the legal process. If you want to become a lawyer too, then we’re here to help you pass the bar exam!

The South Carolina Bar Exam is offered twice a year, in February and July. The February exam will take place from February 24–25, 2026, while the July exam is scheduled for July 28–29, 2026. The deadline to apply for the February 2026 exam has expired, but you can still apply for the July 2026 exam. The initial deadline to apply for the July exam is January 10, 2026, with an application fee of $1,000. You can still apply for the exam by January 31, but the application will go up to $1,500. There is a laptop fee of $125.50 for either administration of the exam.

South Carolina 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.

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. However, because there’s 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. Better safe than sorry!

The MPT will test your ability to write a clear and convincing argument in a memorandum or legal brief. You’ll be given a fact pattern about a fictional case, and it will be your job to apply the law to the facts. The laws applicable to the question will be given to you in the prompt.

For the MBE, you may 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 South Carolina, you must receive a scaled score of at least 77.

How is the exam scored?

The MPT, MEE, and MBE are combined into a single scaled score out of 400. 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 266 out of 400.

When are the results released?

Test takers can expect to receive their results two months after the exam administration. However, there is no guarantee for when the scores will be released.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

Yes.

What about reciprocity across states?

South Carolina doesn’t have reciprocity with other states.