South Dakota Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

Renowned for the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, and Devil’s Tower, South Dakota is an exciting place to practice law. If you’re a South Dakotan who wants to become a lawyer, we’re here to help! The South Dakota Bar Exam is offered in February and July each year. The February exam will be administered from February 24–25, 2026, while the July exam will take place from July 28–29, 2026. Although the deadline to apply for the February exam has expired, you can apply for the July exam until May 1, 2026. The application fee for either administration of the exam is $495. The laptop fee is $100.

Unlike most states, South Dakota doesn’t use the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). Instead, it uses a version of the bar exam that is unique to that state, while remaining similar to the UBE. Like on the 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. However, the test differs from the UBE in that there is an additional essay question that covers Indian law.

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?

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 we recommend studying all of the above subjects so you’re fully prepared to pass the bar.

Instead of testing specific areas of law, the MPT requires you to write an analysis of a fictional legal case. The laws applicable to the question will be given to you in the prompt. You’ll be graded based on your writing ability and the quality of your legal analysis.

For the Indian Law Question (ILQ), you’ll be asked about federal laws governing Native Americans, including the Indian Civil Rights Act and the Indian Child Welfare Act.

The MBE will test 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 Dakota, you must receive a scaled score of at least 85.

How is the exam scored?

The MPT, MEE, ILQ, and the MBE are combined into a single scaled score. The MBE is worth 50% of the total score, while the MPT, the MEE, and the Indian Law Question combined are worth the remaining 50%. To pass, you must achieve a combined scaled score of 133 and a combined average of 75% on the essay portions of the exam.

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?

To practice law in South Dakota without taking the South Dakota Bar Exam, you can apply for admission on motion. To apply, you must have practiced law for three of the previous five years, have graduated from an ABA-accredited law school, and be in good standing in all jurisdictions where you’re presently licensed to practice.