Washington Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

Famous for its wine, seafood culture, and scenic beauty, Washington State is home to a thriving legal community, particularly in the Seattle metro area. If you’re a Washingtonian looking forward to the bar exam, we’re here to help you pass! The Washington Bar Exam is offered in February and July of each year. Regardless of when you take the exam in February or July, it will be spread out over two days. The application deadline for February has already passed, but you’ll still be able to apply for the July 2026 exam once the application opens next year. The July exam will take place from July 28 to 29, 2026.

Like forty other jurisdictions in the United States, Washington uses the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). The UBE has three sections: the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), and the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE). The MEE and MPT are administered on the first day of the exam, and the MBE is administered on the second day.

On the first day of the exam, you’ll start with the MEE in a three-hour morning session. After a break for lunch, you’ll continue with the MPT in a three-hour afternoon session. The MEE consists of six half-hour essay questions, while the MPT has two ninety-minute essay questions.

The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is administered on day two of the exam, and it’s split into two sessions: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The sessions are three hours each. 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 any of the following 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. Since the MEE subjects tend to vary with each administration of the UBE, not every subject will necessarily be tested. As there’s no guarantee for which subjects will be tested, we advise that you study all of them to make sure that you’re ready to go on exam day.

Instead of testing your knowledge of specific legal subjects, the MPT will test your skill as a legal writer. A set of laws and facts will be given to you in the prompts, and you’ll have to apply the laws to the facts in a well-structured memorandum or legal brief. When studying for the MPT, focus on developing your skills in legal analysis and legal writing, as these are the most important criteria for the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) graders.

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 Washington, you must receive a scaled score of at least 85.

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 score, while the MPT is worth 20% and the MEE is worth 30%.

When are the results released?

February test takers can expect to receive their scores on April 10, 2026. No date has been given for when the July 2026 results will be released, but the July 2025 results were released on September 12, 2025.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

No, you must take the UBE to transfer your bar exam score to Washington State.

What about reciprocity across states?

Lawyers from other states may apply for reciprocity in Washington State if they’ve practiced law for at least one of the past three years, are in good standing in all other jurisdictions where they’re licensed, have graduated from an ABA-accredited law school, and meet Washington’s character and fitness requirements.