West Virginia Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

With a proud history of loyalty to the Union and support for the American labor movement, West Virginia welcomes the kind of independent thinkers that are sorely needed in the legal profession. If you’re a West Virginian who’s excited to become a lawyer, we’re here to help you pass the bar exam! The exam is offered in February and July of each year. The February 2026 exam takes place from February 24 to 25, 2026. The initial deadline to apply for the February exam is November 1, 2025, with a $500 application fee, but you may apply by December 1 if you pay an additional late fee of $200. The July 2026 exam takes place from July 28 to 29, 2026. The initial deadline to apply for the July exam is April 1, 2026, with a $500 application fee. However, you may apply by May 1 if you pay an additional late fee of $200.

Like forty other jurisdictions in the United States, West Virginia uses the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). The UBE is split between two essay sections and one long multiple-choice section. The two essay sections, which are administered on day one of the exam, are the Multistate Performance Test (MPT) and the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE). The multiple-choice section is the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), which is administered on day two of the exam.

On day one, you’ll start with the MEE in the morning session. The MEE has six essay questions, which take a half hour each. After a break for lunch, you’ll continue with the MPT in the afternoon. The MPT has two essay questions, which take ninety minutes each.

The MBE is split into two sessions: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Test takers will spend six hours answering 200 multiple-choice questions. After answering 100 questions during day two’s morning session, you’ll take the final 100 questions during the afternoon session following a lunch break.

What subjects will you be tested on?

Any of these subjects can be on the MEE: 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. Because there’s no predicting how many MEE subjects will be on the exam, we recommend studying them all so you’re prepared to crush the MEE!

The MPT tests your ability to present a well-structured legal argument in a memorandum or brief. The laws and facts that apply to the question will be given to you in the prompt. For instance, you may be asked to put yourself in the shoes of a law firm that needs help with a case. You’ll be given the facts of the case, the laws that apply to it, and the main questions that your employer wants answered. Your responsibility is to apply the laws to the given facts in a persuasive argument with clear conclusions. The grader’s focus will be on your writing skills and your ability to defend your argument.

The MBE will test your knowledge of 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 West Virginia, you must receive a scaled score of at least 80.

How is the exam scored?

To pass, you must achieve a combined scaled score of 270 out of 400. Your scores on all three sections of the exam are combined into one score, with the three sections weighed differently. The MBE is worth 50% of your score, the MPT is worth 20%, and the MEE is worth 30%.

When are the results released?

Test takers can expect to receive their scores within four to five weeks, but there is no guaranteed date for the release of the results.

Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?

Yes.

What about reciprocity across states?

Lawyers from other states may apply for reciprocity in West Virginia if they’ve practiced law for at least five of the past seven years and are licensed in one of the following jurisdictions:
Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State, Washington, DC or Wisconsin.