Wisconsin Bar Exam Information

Dates, Cost & Location

Historically a center of environmentalism and the Progressive Movement, Wisconsin has been at the forefront of America’s key legal battles for over a century. If you’re a Wisconsinite looking forward to the bar exam, we’re here to help you pass! The exam is offered in February and July of each year. The February 2026 exam will take place from February 24–25, 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 will take place from July 28–29, 2026. The initial deadline to apply for the July exam is April 1, 2025, with a $500 application fee, but you may apply by May 1 if you pay an additional late fee of $200.

Unlike most jurisdictions, Wisconsin doesn’t use the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). Like the UBE, the Wisconsin Bar Exam includes the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE). But Wisconsin also has essay questions that are specific to Wisconsin law. Including the MEE, you will answer six essay questions total. The MEE, the Wisconsin law essays, and the MPT are administered on the first day of the exam, while the MBE is administered on the second day.

On day one, you’ll start with the MEE and the Wisconsin state law questions in the morning session. After a break for lunch, you’ll continue with the MPT in the afternoon. The MPT has two ninety-minute essay questions, while the MEE and the Wisconsin essays comprise six half-hour essay questions in total. 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. For the MBE, test takers will spend six hours answering 200 multiple-choice questions.

What subjects will you be tested on?

Any of the following subjects may appear 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. Not all of these subjects will necessarily be tested on exam day; the MEE doesn’t always cover every possible subject. Because there’s no guarantee for which subjects will be tested, we recommend studying all of them so you’re in the best position possible to score highly on the MEE.

The Wisconsin state law essay questions may test you on Business Associations, Commercial Paper, Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Federal Taxation, Personal Property, Professional Responsibility, Sales, Trusts and Estates, Secured Transactions (Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code), and Wisconsin Civil Procedure, as well as the MBE subjects mentioned below.

The MPT will give you the facts of a fictional case and ask you to analyze it in a memorandum or legal brief, as you would in a real-life law firm assignment. Unlike the MEE, laws that apply to the MPT fact patterns will be given 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 Wisconsin, you must receive a scaled score of at least 86.

How is the exam scored?

To pass, you must achieve a combined scaled score of 258 out of 400. The MPT, MEE, Wisconsin state law questions, and the MBE are combined into a single scaled score. The MBE is worth half of the total score, the MPT is worth 20%, and the MEE and Wisconsin essay questions are worth 30% combined.

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 Wisconsin if they’ve practiced law for at least three of the past five years and are in good standing in all jurisdictions where they’re licensed to practice.