The New York Bar Exam
The following information comes from the National Conference of Bar Examiners and the New York State Board of Law Examiners. While the information is believed to be correct, it should be used for general guidance only. Contact the New York State Board of Law Examiners directly for authoritative information.
The New York bar exam, a 2-day exam, consists of
- the six-hour Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), weighted 40%;
- one 90-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) problem, weighted 10%;
- 50 New York multiple choice questions, weighted 10%; and
- five 40-minute New York essay questions, weighted 40%.
The New York questions, both multiple-choice and essay, require specific knowledge of New York law. Essay questions all test more than one subject. The successful applicant must achieve a combined scaled score of 665 out of 1000. Laptops are allowed under limited conditions.
Applicants also must pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) the year before or during which the applicant takes the bar exam, or the following year until March. The passing scaled score for the MPRE is 85.
Past essay exams with selected model answers are available online.
The following subjects may be tested on the New York bar exam:
- business relationships (business associations)
- civil jurisdiction
- civil procedure and jurisdiction (New York and federal)
- conflict of laws
- constitutional law (New York and federal)
- contracts (including UCC Art. 2 sales)
- criminal law and procedure
- estate taxation
- evidence
- family law
- professional responsibility
- real property (including real estate finance)
- remedies
- torts and statutory no-fault insurance provisions
- UCC Articles 1 (general provisions), 2 (sales), 3 (negotiable instruments), 9 (secured transactions)
- wills, trusts, and estates
