Bar exams in most states follow a very similar format. Listed below are the most common components of bar examinations.
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a sixty question, two-hour and five minute, multiple-choice examination administered three times each year—in March, August, and November. A subject matter outline is available from the National Conference of Bar Examiners. The MPRE is required for bar applicants in all but three states—Maryland, Washington, and Wisconsin. In Arkansas, applicants may take the MPRE up to three years prior to passing the remainder of the Arkansas Bar Examination, or up to one year afterward. The minimum score for varies by jurisdiction—in Arkansas, the minimum passing score is 85. For the minimum passing score in other jurisdictions, see page 22 of the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements. Applicants register for the MPRE online. The National Conference of Bar Examiners, which drafts the MPRE, publishes a free information booklet on the MPRE, and also makes previous MPRE questions available online for purchase.
The Multistate Performance Test (MPT) consists of two 90-minute skills questions covering legal analysis, fact analysis, problem solving, resolution of ethical dilemmas, organization and management of a lawyering task, and communication. The MPT is administered in 30 states (including Arkansas) and the District of Columbia. In Arkansas, the MPT is administered on the first morning of the bar exam, and accounts for approximately 18% of the overall bar exam score. The National Conference of Bar Examiners, which drafts the MPT problem sets, publishes a free information booklet on the MPT, and also makes previous MPT problem sets available online for free. Note that several states that don’t administer the MPT write similar questions for their bar exam.
The Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) is made up of several essay questions drafted by the National Conference of Bar Examiners. The MEE is administered in 16 states (including Arkansas) and the District of Columbia. The National Conference of Bar Examiners writes seven questions each time the bar exam is administered, and each jurisdiction determines how many of the seven questions it will use. In most jurisdictions, applicants are given 30 minutes to complete each question, but in Arkansas, applicants are given 45 minutes per question. In Arkansas, the MEE is administered the afternoon of the first day of the bar exam, and accounts for approximately 24% of the overall bar exam score. Note that although the MEE is written by a national organization, applicants’ responses are graded by the Arkansas Board of Law Examiners.
In Arkansas, the following subjects are tested by MEE (click on the subject to view a subject matter outline):
In addition to these subjects, the subjects taught in Conflict of Laws may arise in an essay question.
Though the Arkansas rules don’t require applicants to write about the distinctions between Arkansas law and generally accepted principles of law (because the MEE is a national test), applicants are advised to discuss distinctions between Arkansas law and generally accepted principles of law where those distinctions exist.
Previous MEE questions and the top Arkansas answer as selected by the Arkansas Board of Law Examiners are available on reserve in the library. The same information, along with a model outline written by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, is available in Dean Andy Taylor’s office, Room 207B.
The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is administered in every state except Louisiana and Washington, and also in Washington, D.C. The MBE is a six-hour, two-hundred question multiple-choice examination. In Arkansas, the MBE is administered on the morning and afternoon of the second day of the bar examination.
The following subjects are tested on the MBE (click on the subject to view a subject matter outline):
The National Conference of Bar Examiners, which drafts the MBE, publishes a free information booklet on the MBE, and also makes previous MBE questions available online for purchase. The MBE Annotated Preview (available at the previous link) is an online practice MBE that gives applicants an estimate of their scaled MBE score upon completion of the exam.
Most states offer several essay questions written specifically for their states. In fact, even states that offer MEE questions usually supplement those questions with local essay questions. Arkansas adopts this approach, administering the local essay exam on the last morning of the exam. In Arkansas, applicants answer four local essay questions, and are given 45 minutes to answer each question. These questions are written by and graded by members of the Arkansas Board of Law Examiners, so applicants are required to address Arkansas law. The local essay portion of the Arkansas bar exam accounts for approximately 24% of the overall bar exam score.
In Arkansas, the following subjects are tested by local essay:
In addition to these subjects, the subjects taught in Conflict of Laws may arise in an essay question.
The Arkansas Board of Law Examiners provides a very general description of these topics on its web site. In addition, the board posts previous local examination questions and top answers on its web site. These previous questions and top answers are also available on reserve in the law school library, and in the office of Assistant Dean Andy Taylor.
Bar Exam Subject |
Bowen School Equivalent |
Multistate Essay |
Elective Courses |
Elective Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Business Organizations |
Business Associations | Y |
||
Practice & Procedure |
Civil Procedure | Y |
||
Commercial Paper |
Y |
|||
Conflicts |
Y |
|||
Constitutional Law |
Y |
|||
Contracts |
Y |
|||
Criminal Law |
Y |
Y |
||
Criminal Procedure |
Y |
Y |
||
Wills, Estates, and Trusts |
Decendents' Estates | Y |
||
Evidence |
Y |
|||
Domestic Relations |
Family Law | Y |
||
Property |
Y |
Y |
||
Equity |
Remedies | Y |
||
Sales |
Y |
|||
Secured Transactions |
Y |
|||
Torts |
Y |
Y |
Revised: 4/2/2008