Preparation

Every state develops and administers its own bar examination at the end of every February and July.  Each state's bar examination usually lasts two to three days and will test on a variety of subjects through different testing methods.  Most states require a combination of one or more tests to pass their bar examination:  the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE), the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), and the state essay exam.  The MBE consists of 200 multiple choice questions and tests on six different subject areas; the MPRE consists of 50 multiple choice questions which tests an applicant's knowledge and understanding of the ethical standards of the legal profession; the MPT is comprised of two 90-minute questions (states can use one or both) that are designed to parallel realistic situations confronting a lawyer and test fundamental knowledge of practical legal situations; and the state essay exam which tests specific subjects and specific aspects of that state's jurisdiction.  All states require a passing grade on their state's bar examination before a lawyer can practice law.

In Oklahoma, the two day bar examination consists of the (MBE), the 200 question multiple choice exam, and an essay section which tests on specific substantive areas and application of state law.  For more information about admission to the Oklahoma Bar, visit www.okbbe.com.

To prepare for your state's bar examination, students should consider taking courses during law school that will be tested on the bar examination.  To find out what courses are covered on the state bar examination in which you intend to practice, you should contact the Board of Bar Examiners in that state directly.  The Office of Career Services will be happy to help you determine what courses are covered on your state's bar examination.