The Uniform Bar Examination (UBE)

The Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), coordinated by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, is composed of the MEE, two MPT tasks, and the MBE. Its first administration was in February 2011. It is uniformly administered, graded, and scored and results in a portable score that can be used to apply for admission in other UBE jurisdictions.

The UBE is designed to test knowledge and skills that every lawyer should be able to demonstrate prior to becoming licensed to practice law.

NCBE scores the MBE component of the UBE. Jurisdictions grade the MEE and MPT components. The MEE and MPT scores are scaled to the MBE, and UBE total scores are calculated by NCBE. The MBE is weighted 50%, the MEE 30%, and the MPT 20%. UBE total scores are reported on a 400-point scale.

UBE jurisdictions agree to certain administrative policies in order to generate scores that qualify to be certified by NCBE as UBE scores. UBE jurisdictions independently set other policies, such as establishing their own passing scores, determining how long incoming UBE scores will be accepted, and whether or not to require applicants to complete a jurisdiction-specific component, such as a course or test on jurisdiction-specific law, either pre- or post-admission.

Jurisdictions Administering the UBE in 2019

NOTE: Arkansas began administering the UBE in February 2020. Ohio was to begin administering the UBE in July 2020; due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it instead administered a remote exam in July 2020 for local admission only and will begin its first administration of the UBE in February 2021. Kentucky and Texas will begin administering the UBE in February 2021; and Oklahoma will begin administering the UBE in July 2021.

Minimum Passing UBE Score by Jurisdiction in 2019

Map of the United States showing UBE jurisdictions and their minimum passing UBE score in 2017. See table below for detailed data.

Minimum Passing UBE Score by Jurisdiction in 2019

ID	Minimum Passing UBE Score in 2019	Jurisdiction(s)
1	260	Alabama, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota
2	264	Indiana, Oklahoma
3	266	Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Virgin Islands
4	268	Michigan
5	270	Arkansas, Idaho, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina,* Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington,† West Virginia, Wyoming
6	272	Pennsylvania
7	273	Arizona
8	274	Oregon‡
9	276	Colorado, Maine, Rhode Island
10	280	Alaska**

* Maine’s minimum passing score changed to 270 effective starting with the February 2020 bar examination. NOTE: Arkansas began administering the UBE in February 2020 with a minimum passing score of 270. Ohio was to begin administering the UBE in July 2020 with a minimum passing score of 270; due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it instead administered a remote exam in July 2020 for local admission only and will begin its first administration of the UBE in February 2021. Kentucky and Texas will begin administering the UBE in February 2021 with a minimum passing score of 266 and 270, respectively, and Oklahoma will begin administering the UBE in July 2021 with a minimum passing score of 264. Bar graph of the number of UBE jurisdictions that use a particular minimum passing score. 5 jurisdictions use a score of 260; 11 use a score of 266; 10 use a score of 270; 3 use a score of 276 and 1 jurisdiction uses 272, 273, 274, and 280.

UBE Scores Earned and Transferred by Jurisdiction in 2019

Note: To earn UBE scores, applicants take all portions of the examination (MEE, MPT, and MBE) in the same UBE jurisdiction and in the same administration. Use of a banked, transferred, or concurrent MBE or written scaled score earned in a prior examination or concurrently in another jurisdiction does not result in a UBE score.

Stats 2019- UBE Scores Earned and Transferred by Jurisdiction in 2019

ID	UBE Jurisdiction	2019 UBE Scores Earned	2019 Scores Transferred Out	2019 Scores Transferred In
1	Alabama	767	103	152
2	Alaska	89	45	61
3	Arizona	835	256	86
4	Arkansas*	—	—	17
5	Colorado	1,030	321	194
6	Connecticut	457	104	228
7	District of Columbia	2,371	606	925
8	Idaho	184	63	61
9	Illinois	1,951	72	349
10	Iowa	262	64	56
11	Kansas	147	54	159
12	Maine	175	47	35
13	Maryland	840	89	304
14	Massachusetts	1,875	372	337
15	Minnesota	770	120	237
16	Missouri	935	408	197
17	Montana	132	56	50
18	Nebraska	200	60	42
19	New Hampshire	162	96	71
20	New Jersey	1,305	401	641
21	New Mexico	323	60	165
22	New York	14,200	2,165	799
23	North Carolina	1,303	137	224
24	North Dakota	119	45	58
25	Oregon	564	154	77
26	Rhode Island	117	29	101
27	South Carolina	662	276	334
28	Tennessee	990	77	143
29	Texas †	—	—	115
30	Utah	327	56	77
31	Vermont	117	61	37
32	Washington	943	214	261
33	West Virginia	230	46	27
34	Wyoming	83	48	67
35	Virgin Islands	12	1	19
36	Total for All Jurisdictions	34,477	6,706	6,706

* Arkansas began accepting UBE scores in October 2019 but did not yet administer the UBE. Its first UBE administration was in February 2020.
† Texas began accepting UBE scores in December 2019 but did not yet administer the UBE. Its first UBE administration will be in February 2021.

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