United States · Licensing examMBE subjects
The scored questions are split evenly across civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law and procedure, evidence, real property and torts. The trial questions look the same as the real ones, so NCBE's advice is to answer every question.
Which states use the multistate bar exam?
NCBE lists 44 jurisdictions giving the MBE. The seven states that don't are Louisiana, which writes its whole exam, and Connecticut, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon and Washington, which moved to NextGen in July 2026. Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands don't use it either.
Outside the UBE, the MBE is part of the exam in California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, South Dakota and Virginia, alongside each state's own questions.
How the MBE is timed and scored
There are no scheduled breaks inside either 3-hour session. Six hours for 200 questions works out to 1.8 minutes a question, by our count. NCBE scores the MBE and sends your score to the jurisdiction where you tested. On the UBE it's half your total.
Practice for the MBE
NCBE posts free MBE sample questions and the MBE Subject Matter Outline, which lists what each subject can cover. Its paid study aids are real past questions. Our practice test has 20 original questions in the same style.
Sources: NCBE · NCBE Comprehensive Guide, Chart 9 · State Bar of Nevada and 2 more. Checked October 2026.
- NCBE: Multistate Bar Examination ↗
- NCBE: Preparing for the MBE ↗
- NCBE Comprehensive Guide, Chart 9: Non-UBE jurisdictions, admission by examination ↗
- NCBE: Uniform Bar Examination ↗
- State Bar of Nevada: Admissions ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.