United States · Licensing examWhat subjects are on the bar exam, by exam?
The MBE has 25 scored questions per subject. Professional responsibility is tested separately, on the MPRE.
| Subject | MBE | MEE | NextGen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business associations | No | Yes | Yes |
| Civil procedure | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Constitutional law | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contracts | Yes | Yes, incl. UCC Article 2 | Yes |
| Criminal law and procedure | Yes | Yes | Yes, as criminal law and protections of the accused |
| Evidence | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Real property | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Torts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Family law | No | No | In performance tasks now; a full subject from July 2028 |
| Trusts and estates | No | No | In performance tasks, July 2026 to at least February 2028 |
California's essay subjects
California's essays and performance test can cover 13 subjects, adding community property, professional responsibility, remedies, trusts, and wills and succession to the MBE list and business associations.
State law on top
Some UBE states add their own law through a separate course or test you finish before admission: Alabama, Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin, per NCBE's chart 5. States with their own exam write state-law essays, such as Georgia's four and Virginia's nine.
Bar exam outlines
NCBE publishes the official scope of each exam: the MBE Subject Matter Outline, the MEE subject list and the NextGen content scope outlines. Compare any commercial outline against them.
Sources: NCBE · NCBE Comprehensive Guide, Chart 5 · NCBE Comprehensive Guide, Chart 9 and 3 more. Checked October 2026.
- NCBE: Preparing for the MBE ↗
- NCBE: Multistate Essay Examination ↗
- NCBE: About the NextGen bar exam ↗
- NCBE Comprehensive Guide, Chart 5: UBE jurisdictions, admission by examination or transferred UBE score ↗
- NCBE Comprehensive Guide, Chart 9: Non-UBE jurisdictions, admission by examination ↗
- State Bar of California: Exam scope ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.