Alabama Bar Exam Information
The Alabama Bar Exam is a two-day UBE test due to take place in Birmingham on July 21st and 22nd, 2023. The exam costs $575 for new applicants/re-applicants, and $875 for eligible on motion applicants who comply with the Governing Rules of Admission.
The deadline for the July 2023 exam is April 1, 2023, and no late filings are allowed.
| Exam Dates: | February 21-22 and July 25-26, 2023 |
| Exam Type: | Two-day UBE exam with essays and multiple choice questions |
| Location: | Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), Birmingham, Alabama |
| Application Fee: | $575 |
| On-Motion Application Fee: | $875 |
| Filing Deadline: | February 1, 2023 for the July exam October 1, 2022 for the February exam |
| Late Filing Deadline: | No late filing permitted |
| Late Fee: | N/A |
When is the 2023 Alabama Bar Exam?
The Alabama State Bar holds two bar exams each year on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July. The dates for 2023 are as follows:
- February exam: February 21-22, 2023
- July exam: July 25-26, 2023
All applicants must report to the venue by 7:20 am on both dates. A schedule of the exam and a list of examination requirements are available on the Admission’s Office website.
Where is the Alabama Bar Exam Located?
The July 2023 Alabama Bar Exam location has yet to be announced.
How much does the Alabama Bar Exam cost?
The Alabama State Bar exam costs $575 for new applicants or re-applicants who applied in Alabamba (and no other jurisdiction) within the last 5 years.
Applicants who have taken a Bar exam in another jurisdiction within the last five years will pay a $575 plus a yet-to-be-determined NCBE investigation fee.
UBE score transfer applicants and on motion reciprocity applicants will pay $875 plus a yet-to-be-determined NCBE investigation fee.
Applications for the Alabama Bar exam close on the following dates:
- February 2023 exam: October 1, 2022
- July 2023 exam: February 1, 2023
The Alabama State Bar does not provide any extensions to the filing deadline. Therefore, no late filing fee applies.
Examinees may use their own laptops for the essay questions. A fee of $121 must be paid directly to ExamSoft upon registration.
What subjects are tested on the Alabama Bar Exam?
The Alabama State Bar Exam will test the following subjects:
MBE Subjects:
- Constitutional Law
- Contracts/Sales
- Criminal Law/Procedure
- Evidence
- Federal Civil Procedure
- Real Property
- Torts
MEE Essay Subjects:
- Business Associations (Agency, Partnership, Corporations, and Limited Liability Companies)
- Civil Procedure
- Conflict of Laws
- Constitutional Law (Federal)
- Contracts/Sales
- Criminal Law/Procedure
- Evidence
- Family Law
- Real Property
- Torts
- Trusts and Estates (Decedents’ Estates, Trusts and Future Interests)
- Uniform Commercial Code (Secured Transactions)
Multistate Performance Test:
- “Closed universe” practical problem using instructions, factual data, cases, statutes and other reference material supplied by examiners.
What is the format of the Alabama Bar Exam like?
The Alabama State Bar Exam follows a two-day UBE format with essay and multiple choice questions.
Day 1:
Morning: two 90-minute questions for the Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
Afternoon: six 30-minute Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) questions
Day 2:
Morning: 100 multiple choice questions over 3 hours for the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE)
Afternoon: 100 multiple choice questions over 3 hours for the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE)
What is the minimum MPRE score needed to take the Alabama Bar exam?
The minimum MPRE score required to sit the Alabama Bar Exam is 75. This score must be obtained 12 months prior or 20 month after the bar exam for admission.
How is the Alabama Bar Exam Graded?
The Alabama Bar Exam is weighted as follows:
- MBE = 50%
- MEE = 30%
- MPT = 20%
These scores are scaled and the applicant must achieve a minimum score of 260 out of 400 to pass the exam.
When are the Alabama Bar scores released?
The results of the February exam are normally released in late April and the results of the July exam in late September.
Can I transfer my MBE scores from another jurisdiction?
Applicants may transfer a previously obtained scaled MBE score of 140 or higher within 20 months from another jurisdiction, if admission into that jurisdiction was granted.
What is the Alabama Reciprocity Agreement like?
On Motion admission is allowed for eligible attorneys who comply with Rule III of the Rules Governing Admission of the Alabama State Bar Admissions Office.
How can I contact the Alabama State Bar?
The Alabama State Bar Admissions Office can be contacted via the following:
Alabama State Bar
415 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: (334) 269-1515
Fax: (334) 261-6310
Email: admit@alabar.org
www.alabar.org/admissions
Mailing Address:
Alabama State Bar
Attn: Admissions Office
P.O. Box 671
Montgomery, AL 36101