The New Jersey Bar Exam has been administering the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE®) since February 2017. The UBE consists of the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE®), Multistate Performance Test (MPT®), and Multistate Essay Examination (MEE®). The uniformity of the exam increases the ease of transferability across participating jurisdictions, which is great news for prospective lawyers who may want to move in the future. This article provides detailed information regarding NJ bar exam results, dates, deadlines, locations, pass rates, and more.
The Uniform Bar Exam is administered over two days and consists of a writing section (MPT/MEE) and a multiple-choice section (MBE).
The MBE is weighted at 50% of the UBE, making it the most heavily weighted section of the New Jersey Bar Exam. Examinees will have two 3-hour sessions to answer a total of 200 multiple-choice questions.
The MEE is weighted at 30% of the UBE and is administered on day one. Examinees have 3 hours to answer six 30-minute essay questions.
The MPT is weighted at 20% of the UBE and is administered on day one. Examinees are provided with faux case files imitating realistic scenarios and a folder with various legal documents, which they must use to respond to assignments.
Preparing your application for the New Jersey Bar Exam and submitting it before the first deadline will save you hundreds of dollars. Applications open on October 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024, for the 2024 February and July exams, respectively.
Examinees can begin filing their applications for the New Jersey State Bar Exam on October 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024, for the 2024 February and July exams, respectively. Additional fees are levied for applications submitted within the timely and late filing periods.
| Filing Periods | February 27-28, 2024 | July 30-31, 2024 | Exam Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application Opens | October 1-31, 2023 | March 1-31, 2024 | $675 |
| Timely Filing | November 1-15, 2023 | April 1-15, 2024 | $950 |
| Late Filing | November 16-30, 2023 | April 16-30, 2024 | $1,200 |
The New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners requires examinees to have graduated with a JD from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school (or its equivalent) before they can sit for the bar.
Attorneys wishing to transfer to New Jersey must be in good standing in the jurisdiction(s) where they have been admitted, as evidenced by a Certificate of Good Standing. Certificates must be issued within six months of your bar application submission.
You must schedule your bar exam during the application process. To submit an application with the New Jersey Board of Admissions to the Bar, you must first create a personal NJ Bar Admission Registration account on their official website. Your account will enable you to register for the bar exam and schedule your exam date.
Complete the online application and character questionnaires, and then submit payment via credit card or "paper.” Then upload a signed and notarized Authorization and Release form. Your assigned file manager will acknowledge your submission with a post on your User Home Page, along with additional instructions.
It’s not watching a lengthy video lecture or reading a textbook. It's practicing with real MBE® questions!
Fees and costs associated with registering for the New Jersey Bar Exam vary depending on the examinee's status (first-time examinee, repeater, etc.) and the date they file. Below is a detailed and up-to-date list of exam-related fees.
Application and other fees associated with the New Jersey Bar Exam vary depending on the filing period. All fees related to applications, admission to motion, UBE score transfer, etc., are tabulated below.
Timely Bar Exam Application Fee
Payments must be made via credit card or non-refundable cashier's check/money order through the mail (payable to the “Secretary, Board of Bar Examiners”). Applicants must make credit card payments before 11:30 pm EST to ensure they are posted that day (payments cannot be processed between 11:30 pm - 12:00 am EST). All fees are non-refundable.
Between filing fees and exam prep costs, the journey to practice law can be expensive. The good news is that most jurisdictions offer scholarships to help pay for these costs.
For example, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation (NJSBF) awards scholarships to worthy students entering their second or third year of law school. New Jersey law school students are encouraged to apply for one or more of the thirteen annual scholarships.
New Jersey-based Sten Hall University School of Law has compiled a comprehensive list of third-party scholarships designed to help law students with the costs associated with law school, bar exam registration, and bar preparation. You may view the list here: Outside Scholarships.
Other New Jersey Bar Exam cost-saving resources include the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (NJWLA), which has a scholarship program for students pursuing Juris Doctorate degrees. In 2023, NJWLA will award $5,000 grants to one student from each of New Jersey's law schools: Rutgers University Law School – Camden, Rutgers University Law School – Newark, and Seton Hall University Law School.
As a NJ bar exam applicant, we encourage you to explore these and other resources and apply to as many available scholarships for which you are eligible to help you with your bar exam and/or bar prep costs.
The NJ bar exam tests an examinee's ability to analyze and reason alongside their knowledge and understanding of fundamental legal principles. Furthermore, since New Jersey has adopted the UBE, a successful exam score represents one's competency and readiness to practice law in the 40 other participating jurisdictions.
The MEE consists of six essay questions. Each question involves one or more of the subjects listed below. Some subjects may be paired together. Other subjects could be omitted. While it's impossible to know which subjects the NCBE® will choose on any given exam version, some have been tested more frequently than others, historically.
For example, Civil Procedure has appeared on nearly every MEE in the past decade, while Criminal Law has only appeared several times. However, subjects that occur less frequently on their own may be paired with others.
