Subjects Tested
The Multistate Bar Examination is an objective six-hour examination containing 200 questions. The examination is divided into two periods of three hours each, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with 100 questions in each period. The examination includes 190 live test questions in the following areas: Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts. There are 33 questions each in Contracts and Torts and 31 questions each in Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, and Real Property. In addition, the exam contains 10 pretest questions, which are indistinguishable from the live test items, but which will not be used for scoring purposes.
The questions on the examination are designed to be answered by applying fundamental legal principles rather than local case or statutory law. A given question may indicate the applicable statute, theory of liability, or comparable principle of law.
Many of the questions require applicants to analyze the legal relationships arising from a fact situation or to take a position as an advocate. Some questions call for suggestions about interpreting, drafting, or counseling that might lead to more effective structuring of a transaction.
