New York Bar Exam Format
The New York bar exam takes two days and consists of the New York Section and the Multistate Bar Exam (“MBE”). The New York Section contains the New York Essays/Multiple-Choice Questions and the Multistate Performance Test (“MPT”). New York law is tested on the New York bar exam.
New York Section
New York tests five (5) essay questions and 50 multiple-choice questions. The New York Section also contains one MPT. The New York Board of Law Examiners suggests 40-45 minutes for each essay, 1.5 minutes for each multiple-choice question, and 90 minutes for the MPT. Applicants may spend their time on each particular question as they see fit.
The New York Section of the bar exam is based on both procedural and substantive law. Each essay question tests more than one subject. The New York essays and multiple-choice questions are based on New York law, except those testing federal law subjects. Subjects may include:
- Business Relationships
- Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure (New York and Federal)
- Commercial Paper/Negotiable Instruments (UCC Art. 3)
- Conflict of Laws
- Contracts (Common Law and UCC Art. 2/Sales)
- Constitutional Law
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
- Evidence
- Family Law
- New York Constitutional Law
- Professional Responsibility
- Real Property
- Remedies
- Secured Transactions (UCC Art. 9)
- Torts (including statutory no-fault insurance provisions)
- Trusts
- Wills and Estates
A compilation of the essay questions and sample of candidate answers for the past three bar exam is available on the New York Board of Law Examiners’ website or upon request to the Board and payment of a fee.
MBE (Multiple Choice)
New York uses the standard MBE. Subjects include:
- Constitutional Law
- Contracts (Common Law, Sales/UCC Art. 2)
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
- Evidence
- Real Property
- Torts
MBE Score Transfer
Beginning August 1, 2010, New York accepts MBE scores from other jurisdictions for concurrent exams only.
New York Bar Exam Testing Schedule
Day 1 (Tuesday)
Morning – 3 New York Essays and 50 New York Multiple-Choice (3 hours, 15 minutes)
Afternoon – 2 New York Essays and 1 MPT (3 hours)
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Morning – MBE Part I (100 questions; 3 hours)
Afternoon – MBE Part II (100 questions; 3 hours)
New York Bar Exam Dates and Application
The New York bar exam is held on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July. The bar exam is generally held in Albany, Buffalo, and New York City. Applications can be found on the New York State Board of Law Examiners’ Website.
| Exam Date | Application Filing Period |
| February 26 – 27, 2013 | Nov. 1 – Nov. 30, 2012 |
| July 30 – 31, 2013 | April 1 – April 30, 2013 |
Grading
New York Bar Exam Weight
| NY Essays | 40% |
| NY Below | 10% |
| MPT | 10% |
| MBE | 40% |
Grading Procedure
The scores on the New York Essays and MPT make up the raw essay scores. The number of correctly answered questions on the New York Multiple-Choice and the MBE are the raw scores for each of those sections. The three raw scores are then converted to scaled scores on a common scale of 0-1,000. The scales scores are combined and weighted according to the percentages above to generate a total scaled score on the same 0-1,000 scale.
The New York bar exam is not graded on a pass/fail determination for any one portion of the exam. A superior performance on one portion may compensate for a poor performance on another section. The final pass/fail determination is based on the total weighted scaled score.
Passing Score
The minimum passing score is a total weighted scaled score of 665 or greater. The bar exam results are generally available in mid-May for the February exam and mid-November for the July exam.
Pass Rates
Bar exam statistics can be found here.
Review and Appeal for Applicants Failing the New York Bar Exam
Within 30 days following the Board’s notice of failure, unsuccessful applicants may obtain one set of copies of their own essay answers. Unsuccessful applicants must make a written request to the Board’s office with a $40 fee. Copies of the essay questions and sample above-average answers are also available for an additional fee of $15 for each question. The Board also publishes copies of the essay questions and a synopsis of the MPT with sample answers.
The New York essays and MPT answers are re-graded for applicants receiving an initial total weighted scaled score of 655 to 664. The two grades for each essay and MPT are then averaged to determine a final scaled score for each individual essay and MPT. The bar exam scores are then recomputed to determine a new final scaled score. There is no appeal from the final total weighted scaled score.
Retaking the New York Bar Exam
Unsuccessful applicants may reapply for the next bar exam. The reapplication deadline is the one normal deadline or 14 days from the date of the release of the bar exam results, whichever is later. Reapplicants who do not take the bar exam must apply by the normal deadlines.