Indiana Bar Exam Format
The Indiana bar exam takes two days and consists of the Indiana Essay Examination, Multistate Performance Test (“MPT” ), and the Multistate Bar Exam (“MBE” ). Indiana law is tested on the Indiana bar exam.
Indiana Essay Examination (IEE)
Indiana tests six (6) 40-minute essays. The essays are not labeled by subject and may contain more than one subject. Answers call for knowledge of Indiana law. Subjects include:
- Administrative Law
- Business Organizations
- Commercial Law
- Indiana Constitutional Law
- Family Law
- Pleading and Practice
- Personal Property
- Taxation
- Wills, Trusts, and Estates
MPT (Performance Test)
Indiana tests two (2) MPT performance tests.
MBE (Multiple Choice)
Indiana uses the standard MBE. Subjects include:
- Civil Procedure
- Constitutional Law
- Contracts (Common Law, Sales/UCC Art. 2)
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
- Evidence
- Real Property
- Torts
MBE Score Transfer
Indiana accepts MBE scores from other jurisdictions for concurrent bar exams only.
Indiana Bar Exam Testing Schedule
Day 1
Morning – 2 MPTs
Afternoon – 6 Indiana Essays
Day 2
Morning – MBE Part I (100 questions; 3 hours)
Afternoon – MBE Part II (100 questions; 3 hours)
Indiana Bar Exam Dates and Application
The Indiana bar exam is held on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July in Plainfield, Indiana or Indianapolis, Indiana. Applications can be found on the Indiana Board of Law Examiners’ Website.
| Exam Date | Preliminary Date | Application Deadline/Late Deadline |
| February 21-22, 2017 | After Oct. 1 | Nov. 15/ Nov. 30 |
| July 25-26, 2017 | After March 1 | April 1/April 15 |
Taking Another Jurisdiction’s Bar Exam With The Indiana Bar Exam
Indiana administers its local examination on Tuesday. The other jurisdiction must administer its local exam on Thursday. Applicants would take the Indiana exam on Tuesday, the MBE in either jurisdiction on Wednesday, and the other jurisdiction’s local portion of the exam on Thursday.
Grading
Indiana Bar Exam Weight
| MPT | 20% |
| Indiana Essays | 30% |
| MBE | 50% |
Grading Procedure
The Indiana essay raw scores and MPT raw scores are scaled to the MBE using the standard deviation method.
Passing Score
Applicants must achieve a combined score of 264 or greater.
Pass Rates
Indiana bar exam pass rates and statistics can be found here.
Review and Appeal for Applicants Failing the Indiana Bar Exam
Applicants are eligible for appeal if they have a combined scaled score of 255 to 263. Eligible applicants must make a written request to appeal on forms provided by the Board. The written request must be made within 14 days of the date of the mailing of the bar exam results. No response other than a written request for appeal is permitted. The Board President designates certain Board members as Appeals Reviewers. The Appeals Reviewers may review all responses.
Applicants may also request a hand score verification of their MBE score.
Retaking the Indiana Bar Exam
The filing deadline for re-examination for the February exam is December 15 of the previous year and a late filing deadline of December 30. The filing deadline for re-examination for the July exam is May 30 and a late filing deadline of June 15.
Applicants with a pending grading petition before the Board or an appeal before the Indiana Supreme Court are required to meet the filing deadlines for re-examination. Applicants who are successful on petition or appeal will receive a full refund.