The Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (“MPRE”) is an ethics exam administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (“NCBE”) and not by the state of Pennsylvania. The MPRE is administered separately from the Pennsylvania bar exam and is generally tested three times each year in March, August, and November.
Please visit the Ethics Exam/MPRE page for general information about the MPRE and the MPRE application process.
MPRE for Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania requires an MPRE scaled score of 75 or greater prior to admission. There is no time limit for taking the MPRE prior to the Pennsylvania bar exam. After the bar exam, applicants have three months after the bar exam results are released to pass the MPRE and have their official results transferred to the Board. This will ensure that the application can be processed within six months of the date the bar exam results were issued. If this is not completed, the applicant will be required to complete a Supplemental Application for Character and Fitness Determination and submit the applicable filing fee. This process requires a new character and fitness review by the Executive Director and can take up to three months to process. If applicants fail to achieve a passing MPRE in sufficient time to file a motion for admission within three years of when the applicant’s successful bar exam results are released, the applicant is required to reapply for permission to take the bar exam, successfully retake the bar exam, and meet all of the requirements at that time.
Applicants may take the MPRE at anytime during law school or their legal career, but the Board encourages applicants to take the MPRE while in law school and shortly after their course on professional responsibility and ethics.
Attorneys seeking Pennsylvania Admission on Motion must achieve an MPRE scaled score of 75 or greater.
Pennsylvania MPRE Scoring Reciprocity/Transfer
Pennsylvania accepts MPRE scaled scores of 75 or greater that were achieved in another jurisdiction at any time. MPRE scores must be sent to Pennsylvania from the NCBE.