Ultimate Guide to the Alabama State Bar Exam
Your complete guide to Alabama Bar Exam prep.
Pass Rates · Bar Review Courses · Format · Essay Topics · Schedule · Dates · Location · Application Fees & Deadlines · What to Bring · Scores & Grading · Results · Reciprocity · Law Schools · Groups · Other Resources · Other Jurisdictions
*Updated September 2024
Alabama State Bar Exam | Basic Information
The Alabama State Bar was formed in 1923. The mandatory organization has about 15,000 in-state and 3,600 out-of-state members. About one-third of lawyers in Alabama are female.
Alabama is one of 40+ jurisdictions that have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) for their state bar review. Alabama first administered the UBE in July 2011.
July 2023 (483 takers)
February 2023 (297 takers)
July 2022 (526 takers)
July 2021 (489 takers)
| Crushendo | Barbri | Themis | Kaplan | AmeriBar | BarMax | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Cost | $970 | $1,999-4,199 | $2,695 | $2,199-3,999 | $1,299-2,599 | $1,895 |
| Facebook Rating | 5.0 | Disabled | 4.8 | Disabled | Disabled | 4.3 |
| Google Rating | 5.0 | N/A | 2.8 | 3.2 | N/A | N/A |
| MBE |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| MEE |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| MPT |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| NCBE Questions | 1,750+ | 100+ | 1,350+ | 1,200+ | 1,400+ | 1,700+ |
| Audio Flashcards |  | |||||
| 250+ Mnemonics |  | |||||
| Access Period | Lifetime | 8-10 weeks | 4 months | 4 months | Up to 3 years | Lifetime |
| Financing |  |  | 3 payments | $250 registration |  |  |
| Founded | 2017 | 1974 | 2008 | 1938 | 1999 | 2010 |
| Phone | (385) 482-1776 | (888) 322-7274 | (888) 843-6476 | (626) 390-7170 | (877) 942-2763 | (800) 529-2651 |
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Last updated: 1/7/23
*Cost ignores promotions and live tutoring.
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Crushendo’s written and audio outlines utilize 250+ proprietary mnemonics to help you memorize everything you need to know to pass the bar exam on your first try.
Crushendo’s complete bar prep course, the UBE Suite, costs $970 and includes 1,750+ official practice questions from the NCBE.
Crushendo offers lifetime access for all of its bar exam prep products.
Adam Balinski founded Crushendo Bar Review in 2017 (read the founding story here).
The Harcourt publishing company founded Barbri in 1974 when it acquired two bar review programs. Since its founding, Barbri has been owned by large firms including Thomson Reuters and Leeds Equity Partners.
Barbri products have been used by more than a million law school students. In the last 20 years Barbri has settled multiple antitrust lawsuits.
Barbri’s traditional bar prep programs cost $1,999-4,199 and some include 100+ official NCBE questions from past bar exams.
Barbri offers access to its traditional, full-time bar prep course for 8-10 weeks, but early access can be purchased.
Themis Bar Review is based in Chicago and was founded in 2008.
Themis’s bar prep program costs $2,695 and includes 1,350+ NCBE questions.
Themis offers access to its online products for four months.
Stanley Kaplan founded Kaplan, Inc. in 1938.
Kaplan jumped into the bar review space in 2006 when it acquired PMBR, a company that provides test prep for the MBE. In 2008 Kaplan expanded its bar review offerings.
Kaplan’s bar prep programs cost $2,199-3,999 and include 1,200+ NCBE questions.
Kaplan offers access to its online products for four months.
Alexander Nakis founded AmeriBar in 1999. It’s headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida.
AmeriBar’s bar exam prep programs cost $1,299-2,599 and include 1,400+ NCBE questions.
AmeriBar offers access to its online products for up to three years.
Michael Ghaffary and Mehran Ebadolahi founded BarMax in 2010.
BarMax’s bar prep course costs $1,895 and includes 1,700+ NCBE questions.
BarMax offers lifetime access to its online products.
What’s the format of the UBE?
The Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) is administered twice each year in Alabama (in February, and July). The examination is administered over two days, in four, three-hour sessions. The UBE has three parts: the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT).
MBE
The MBE is a six hour test and consists of 200 multiple choice questions that test your understanding across seven subjects. Your MBE score comprises 50% of your overall UBE score.
Crushendo offers affordable, comprehensive written and audio outlines for MBE subjects (in addition to MEE and MPRE subjects).
Watch Crushendo’s free MBE tips video.
MEE
The MEE consists of six 30-minute legal essays. The MEE makes up 30% of your score.
Essay topics may include the following: Business Associations, Civil Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Property, Secured Transactions, Torts, Trusts, Unincorporated Business Entities, Wills and Estates, etc.
Crushendo offers the most recent MEE questions and includes the point sheets that the graders used. Watch Crushendo’s free MEE tips video.
MPT
The MPT consists of two 90-minute tasks where you analyze and apply laws to specific scenarios. The MPT makes up 20% of your score. Crushendo offers the most recent MPT questions and includes the point sheets that the graders used. Watch Crushendo’s free MPT tips video.
What’s the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination?
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) tests your understanding of established standards of conduct for lawyers. The MPRE is administered three times each year (in March, August, and November). The test consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and is two hours long. Check out Crushendo’s MPRE Tips video!
Upcoming Bar Exam Schedule, Dates, Location
Are you interested in taking the Alabama bar exam? Here’s some basic information on applying to take the Alabama bar exam.
The Alabama State Bar application fee for most takers is $575. The application cost for UBE score transfer applicants and out-of-state lawyers applying for admission into the Alabama State Bar is $875.
An additional fee of $250 may be required of any applicant who has not already registered as a law school student with the Alabama State Bar.
*Visit the Alabama State Bar Admission Office’s website for more information.
If you desire to take the bar exam in February, you should submit your bar exam application in September. If you want to take the July bar exam, you should submit your application in January.
*There’s no limit on how many times you can apply to be admitted to the Alabama State Bar.
In addition to passing the Alabama bar exam with a score of at least 260, there are several requirements that must be met in order to be admitted as an attorney in Alabama, including:
- Score 75 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within the accepted time frame.
- Committee on Character & Fitness certification.
- Complete an online course about Alabama laws.
Alabama State Bar Admissions Office
Physical address:
Alabama State Bar
415 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone number: (334) 269-1515
Mailing address:
Alabama State Bar
Attn: Admissions Office
P.O. Box 671
Montgomery, AL 36101
What to bring
- Your current driver’s license.
- Your Bar Examination Identification & Certification Card that has your photo, NCBE number, and examinee number.
Important notes
- You need to have these items with you for each of the four testing sessions.
- Pens and pencils are provided to examinees.
- Laptop testers should not bring their laptop in a case or bag.
Prohibited items
- Any item that can connect to the internet
- Any item that can record audio or video
- Backpacks
- Books
- Briefcases
- Calculators
- Cameras
- Notes
- Phones
- Food or drink
- Purses
- Radios
- Rulers
- Scratch papers
- Study materials
View lists of those who passed the Alabama State Bar Exam, posted on the Alabama State Bar Association’s website.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are my Alabama Bar Exam results released?
Alabama Bar Exam results are usually posted 8-9 weeks after the exam date. February bar exam results are usually posted mid-April. July bar exam results are usually posted mid-September.
Can I see my Alabama Bar Exam score?
If you passed the Alabama Bar Exam, you won’t be able to see your score.
If you failed the Alabama Bar Exam, you’ll be able to see your scaled scores on the MBE, MEE, MPT, and UBE. Those who fail the Alabama Bar Exam will also have the opportunity to review their essay answers and view three top essay answers for each question.
Can I appeal to have my Alabama Bar Exam re-graded?
No.
How many times can I take the Alabama Bar Exam?
There’s no limit to how many times you can retake the Alabama Bar Exam.
Applicants seeking admission to the Alabama State Bar without taking the bar exam, must comply with Rule 3 of Rules Governing Admission to the Alabama State Bar.
Reciprocity Requirements Overview
In order to be eligible for admittance to the Alabama State Bar, without taking the bar examination, you must:
- Be admitted to practice law in another U.S. state or territory.
- Hold a legal degree from an approved list of law schools.
- Have practiced law for five of the six years prior to your application.
- Ensure that the primary state you practiced law in would allow lawyers in Alabama a similar accommodation.
- Be a member in good standing in all of your admitted jurisdictions.
- Not be the subject of any disciplinary actions.
- Have certification from the Committee on Character and Fitness.
- Have not have failed the Alabama bar exam in the last ten years.
- Be a permanent resident of Alabama or certify your intent to have Alabama be your primary location for practicing law.
- Score 75 or higher on the MPRE.
- Comply with requirements set forth in Rule 1 and pay the necessary fees.
If you do not live in any of the reciprocal jurisdictions, you’ll need to complete a Certificate of Jurisdictional Reciprocity with your application.
Reciprocal Jurisdictions: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
*See Rule 3 for more information.
Here’s a list of law schools in Alabama.
Birmingham School of Law
- Founded: 1915
- Located: Birmingham, AL
- Enrollment: About 400 students
- Tuition Cost: View tuition and fees breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 37.8% (July 2018 first-time takers)
- ABA Accredited: No
- Website: bsol.com
Cumberland School of Law (Samford University)
- Founded: 1847
- Located: Birmingham, AL
- Enrollment: About 430 students
- Tuition Cost: $39,600 (2018-2019 academic year)
- Bar Passage Rate: 74.5% (July 2017)
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: samford.edu/cumberlandlaw
Miles Law School
- Founded: 1974
- Located: Birmingham, AL
- Enrollment: Unknown
- Tuition Cost: $185 per semester hour (Summer 2019)
- Bar Passage Rate: 0% (July 2017 first-time takers)
- ABA Accredited: No
- Website: mlaw.edu
Thomas Goode Jones School of Law (Faulkner University)
- Founded: 1928
- Located: Montgomery, AL
- Enrollment: About 300 students
- Tuition Cost: $37,000 (2016-2017 academic year)
- Bar Passage Rate: 61.4% (July 2018 first-time takers)
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: faulkner.edu/law
University of Alabama School of Law
- Founded: 1872
- Located: Tuscaloosa, AL
- Enrollment: About 380 students
- Tuition Cost: $23,920-42,180 (2018-2019 academic year)
- Bar Passage Rate: 89.6% (2018)
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: law.ua.edu
Here are some Facebook groups you may find helpful before, and after passing the bar exam:
Female Attorney Groups
- Women Lawyers’ Networking Group of Alabama (906 members)
- Girl Attorney – AL (164 members)
- Black Lady Lawyers of Alabama (129 members)
Birmingham School of Law
Miles Law School
University of Alabama School of Law
- University of Alabama School of Law, Tuscaloosa (517 members)
- Admitted Students – Class of 2022 (116 members)
- Admitted Students – Class of 2021 (103 members)
- Admitted Students – Class of 2020 (117 members)
- Admitted Students – Class of 2019 (126 members)
- Admitted Students – Class of 2018 (133 members)
- Admitted Students – Class of 2017 (147 members)
- Admitted Students – Class of 2016 (138 members)
- Admitted Students – Class of 2015 (132 members)
- Class of 2012 Networking Group (116 members)
- The University of Alabama School of Law Graduate Programs (76 members)
- University of Alabama School of Law-Federalist Society (69 members)
- University of Alabama Pre-Law Student Association (46 members)
- University of Alabama School of Law (30 members)
- Military Law Society at University of Alabama School of Law (23 members)
More helpful resources and study materials to help you pass the Alabama State Bar Exam: