Ultimate Guide to Arizona State Bar Exam
Your complete guide to Arizona 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
*Updated January 2024
Arizona State Bar Exam | Basic Information
The Arizona Bar Association was formed in 1881 and now has over 24,000 members. It is a voluntary association open to all licensed attorneys and current law students.
Arizona is one of 40+ jurisdictions that have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). Arizona first administered the UBE in July 2012.
July 2023 (464 takers)
February 2023 (232 takers)
February 2022 (208 takers)
July 2021 (531 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 UBE is administered twice each year in Arizona (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 this MPRE Tips video!
Upcoming Bar Exam Schedule, Dates, Location
Are you interested in taking the Arizona State bar exam? Here’s some basic information on applying to take the Arizona bar exam.
The Arizona Bar application fee for most takers is $580. There is a $100 late fee after November 1.
*Visit the Arizona State Bar Admission Office’s website (Administrative Order PDF) for more information.
If you desire to take the bar exam in February, the application opens on August 15 and you must submit your application by October 31 to avoid late fees. You can submit your application from November 1 to November 30 if you pay a $100 late fee. If you want to take the July bar exam, the application opens on January 15 and you must submit your application by March 30 to avoid late fees. You can submit your application from April 1 to April 30 if you pay a $100 late fee.
In addition to passing the Arizona bar exam with a score of at least 273, there are several requirements that must be met in order to be admitted as an attorney in Arizona, including:
- Score 85 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within the accepted time frame.
- Certificate from Committee of Character and Fitness
- Be a graduate of an ABA approved law school
- Complete a course on Arizona Law
Arizona State Bar Admissions Office
Physical address:
Committee on Examinations, Committee on Character and Fitness
Supreme Court of Arizona
Administrative Office of the Courts
1501 W. Washington, Suite 104, Phoenix, AZ 85007-3222
Phone number: (602) 452-3971
What to bring
- Your current driver’s license.
- Your Bar Examination Identification & Certification Card that has your photo, NCBE number, and examinee number.
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
The Arizona Bar exam FRQ says that each applicant will receive a more specific list of approved items after they submit their application.
View lists of those who passed the Arizona State Bar Exam, posted on the Arizona Court’s website:
Frequently Asked Questions
When are my Arizona Bar Exam results released?
Arizona Bar Exam results are usually posted six to nine weeks after the exam date. February bar exam results are normally posted in April. July bar exam results are normally posted in October.
Can I see my Arizona Bar Exam score?
If you passed the Arizona Bar Exam, you won’t be able to see your score. If you failed the exam, you can send a letter to the Arizona Bar Admissions Office and ask for your written responses, which they will mail to you.
Can I appeal to have my Arizona Bar Exam re-graded?
You may file a petition within 20 days to have your exam reviewed, but without an extraordinary circumstance, it is unlikely that your exam will be regraded.
How many times can I take the Arizona Bar Exam?
You can retake the UBE three times in Arizona, but you can request permission to take it more times if necessary.
Applicants seeking admission to the Arizona State Bar, without taking the bar exam, must comply with Reciprocity Requirements.
The following states have reciprocity with Arizona: Alaska, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
In order to be eligible for admittance to the Arizona State Bar, without taking the bar examination, you must:
- Have a JD from an ABA accredited law school
- Actively practice law for at least three of the last five years
- Have moral fitness
- Earn at least an 85 on the MPRE during your lifetime
Here’s a list of law schools in Arizona.
Arizona Summit Law School
- Founded: 2005
- Located: Phoenix, AZ
- Enrollment: about 350
- Tuition Cost: $45,354 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 27%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: azsummitlaw.edu
Sandra Day O’Conner College of Law (Arizona State)
- Founded: 1967
- Located: Phoenix, AZ
- Enrollment: about 900 students
- Tuition Cost: $47,302 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 88%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: aw.asu.edu
James E. Rogers College of Law (University of Arizona)
- Founded: 1915
- Located: Tucson, AZ
- Enrollment: about 325
- Tuition Cost: $30,334 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 71%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: law.arizona.edu
Here are some Facebook groups you may find helpful before, and after, passing the bar exam:
- Central Arizona National Lawyers Guild (16 members)
- American Constitution Society – Phoenix Lawyer Chapter (32 members)
- GIRL ATTORNEY® – AZ (51 members)
- Arizona Republican Lawyers Association (20 members)
- Estate Planning Attorneys of AZ (5 members)
- AZ Immigration Lawyers (AZIL) (199 members)
Arizona Summit Law School
- Arizona Summit Law School Friends (261 members)
- American Constitution Society at Arizona Summit Law (68 members)
- Arizona Summit Law School Student Bar Association (113 members)
- Summit Innocence Initiative – Arizona Summit Law School (22 members)
- Criminal Law Society – Arizona Summit Law School (72 members)
- Federalist Society Arizona Summit Law School Chapter (35 members)
- JLSA @ Arizona Summit Law School (ASLS) (34 members)
- Arizona Summit Law School’s Night Student’s Society (118 members)
- Arizona Summit Law School – Fall 2014 1L Class (90 members)
Sandra Day O’Conner College of Law (Arizona State)
- Arizona Law Admitted JD Students – Fall 2019 Incoming Class (121 members)
- Sandra Day O’Conner College of Law, Class of 2021
- Sandra Day O’Conner College of Law, Class of 2020
James E. Rogers College of Law (University of Arizona)
- Black Law Student Association, The University of Arizona College of Law (4 members)
- University of Arizona Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (72 members)
- University of Arizona Law Class of 2022 (72 members)
- University of Arizona Law Class of 2021 (148 members)
- University of Arizona Law Class of 2020 (139 members)
- University of Arizona Law School Class of 2018 (191 members)
- University of Arizona Law School Class of 2017 (215 members)
- University of Arizona Law Class of 2015 (153 members)
More helpful resources and study materials to help you pass the Arizona State Bar Exam: