Ultimate Guide to Colorado State Bar Exam
Your complete guide to Colorado 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 November 2022
Colorado State Bar Exam | Basic Information
The Colorado State Bar Association was formed in 1897. There are about 18,000 attorneys are part of the Colorado State Bar Association, which is about 63% of active Colorado lawyers.
Colorado is one of 40+ jurisdictions that have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). Colorado first administered the UBE in July 2012.
February 2022 (251 takers)
February 2021 (313 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 Colorado (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 Colorado State bar exam? Here’s some basic information on applying to take the Colorado bar exam.
The Colorado Bar application fee for most takers is $710. There is a $200 late fee.
*Visit the Colorado State Bar’s website for more information.
If you desire to take the bar exam in February, the application deadline is December 1. If you want to take the July bar exam, the application deadline is May 1.
In addition to passing the Colorado bar exam with a score of at least 276, there are several requirements that must be met in order to be admitted as an attorney in Colorado, including:
- Score 85 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within the accepted time frame.
- Character and Fitness Review
Colorado State Bar Admissions Office
Physical address:
Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Registration
1300 Broadway #510
Denver, CO 80203
Phone number:
Telephone: (303) 928-7770
Fax: (303) 501-1147
bleinfo@csc.state.co.us
Allowed items
- Lightweight sweatshirt (no hoodies or pockets)
- 1 clear plastic water bottle with label removed
- 1 cushion or bed pillow with no pillowcase
- Prescription medications, pain relievers, cold and allergy medications
- Small snacks without packaging (no peanuts)
- Feminine hygiene products
- Small pencil sharpener for Wednesday
- Laptop computer, extension cord, surge protector, and corded computer mouse
- Crutches, canes, insulin pumps, or other medically necessary equiptment
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
Learn more here.
View lists of those who passed the Colorado State Bar Exam, posted on the Colorado State Bar Association’s website:
Frequently Asked Questions
When are my Colorado bar exam results released?
February bar exam results are usually posted about April 30. July bar exam results are usually posted in September.
Can I see my Colorado bar exam score?
If you passed the Colorado bar exam, you won’t be able to see your score. If you failed the exam, you will be able to view your exam in the online portal in ten business days.
Can I appeal to have my Colorado bar exam re-graded?
No.
How many times can I take the bar exam in Colorado?
You can retake the UBE in Colorado without any limit.
Applicants seeking admission to the Colorado State Bar without taking the bar exam, must comply with Reciprocity Requirements.
You are able to have reciprocity with Colorado if you live in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, DC, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, 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, Virgin Islands, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
In order to be eligible for admittance to the Colorado State Bar, without taking the bar examination, you must:
- Show proof of being admitted to the bar in a reciprocal state
- Hold a JD or LLB from an ABA approved law school
- Proof of good standing in the bar in another state
- Proof of active legal standing in at least three of the last five years
- Completion of a six hour course on professionalism
Here’s a list of law schools in Colorado.
University of Colorado School of Law
- Founded: 1892
- Located: Boulder, CO
- Enrollment: about 525
- Tuition Cost: $38,622 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 82%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: colorado.edu/law/admissions
Sturm College of Law
- Founded: 1892
- Located: Denver, CO
- Enrollment: about 775
- Tuition Cost: $76,182 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 77%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: law.du.edu
Here are some Facebook groups you may find helpful before, and after passing the bar exam:
- Girl Attorney – CO (101 members)
- Colorado Attorney Networking Group (9 members)
- American Immigration Lawyer’s Association – Colorado Chapter (1,562 members)
- Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Roundtable, Colorado (74 members)
- Colorado Legal Project (350 members)
Colorado University School of Law
- Colorado Law Class of 2022 (339 members)
- Colorado Law Class of 2021 (381 members)
- Colorado Law Class of 2019 (355 members)
- Colorado Law Class of 2016 (309 members)
Sturm College of Law
- Latino Law Students Association – University of Denver Sturm College of Law (45 members)
- Student Bar Association – Sturm College of Law (332 members)
- Christian Legal Society – Denver Sturm College of Law Chapter (43 members)
- Graduate Legal Studies – University of Denver Sturm College of Law (37 members)
More helpful resources and study materials to help you pass the Colorado State Bar Exam: