Ultimate Guide to Maine State Bar Exam
Your complete guide to Maine 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 July 2022
Maine State Bar Exam | Basic Information
The Maine State Bar Association was founded in 1891. There are about 3,000 attorneys in the Maine State Bar Association.
Maine is one of 40+ jurisdictions that have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) for their state bar review. Maine first administered the UBE in February 2017.
| 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 Maine (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 Maine State bar exam? Here’s some basic information on applying to take the Maine bar exam.
The Maine State Bar application fee for most takers is $900.
*Visit the Maine Bar Admission Examiner’s website for more information.
If you desire to take the bar exam in February, you should submit your bar exam application between October 15 and December 20. If you want to take the July bar exam, you should submit your application between March 15 and May 20.
In addition to passing the Maine 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 Maine, including:
- Score 80 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within the accepted time frame
- Committee on Character & Fitness certification.
Maine State Bar Admissions Office
Maine Board of Bar Examiners
P.O. Box 140
Augusta, ME 04332
Email: execdir@mainebarexaminers.org
Phone: 207-623-2464
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.
- 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 Maine State bar exam, posted on the Maine State Bar Association’s website:
Frequently Asked Questions
When are my Maine bar exam results released?
The Maine bar tries to release bar exam results by May or by October.
Can I appeal to have my Maine bar exam re-graded?
No.
How many times can I take the bar exam in Maine?
There’s no limit to how many times you can retake the UBE in Maine.
All states, territories, and districts have reciprocity with the state of Maine.
In order to be eligible for admittance to the Maine State Bar, without taking the bar examination, you must:
- Be admitted to practice law in another U.S. state or territory
- Have practiced law for three of the five years prior to your application
Here’s a list of law schools in Maine.
University of Maine School of Law
- Founded: 1962
- Located: Portland, ME
- Enrollment: 253 students
- Tuition Cost: $35,985 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 72%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: mainelaw.maine.edu
Here are some Facebook groups you may find helpful before, and after, passing the bar exam:
University of Maine School of Law
More helpful resources and study materials to help you pass the Maine State Bar Exam: