Ultimate Guide to New Mexico State Bar Exam
Your complete guide to New Mexico 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 July 2022
New Mexico State Bar Exam | Basic Information
The State Bar of New Mexico was formed in 1886. New Mexico is one of 40+ jurisdictions that have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). New Mexico first administered the UBE in February 2016.
| Crushendo | Barbri | Themis | Kaplan | AmeriBar | BarMax | |
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| *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 |
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| NCBE Questions | 1,750+ | 100+ | 1,350+ | 1,200+ | 1,400+ | 1,700+ |
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| 250+ Mnemonics | |
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| Access Period | Lifetime | 8-10 weeks | 4 months | 4 months | Up to 3 years | Lifetime |
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3 payments | $250 registration |  |
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| 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 New Mexico (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 New Mexico State bar exam? Here’s some basic information on applying to take the New Mexico bar exam.
The New Mexico Bar application fee for most takers is $500 if you graduated law school within the last year. If you apply more than one year after graduation, the fee is $1,000. There is an additional $200 fee if you file after the first late filing deadline and an additional $500 fee if you file after the second late filing deadline.
*Visit the New Mexico State Bar Admission Office’s website for more information.
If you desire to take the bar exam in February, the application opens on August 15 and the first filing deadline is September 20. The first late filing deadline is November 2 and the second late filing deadline is December 3. If you want to take the July bar exam, the application opens on January 1 and the first filing deadline is January 20. The first late filing deadline on April 2 and the second late filing deadline is May 4.
In addition to passing the New Mexico 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 New Mexico, including:
- Score 80 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within the accepted time frame.
- Certificate of Good Standing
- Complete New Mexico law class
New Mexico State Bar Admissions Office
Physical address:
New Mexico Board Of Bar Examiners
2440 Louisiana Blvd. NE, Suite 280
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Phone number: (505) 271-9706
Email: info@nmexam.org
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 New Mexico State bar exam, posted on the New Mexico State Board of Bar Examiner’s website:
Frequently Asked Questions
When are my New Mexico bar exam results released?
February bar exam results are normally posted in April. July bar exam results are normally posted in September.
Can I see my New Mexico bar exam score?
If you passed the New Mexico bar exam, you won’t be able to see your score. If you failed the exam, you may expect your answers and sample answers to the MEE and MPT within 30–60 days of receiving your score.
Can I appeal to have my New Mexico bar exam re-graded?
You may appeal your score if you are within six points of the minimum passing score.
How many times can I take the bar exam in New Mexico?
There is no limit to how many times you can take the UBE in New Mexico.
Applicants seeking admission to the New Mexico State Bar, without taking the bar exam, must comply with Reciprocity Requirements.
If you are a part of a bar in any of the following states, territories, or jurisdictions in the United States, you are able to have reciprocity with the state of New Mexico: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, US Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
In order to be eligible for admittance to the New Mexico State Bar, without taking the bar examination, you must have:
- A Certificate of Good Standing from last state
- Active legal standing during at least five of the last seven years
Here’s a list of law schools in New Mexico.
University of New Mexico School of Law
- Founded: 1947
- Located: Albuquerque, NM
- Enrollment: 330
- Tuition Cost: $37,591 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 82%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: lawschool.unm.edu
Here are some Facebook groups you may find helpful before, and after, passing the bar exam:
- New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (NMCDLA) (208 members)
- Ask a New Mexico Custody & Divorce Attorney (9 members)
University of New Mexico Law School
- University of New Mexico School of Law Friends (14 members)
- (1L) University of New Mexico School of Law, 2019 Incoming Class (73 members)
- (2L) University of New Mexico School of Law, 2018 Incoming Class (148 members)
- (3L) University of New Mexico School of Law, 2017 Incoming Class (129 members)
- University of New Mexico School of Law, 2016 Incoming Class (107 members)
More helpful resources and study materials to help you pass the New Mexico State Bar Exam: