Ultimate Guide to Oregon State Bar Exam
Your complete guide to Oregon 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 February 2024
Oregon State Bar Exam | Basic Information
The Oregon State Bar was formed in 1935. There are about 15,000 attorneys that are a part of the Oregon State Bar Association, including about 6,000 women attorneys.
Oregon is one of 40+ jurisdictions that have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). Oregon first administered the UBE in July 2017.
July 2023 (426 takers)
February 2023 (156 takers)
February 2022 (131 takers)
July 2021 (370 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 Oregon (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 Oregon State bar exam? Here’s some basic information on applying to take the Oregon bar exam.
The Oregon Bar application fee for most takers is $750.
*Visit the Oregon State Bar’s website for more information.
If you desire to take the bar exam in February, the application deadline is November 15. If you want to take the July bar exam, the application deadline is April 15.
In addition to passing the Oregon bar exam with a score of at least 274, there are several requirements that must be met in order to be admitted as an attorney in Oregon, including:
- Score 85 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within the accepted time frame.
- Character and Fitness Review
- Be actively engaged in the practice of law for three of the past five years
Oregon State Bar Admissions Office
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 231935
Tigard, OR 97281-1935
Telephone: (503) 620-0222
Email: info@osbar.org
Allowed Items
- Unwrapped food
- Clear plastic bag
- Pencils for Wednesday
- Computer and charging cord Tuesday
Earplugs will be provided
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
- Watches
Learn more here.
View lists of those who passed the Oregon State bar exam, posted on the Oregon State Bar Association’s website:
Frequently Asked Questions
When are my Oregon bar exam results released?
February bar exam results are usually posted in April. July bar exam results are usually posted in September.
Can I see my Oregon bar exam score?
If you passed the Oregon bar exam, you won’t be able to see your score.
Can I appeal to have my Oregon bar exam re-graded?
No.
How many times can I take the bar exam in Oregon?
You can retake the UBE in Oregon without any limit.
Applicants seeking admission to the Oregon State Bar, without taking the bar exam, must comply with Reciprocity Requirements.
You are able to have reciprocity with Oregon if you live in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
In order to be eligible for admittance to the Oregon State Bar, without taking the bar examination, you must:
- Show proof of being admitted to the bar in a reciprocal state
- Have proof of good standing in the bar in another state
- Have proof of active legal standing in at least five of the last seven years
- Pay a $1,175 fee
Here’s a list of law schools in Oregon.
University of Oregon School of Law
- Founded: 1884
- Located: Eugene, OR
- Enrollment: about 500
- Tuition Cost: $47,102 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 83%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: law.uoregon.edu
Willamette University College of Law
- Founded: 1883
- Located: Salem, OR
- Enrollment: about 300
- Tuition Cost: $45,530 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 78%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: willamette.edu/law
Lewis & Clark Law School
- Founded: 1884
- Located: Portland, OR
- Enrollment: about 500
- Tuition Cost: $48,125 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 73%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: law.lclark.edu
Here are some Facebook groups you may find helpful before, and after, passing the bar exam:
- Oregon Lawyers (316 members)
- Oregon Immigration Lawyers (13 members)
- Oregon Filipino American Lawyers Association (OFALA) (49 members)
Willamette University College of Law
- Willamette University College of Law – Law Partners (36 members)
- OUTLaw – Willamette University College of Law (51 members)
- Willamette University College of Law – Parents Attending Law School (PALS) (74 members)
- Willamette University College of Law Class of 2017 (71 members)
- Willamette University College of Law, Class of 2014 and Friends (126 members)
Lewis & Clark School of Law
- Crime Victims’ Right Alliance (CVRA) at Lewis & Clark Law School (29 members)
- Criminal Law Society of Lewis and Clark Law School (37 members)
- WICL – Lewis & Clark Law School (44 members)
- Class of 2022 – Lewis & Clark Law School (142 members)
- Class of 2021 – Lewis & Clark Law School (152 members)
- Class of 2020 – Lewis & Clark Law School (145 members)
- Class of 2019 – Lewis & Clark Law School (155 members)
- Class of 2018 – Lewis & Clark Law School (102 members)
- Class of 2015 – Lewis & Clark Law School (165 members)
- Lewis & Clark Law School Class of 2014 (204 members)
More helpful resources and study materials to help you pass the Oregon State Bar Exam: