Ultimate Guide to Rhode Island State Bar Exam
Your complete guide to the Rhode Island State Bar Exam.
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
Rhode Island State Bar Exam | Basic Information
The Rhode Island Bar Association was formed in 1898. It is a mandatory bar association with about 6,000 members.
Rhode Island is one of 40+ jurisdictions that have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). Rhode Island first administered the UBE in February 2019.
| 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 UBE is administered twice each year in Rhode Island (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. Your MEE score comprises 30% of your UBE score.
Rhode Island bar exam 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. Your MPT score comprises 20% of your UBE 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 Rhode Island State bar exam? Here’s some basic information on applying to take the Rhode Island bar exam.
The Rhode Island Bar application fee for most takers is $975.
*Visit the Rhode Island Bar Admission Office’s website for more information.
If you desire to take the bar exam in February, the filing deadline is December 1. If you want to take the July bar exam, the filing deadline is May 1. There are no late filing options.
In addition to passing the Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island, including:
- Score 80 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within the accepted time frame.
- Character and Fitness Review
Rhode Island State Bar Admissions Office
Physical address:
Bar Administrator
Rhode Island Supreme Court
250 Benefit Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
Phone number: (401) 222-3272
Email: ribarexam@courts.ri.gov
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.
- Pens and pencils are provided to examinees.
- 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 Rhode Island State bar exam, posted on the Rhode Island State Bar Association’s website:
Frequently Asked Questions
When are my Rhode Island bar exam results released?
Rhode Island bar exam results are usually posted eight to nine weeks after the exam date. February bar exam results are usually posted in April. July bar exam results are usually posted in September.
Can I see my Rhode Island bar exam score?
If you passed the Rhode Island bar exam, you won’t be able to see your score. If you failed the exam, scores may be available if you contact the Rhode Island Bar Examiners.
Can I appeal to have my Rhode Island bar exam re-graded?
You can send an appeal in writing and have a chance to review your answers with a grader, but only for informational purposes. All grades are final.
How many times can I take the bar exam in Rhode Island?
You can retake the UBE five times.
Applicants seeking admission to the Rhode Island State Bar, without taking the bar exam, must comply with Reciprocity Requirements.
If you are a part of a bar in any of the states, territories, or jurisdictions in the United States, you are able to have reciprocity with the state of Rhode Island. In order to be eligible for admittance to the Rhode Island State Bar, without taking the bar examination, you must:
- Show proof of being admitted to the bar in another state
- Have proof of good standing in the bar in another state
- Graduate from an ABA-approved law school
- Have not failed five or more bar exams in Rhode Island or any other state
- Have proof of active legal standing in at least five of the last 10 years
Here’s a list of law schools in Rhode Island.
Roger Williams University School of Law
- Founded: 1956
- Located: Bristol, RI
- Enrollment: about 475
- Tuition Cost: $35,735 View tuition cost
- Bar Passage Rate: 68%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: law.rwu.edu
Here are some Facebook groups you may find helpful before, and after, passing the bar exam:
Roger Williams University School of Law
More helpful resources and study materials to help you pass the Rhode Island State Bar Exam: