Ultimate Guide to Texas State Bar Exam

Your complete guide to Texas 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

texas bar

Texas State Bar Exam | Basic Information

The State Bar of Texas was formed in 1939. It is a mandatory bar with over 100,000 members.

Texas is one of 40+ jurisdictions that have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). Texas first administered the UBE in February 2021. Texas also requires the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE).

Texas State Bar Exam Pass Rates

February 2022 (1,057 takers)

Overall Pass Rate: 50%
First-Time Pass Rate: 60%
Repeat Pass Rate: 43%

February 2021 (1,013 takers)

Overall Pass Rate: 62%
First-Time Pass Rate: 71%
Repeat Pass Rate: 47%

July 2021 (3,144 takers)

Overall Pass Rate: 68%
First-Time Pass Rate: 78%
Repeat Pass Rate: 21%

October 2020 (1,116 takers)

Overall Pass Rate: 60%
First-Time Pass Rate: 71%
Repeat Pass Rate: 43%

Texas Bar Review Courses

Compare top Texas Bar Exam prep courses from Crushendo, Barbri, Themis, Kaplan, AmeriBar, and BarMax.

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

Last updated: 1/7/23

*Cost ignores promotions and live tutoring.

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.

Texas Bar Exam Format

What’s the format of the UBE?

The UBE is administered twice each year in Texas (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.

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

Schedule

Morning Afternoon
Day 1 MPT (3 hours) MEE (3 hours)
Day 2 MBE (3 hours) MBE (3 hours)

Dates

  • July 26-27, 2022
  • February 21-22, 2023
  • July 25-26, 2023

Location

The Texas Bar exam is administered in multiple locations across Texas. The July bar is usually administered in six cities: Houston, DFW-area, Austin, San Antonio, Lubbock, and Waco.

Texas Bar Exam Application

Are you interested in taking the Texas State bar exam? Here’s some basic information on applying to take the Texas bar exam.

The Texas Bar application fee for most takers is $700. There is a $150 examination fee. There is a $40 fingerprint processing fee. There is a $50 laptop application fee.

*Visit the Texas State Bar Fee Schedule for more information.

If you desire to take the bar exam in February, registration opens on June 30. The filing deadline is September 1, the late filing deadline is November 1 ($150 fee), and the final filing deadline is December 1 ($350 fee).  If you desire to take the bar exam in July, registration opens on December 1. The filing deadline is February 1, the late filing deadline is April 1 ($150 fee), and the final filing deadline is May 1 ($350 fee).

In addition to passing the Texas bar exam with a score of at least 270, there are several requirements that must be met in order to be admitted as an attorney in Texas, including:

  1. Score 85 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within the accepted time frame.
  2. Character and Fitness Review
  3. Complete the Texas Bar Component

Texas State Bar Admissions Office

Mailing address:

Texas Board of Law Examiners
PO Box 13486
Austin, TX 78711-3486

Phone: 512-463-1621
Fax:
512-463-5300

Texas Bar Exam: What to Bring

Allowed Items

  • Admission ticket
  • Government-issued photo ID
  • Pencils, erasers
  • Keys, key cards, cash, credit cards
  • Sweater or jacket
  • Prescription medication

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.

Texas Bar Exam Scores and Grading

A passing score for the UBE in Texas is 270/400. Scores of the three tests comprising the UBE are weighted as follows:

  • MBE = 50% of your total UBE score
  • MEE = 30%
  • MPT = 20%

*A passing score for the MPRE in Texas is 85/150.

Texas Bar Review Course

Crushendo’s comprehensive UBE Suite comes with everything you need to crush the Texas bar exam.

  • MBE, MEE, and MPT Prep
  • 250+ Proprietary Mnemonics
  • 1,750+ Licensed NCBE Questions
  • Audio Attack Outlines
  • Audio Flashcards
  • Lifetime Access

Texas Bar Exam Results

View pass lists for the Texas bar exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are my Texas Bar Exam results released?

Texas Bar Exam results are usually posted nine to 10 weeks after the exam date. February bar exam results are usually posted in April. July bar exam results are usually posted in October.

Can I see my Texas Bar Exam score?

You may be able to receive an unofficial copy of your bar exam if you send a request to the bar examination office.

Can I appeal to have my Texas Bar Exam re-graded?

No.

How many times can I take the Texas Bar Exam?

You can retake the UBE five times in Texas.

Texas Bar Exam Reciprocity

Applicants seeking admission to the Texas State Bar, without taking the bar exam, must comply with Reciprocity Requirements. If you are part of a bar in any of the states, districts, or jurisdictions, you are able to have reciprocity with the State of Texas.

In order to be eligible for admittance to the Texas 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
  • Have proof of active legal standing in at least five of the last seven years
  • Have a JD from an ABA-approved law school

Law Schools in Texas

Here’s a list of law schools in Texas.

University of Texas at Austin School of Law

Dedman School of Law (Southern Methodist University)

  • Founded: 1925
  • Located: Dallas, TX
  • Enrollment: about 700
  • Tuition Cost: $50,986 View tuition costs
  • Bar Passage Rate: 85%
  • ABA Accredited: Yes
  • Website: smu.edu/Law

University of Houston Law Center

  • Founded: 1947
  • Located: Houston, TX
  • Enrollment: about 675
  • Tuition Cost: $48,434 View tuition breakdown
  • Bar Passage Rate: 84%
  • ABA Accredited: Yes
  • Website: law.uh.edu

Baylor University Law

  • Founded: 1857
  • Located: Waco, TX
  • Enrollment: about 450
  • Tuition Cost: $41,188 View tuition cost
  • Bar Passage Rate: 92%
  • ABA Accredited: Yes
  • Website: baylor.edu/law

Thurgood Marshall School of Law (Texas Southern University)

  • Founded: 1947
  • Located: Houston, TX
  • Enrollment: about 600
  • Tuition Cost: $27,828 View tuition breakdown
  • Bar Passage Rate: 77%
  • ABA Accredited: Yes
  • Website: tsulaw.edu

Texas A&M University School of Law

  • Founded: 1989
  • Located: Fort Worth, TX
  • Enrollment: about 475
  • Tuition Cost: $39,250 View tuition breakdown
  • Bar Passage Rate: 83%
  • ABA Accredited: Yes
  • Website: law.tamu.edu

Texas Tech University School of Law

St. Mary’s University School of Law

South Texas College of Law

  • Founded: 1923
  • Located: Houston, TX
  • Enrollment: about 1,000
  • Tuition Cost: $34,050 View tuition breakdown
  • Bar Passage Rate: 72%
  • ABA Accredited: Yes
  • Website: stcl.edu

Helpful Groups

Here are some Facebook groups you may find helpful before, and after, passing the bar exam:

University of Texas at Austin School of Law

Dedman School of Law (Southern Methodist University)

University of Houston Law Center

Baylor University Law

Thurgood Marshall School of Law (Texas Southern University)

Texas A&M University School of Law

Texas Tech University School of Law

St. Mary’s University School of Law

South Texas College of Law