Ultimate Guide to Vermont State Bar Exam
Your complete guide to Vermont 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
Vermont State Bar Exam | Basic Information
The Vermont Bar Association was formed in 1878. Current law students are allowed membership.
Vermont is one of 40+ jurisdictions that have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). Vermont first administered the UBE in July 2016.
July 2023 (57 takers)
February 2023 (35 takers)
February 2022 (49 takers)
July 2021 (93 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 Vermont (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 Vermont State bar exam? Here’s some basic information on applying to take the Vermont bar exam.
The Vermont Bar application fee for most first-time takers is $300. There is a $50 late fee and a $50 laptop fee.
*See the Vermont fee schedule for more information.
If you desire to take the bar exam in February, the deadline is December 1. If you desire to take the bar exam in July, the deadline is May 1.
In addition to passing the Vermont 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 Vermont, including:
- Score 80 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within the accepted time frame.
- Certificate of Good Standing
Vermont State Bar Admissions Office
Physical address:
Office of Attorney Licensing
Costello Courthouse
32 Cherry St., Suite 213
Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: (802) 859-3000
Fax: (802) 859-3003
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 Vermont State Bar Exam, posted on the Vermont State Bar Association’s website:
Frequently Asked Questions
When are my Vermont 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 Vermont bar exam score?
If you passed the Vermont bar exam, you won’t be able to see your score.
Can I appeal to have my Vermont bar exam re-graded?
Yes, you may appeal to the Vermont courts to have your bar exam re-graded.
How many times can I take the bar exam in Vermont?
You can retake the UBE four times in Vermont.
Applicants seeking admission to the Vermont State Bar, without taking the bar exam, must comply with Reciprocity Requirements.
If you are 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 Vermont if approved by the Board. In order to be eligible for admittance to the Vermont State Bar, without taking the bar examination, you must:
- Be licensed and have good standing
- Have proof of active legal standing in at least five of the last 10 years
- Not have failed the Vermont bar or scored less than 270 in the last five years
Here’s a list of law schools in Vermont.
Vermont Law School
- Founded: 1972
- Located: South Royalton, VT
- Enrollment: about 450
- Tuition Cost: $46,848 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 70%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: vermontlaw.edu
Here are some Facebook groups you may find helpful before, and after, passing the bar exam:
Vermont Law School
- Women’s Law Group at Vermont Law School (124 members)
- Vermont Law School Career Services (692 members)
- Vermont Law School Student Bar Association (VLS) (323 members)
- Vermont Law School Women’s Rugby (69 members)
- Food & Agricultural Law Society (FALS) – Vermont Law School (248 members)
- Vermont Law School Outdoor Club (18 members)
- Vermont Law School – Online Master’s Students and Alums (25 members)
- Vermont Law School Friends (16 members)
- Vermont Law School Outdoor Club (318 members)
- Vermont Law School’s Latinx & Caribbean Law Student Association (LALSA) (85 members)
- Vermont Law School Entering Classes of 2020 (21 members)
- Vermont Law School Entering Classes of 2019 (354 members)
- Vermont Law School Entering Classes of 2018 (391 members)
- Vermont Law School Entering Classes of 2017 (350 members)
- Vermont Law School Entering Classes of 2016 (283 members)
- Vermont Law School Entering Classes of 2015 (265 members)
More helpful resources and study materials to help you pass the Vermont State Bar Exam: