Ultimate Guide to Wisconsin State Bar Exam
Your complete guide to Wisconsin 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 March 2022
Wisconsin State Bar Exam | Basic Information
The State Bar of Wisconsin was started in 1900. It includes more than 25,000 legal professionals.
Wisconsin is not a Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) state, because part of the Wisconsin Bar Exam is jurisdiction specific. However, the Wisconsin Bar Exam includes each component of the UBE: the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT).
February 2021 (unknown takers)
February 2020 (84 takers)
| Crushendo | Barbri | Themis | Kaplan | AmeriBar | BarMax | |
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| *Cost | $890 | $1,999-3,999 | $2,595 | $2,199-3,999 | $1,295-2,295 | $2,495 |
| Facebook Rating | 5.0 | Disabled | 4.8 | Disabled | Disabled | 4.2 |
| Google Rating | 5.0 | N/A | 2.8 | 3.1 | N/A | N/A |
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| NCBE Questions | 2,200+ | 100+ | 1,350+ | 1,200+ | 1,400+ | 1,995+ |
| Audio Flashcards | |
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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: 12/29/21
*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 $890 and includes 2,200+ 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 $1,999-3,999 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 $2,595 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 $1,295-2,295 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 $2,495 and includes 1,995+ NCBE questions.
BarMax offers lifetime access to its online products.
What’s the format of the Wisconsin Bar?
The Wisconsin bar is administered twice each year in Wisconsin (in February and July). The examination is administered over two days in four, three-hour sessions. The Wisconsin bar has two parts: the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) and the Wisconsin essays.
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 score.
Crushendo offers affordable, comprehensive written and audio outlines for MBE subjects (in addition to MEE subjects).
Wisconsin Essays
The essay questions consist of several legal essays. These essays make up 50% of your score. The essays vary by exam and may include questions from the MEE, the MPT, and from the Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners.
• Agency and Partnership
• Business Organizations (corporations, partnerships, associations, and sole proprietorships)
• Civil Procedure (pleading and practice, and jurisdiction of courts)
• Commercial Law (including sales, secured transactions, and negotiable instruments)
• Conflicts of Laws
• Constitutional Law (federal)
• Contracts
• Criminal Law & Procedure
• Evidence
• Family Law (domestic relations)
• Limited Liability Companies
• Professional Responsibility (ethics and legal responsibilities of the profession)
• Property (includes real estate)
• Taxation (federal)
• Torts
• Trusts & Estates
You can order past Wisconsin bar essays for a fee of $25.
Upcoming Bar Exam Schedule, Dates, Location
Are you interested in taking the Wisconsin State bar exam? Here’s some basic information on applying to take the Wisconsin bar exam.
The Wisconsin Bar application fee for most takers is $450. There is a $200 late fee.
*Visit the Wisconsin State Bar’s website for more information.
If you desire to take the bar exam in February, you should submit your application by December 1 to avoid late fees. If you file between December 2 and January 1, there is a $200 late fee. January 1 is the final deadline.
If you desire to take the bar exam in July, you should submit your application by May 1 to avoid late fees. If you file between May 2 and June 1, there is a $200 late fee. June 1 is the final deadline.
In addition to passing the Wisconsin bar exam with a score of at least 258, there are several requirements that must be met in order to be admitted as an attorney in Wisconsin, including:
- Certificate from Committee of Character and Fitness
- Be a graduate of an ABA approved law school
Wisconsin State Bar Admissions Office
Physical address:
Board Of Bar Examiners
110 East Main Street, Suite 715
P.O. Box 2748
Madison, WI 53701-2748
Phone number: (608) 266-9760
Allowed Items
- Wallet and keys
- Photo ID
- Pencil for MBE
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
- Purses
- Radios
- Rulers
- Scratch papers
- Study materials
Find more information on allowed items here.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are my Wisconsin bar exam results released?
Wisconsin bar exam results are usually posted six to nine weeks after the exam date.
Can I see my Wisconsin bar exam score?
If you passed the exam, you can not see your score. You may be able to see your score if you failed.
Can I appeal to have my Wisconsin bar exam re-graded?
No.
How many times can I take the bar exam in Wisconsin?
You can take the Wisconsin bar without limit.
Wisconsin has reciprocity with all states and territories if reciprocity requirements are met:
- Actively practice law for three of the last five years
- Meet Character and Fitness requirements
Here’s a list of law schools in Wisconsin.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School
- Founded: 1868
- Located: Madison, WI
- Enrollment: about 650
- Tuition Cost: $44,383 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 100%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: law.wisc.edu
Marquette University Law School
- Founded: 1892
- Located: Milwaukee, WI
- Enrollment: about 600
- Tuition Cost: $48,980 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 99%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: law.marquette.edu
Here are some Facebook groups you may find helpful before, and after, passing the bar exam:
University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School
- Wisconsin Law 2020 Admitted Students (152 members)
- Wisconsin Law 2019 Admitted Students (375 members)
- Pre-Law Society, University of Wisconsin-Madison (102 members)
Marquette University Law School
- Marquette University Law School Dispute Resolution (60 members)
- Marquette University Law School Criminal Law Society (109 members)
- Marquette Black Law Students Association (BLSA) (86 members)
- Marquette University Law School Sports Law Society (76 members)
- Marquette Law Dispute Resolution Society (35 members)
- Marquette Labor and Employment Law Program (55 members)
- Marquette Law Students with Families
- Children and Family Law Society – Marquette University Law School (26 members)
- Marquette University Law School Class of 2023 (100 members)
- Marquette University Law School Class of 2022
- Marquette University Law School Class of 2021
- Marquette University Law School Class of 2020
- Marquette University Law School Class of 2019
- Marquette University Law School Class of 2018
- Marquette University Law School Class of 2017 (265 members)
- Marquette University Law School Class of 2016 (227 members)
More helpful resources and study materials to help you pass the Wisconsin State bar exam: