In an order dated January 21, 2016, the South Carolina Supreme Court adopted the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) to serve as South Carolina's bar examination, beginning with the February, 2017 administration.
The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) developed and maintains the UBE. The South Carolina Board of Law Examiners will continue to administer the exam. However, the South Carolina Bar Exam does not contain any state-specific law. The minimum passing score is 266.
The UBE is comprised of the MEE, the MPT, and the MBE. The UBE is a timed written examination administered in three-hour sessions from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday as scheduled twice each year. The first day consists of two performance test (MPT) questions in the morning session and six essay questions (MEE) in the afternoon session. The MPT and MEE are designed to assess, among other things, the applicant's ability to communicate his/her analysis effectively in writing. Applicants may use their personal laptop computers to type their answers or they may handwrite their answers. The second day consists of 200 multiple-choice questions (MBE), with 100 questions administered in the morning session and 100 questions in the afternoon session
The MEE is six 30-minute essay questions which cover up to 12 areas of doctrinal law. It counts for 30% of your bar exam score. For more information, see the MEE tab of this guide.
The MPT is two 90-minute tasks which, rather than test doctrinal knowledge, test fundamental lawyering skills in a realistic situation. It counts for 20% of your bar exam score. For more information, see the MPT tab of this guide.
The MBE is 200 multiple choice questions, It counts for 50% of your bar exam score. For more information see the Multistate Bar Exam tab in this guide.
The Court is monitoring developments regarding COVID-19. The Office of Bar Admissions is operating, and staff are working remotely to handle various requests and other matters. Staff may be reached by calling 803-734-1080. There are no plans at this time to cancel or alter the July 2020 bar exam. We recognize this is a fluid situation, and the status of the July 2020 bar exam may change. Please carefully monitor this website for further developments.
NCBE Information and updates on the COVID-19 situation can be found at: http://www.ncbex.org/ncbe-covid-19-updates/
This guide is intended to supplement, not replace, information provided by the Office of Bar Admissions and Rule 402 of the South Carolina Appellate Court Rules. Please consult those sources for the most authoritative, up-to-date information regarding the Bar Examination and Admission to the South Carolina Bar.
