The Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) is prepared by the National Conference of Bar Examiners. It is composed of the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). These are prepared by, giiven, and graded in accordance with the standards established by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
A scaled score of 266 on the UBE is required for admission in South Carolina. Additional information regarding the content of the UBE is available at www.ncbex.org.
To complete an application for admission to take the UBE in South Carolina, the applicant must create an account. Once an applicant has created an account, the applicant can log on and open the application for admission, which is composed of two parts. Part A is to be completed and submitted on-line, and Part B is a Word document that must be completed and either mailed or delivered to the Office of Bar Admissions along with the required attachments and fees. While some of the documents must be completed or generated online, forms and samples of the relevant documents and webpages are available on the menu on the right side of the Bar Admissions page.
The filing period for the July Examination is December 1 until January 31, and the filing period for the February Examination is August 1 until September 30. The application fee varies as shown below:
July Applications Filed: | February Applications Filed: | Filing Fee |
December 1 to January 10 | August 1 to August 31 | $1000.00 |
January 11 to January 31 | September 1 to September 30 | $1500.00 |
An applicant who has been admitted in another state or the District of Columbia, or another country for one year or more must pay an additional fee of $ 750.00.
Results are generally released in late April for the February exam and late October for the July exam. Check the South Carolina Judicial Department website for the latest information on results.
For a number of years, the Bar exam has been administered at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia, South Carolina, 29201
Office Location:
Supreme Court Building
1231 Gervais Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Excluding state holidays
Mailing Address:
Office of Bar Admissions
Supreme Court of South Carolina
P.O. Box 11330
Columbia, SC 29211
ALL OVERNIGHT DELIVERIES MUST USE OFFICE LOCATION ADDRESS
Voice: (803) 734-1080 *
FAX: (803) 734-0394
TTY: (803) 734-6365
* The Office of Bar Admissions accepts telephone calls between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Search the Library Catalog for bar review materials by choosing Collection Type→ Bar Review, as shown.
Administration of the UBE in South Carolina.
(1) When Given. The UBE shall be administered twice each year on the last consecutive Tuesday and Wednesday in February and July. The MPT and MEE will be given on Tuesday, and the MBE will be given on Wednesday.
(2) Anonymous Grading; Prohibited Comments in Answer Sheets and Booklets. Applicants taking the UBE in South Carolina shall be assigned an identification number that shall be used for the purposes of taking and grading the examination. Except for the identification number and any other information the applicant may be directed to provide by those administering the examination, answer sheets or booklets for the examination shall contain no other information revealing the identity of the applicant. Any reference to the applicant's economic status, social standing, employment, personal hardship, or other extraneous information in the answer sheets or booklets is prohibited.
(3) Notification of Results. For applicants who take the UBE in South Carolina, the Clerk of the Supreme Court shall notify each applicant of the score received on the UBE and on the MBE. Additionally, the names of those receiving a score of 266 or higher on the UBE, and the identification numbers of those receiving a score of less than 266 on the UBE shall be posted on the Bar Admissions page of the South Carolina Judicial Department Website.
(4) Access to Examination Answers; Re-grading or Other Review. No applicant shall be given access to the answers the applicant submitted during a UBE taken in South Carolina. The results reported for the examination are final, and no applicant shall be allowed to seek re-grading or any other review of the results of the examination.
(5) Request for Verification of Multistate Bar Examination. While no review or inspection of the MBE will be permitted, an applicant who took the UBE in South Carolina may request a hand grading of the MBE. Any such request must be filed with the Clerk of the Supreme Court, along with the applicable fee, within fifteen (15) days of the date of the notification in (3) above.7
(6) Prohibited Contacts. An applicant shall not, either directly or through an agent, contact any member of the Board of Law Examiners or any member of the Supreme Court regarding the questions on any section of the examination, grading procedures, or an applicant's answers. This provision does not prohibit an applicant from seeking verification of the MBE score as permitted by (5) above.
(7) Cheating and Other Prohibited Acts. An applicant taking the UBE in South Carolina shall not:
(i) cheat or attempt to cheat on the UBE in South Carolina;
(ii) assist or attempt to assist another in cheating on the UBE in this or any other jurisdiction;
(iii) possess an item on the premises of the examination site or in the examination room if the possession of that item is prohibited by the Board of Law Examiners; or
(iv) remove or attempt to remove any testing material from the examination room or site.
Any allegation that an applicant has violated this section shall be investigated by the Committee on Character and Fitness using the procedures in sections (g) and (l)(5) of this rule. If it is determined that the applicant has violated this section, the Supreme Court may take such action as it deems appropriate. This may include, but is not limited to, finding the applicant unfit for admission, prohibiting the applicant from using the results of the examination for admission, and/or preventing the applicant from reapplying for admission for up to five (5) years. Further, if the applicant has already been admitted, the Supreme Court may vacate the admission or discipline the lawyer under Rule 413 of the South Carolina Appellate Court Rules. Finally, an applicant committing one of these prohibited acts shall be guilty of contempt of the Supreme Court and may be punished accordingly.
Special Accommodations for Disabled Applicants. An applicant needing special accommodations for the administration of the UBE in South Carolina due to a disability shall submit a written request for such accommodations to the Board of Law Examiners.In an order dated August 19, 2016, the South Carolina Supreme Court approved these Request for Special Testing Accommodations on the Uniform Bare Exam Administered in South Carolina forms Unless the chair of the Board determines there is good cause to allow a late request, written requests for special accommodations must be submitted by November 1st for the February UBE and April 1st for the July UBE.
Failure to be Admitted.
(1) Applicants Seeking Admission Based on An Existing UBE Score. If an applicant seeking admission based on an existing UBE score (as defined in section (b) of this rule) is not admitted within one (1) year of the date of the filing of the application, the applicant must file a supplemental application with the Clerk of the Supreme Court. The supplemental application shall be on a form prescribed by the Committee on Character and Fitness, and the applicant may not be admitted to the South Carolina Bar unless the Committee on Character and Fitness makes a re-determination that the applicant is qualified. The filing shall be accompanied by a fee of $250. Further, the application for admission (along with the supplemental application) shall be treated as being withdrawn if the applicant fails to be admitted within two (2) years of the date of the filing of the application.
(2) Applicants Taking the UBE in South Carolina. If an applicant taking the UBE in South Carolina is not admitted within one (1) year of the date of the notification advising the applicant that the applicant has received a qualifying score on the UBE for admission, the applicant must file a supplemental application with the Clerk of the Supreme Court. The supplemental application shall be on a form prescribed by the Committee on Character and Fitness, and the applicant may not be admitted to the South Carolina Bar unless the Committee on Character and Fitness makes a re-determination that the applicant is qualified. The filing shall be accompanied by a fee of $250. Further, the application for admission (along with the supplemental application) shall be treated as being withdrawn if the applicant fails to be admitted within two (2) years of the date of the notification advising the applicant that the applicant has received a qualifying score on the UBE for admission.
Filing means:
The date of filing shall be the date of delivery, the date of mailing, or the date of uploading.
Applicants Who Have Failed to Receive a Qualifying Score on Three or More Bar Examinations. An applicant who has failed to receive a qualifying score on three or more bar examinations shall not be eligible to sit for the UBE in South Carolina until at least one (1) year following the administration of the last bar examination resulting in a non-qualifying score.
For the purpose of this provision, an applicant shall be treated as receiving a non-qualifying score on a bar examination if: (1) the applicant failed a bar examination in South Carolina prior to February 2017; or (2) the applicant sat for the UBE in this or any other jurisdiction and failed to receive a score of 266 or higher.