Massachusetts Bar Exam Information

2010 exam dates and location(s)

The February 2010 Massachusetts bar exam will take place on Wednesday, February 24 and Thursday, February 25. The July 2010 Massachusetts bar exam will take place on Wednesday, July 28 and Thursday, July 29. The Massachusetts bar exam is given at the following locations: the World Trade Center/Seaport Hotel in Boston and the Western New England College of Law in Springfield.

Subject matter (MBE subjects are in bold)

Agency, Business Organizations, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Descent and Distribution of Estates, Domestic Relations, Evidence (including Federal Rules), Federal Jurisdiction, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure, Professional Responsibility, Real Property (including Mortgages), Torts, Trusts, Wills, Unfair or Deceptive Practices, and the Uniform Commercial Code.

Structure

The Wednesday exam day consists of the MBE. The MBE is a 200 question multiple choice exam. 100 questions are asked in the morning over a three hour period, and 100 questions are asked in the afternoon over a three hour period. The MBE has 33 questions each for Contracts and Torts, and 31 questions each for Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, and Real Property. 190 of the 200 questions are graded, the other 10 are experimental. 200 questions over six hours averages out to 1.8 minutes per question. The Thursday exam day consists of 10 essay questions.

Scoring

The MBE and essay scores are combined to determine an examinee’s total score. An examinee must achieve a minimum score of 270 in order to pass.

MPRE

Candidates must achieve a minimum scaled score of 85 on the MPRE before filing a Massachusetts bar exam application.

Pass rate

Massachusetts’ pass rate for the July 2008 exam was 92% for first time takers, and 86% for all takers.

Bar examiner contact information

Application deadlines and fees

Applicants have two options for obtaining a “Petition for Admission” for the Massachusetts bar exam:

1. Download the PDF version from the Board’s website – simply print, complete, and submit; or
2. Complete the online version directly on the Board’s website – simply fill out the required fields and print.

The deadline to apply for the July 2010 Massachusetts bar exam is May 7, 2010. Applications must be received (not postmarked) on this date.

The exam application fee is $815. Payment must be made via certified check or money order payable to “Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

Applications should be mailed to:

Supreme Court for Suffolk County
Clerk Maura S. Doyle
John Adams Courthouse, 1st Floor
One Pemberton Square, Suite 1300
Boston, MA 02108

Forms

The Petition for Admission requires the applicant’s signature and the signature of a recommending attorney.

Applicants who wish to take the exam in Springfield must complete and submit a “Springfield Seating Request Form” by May 11, 2010. The request form must be received (not postmarked) on this date.

Request forms should be mailed to:

Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners
Suffolk County Courthouse
3 Pemberton Square
7th Floor, Suite 707
Boston, MA 02108

Character and Fitness considerations

Each applicant must submit two Letters of Recommendation.

Other exam application information

The Board accepts concurrent MBE scores.

The Board will mail site, seating, and other information approximately two to three weeks prior the exam. Note that the Board does not provide admission tickets.

Results

The Board releases the results of the February exam in mid-May, and the results of the July exam in mid-November. The Board mails results and posts them to its website.

*All state bar exam information is subject to change without notice; please verify this information with the bar examiner’s office.*