Ohio Bar Exam Information

2010 exam dates and location(s)

The February 2010 Ohio bar exam will take place on Tuesday, February 23, Wednesday, February 24, and Thursday, February 25. The July 2010 Ohio bar exam will take place on Tuesday, July 27, Wednesday, July 28, and Thursday, July 29. Exams are given in Columbus.

Subject matter (MBE subjects are in bold)

Business Associations (Agency, Corporations, and Partnerships); Civil Procedure; Commercial Transactions (Commercial Paper and Secured Transactions); Constitutional Law; Contracts/Sales; Criminal Law and Procedure; Evidence; Legal Ethics; Personal Property; Real Property; Torts; and Wills.

Structure

The Tuesday exam day consists of the first part of the written exam – six essay questions and two MPT questions (90 minutes each). 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 the second part of the written exam – six essay questions.

Scoring

The MBE comprises one-third of the total exam score. The written portion (essays and MPTs) comprises two-thirds of the total exam score.

MPRE

An applicant for the Ohio bar exam must achieve a minimum score of 85 on the MPRE before or after the exam for which the applicant sits. In any event, the applicant must achieve this score prior to admission to the Ohio bar.

Pass rate

Ohio’s pass rate for the July 2008 exam was 81% for first time takers, and 74% for all takers.

Other exam information

A laptop program is available for all interested applicants for a $110 fee.

Bar examiner contact information

Application deadlines and fees

In order to sit for the Ohio bar exam, candidates must complete a two-step application process – step one is the Application to Register as Candidate for Admission, and step two is the Application to Take the Bar Examination. The following is a summary of information regarding this process:

1. Step One – Application to Register as Candidate for Admission (the candidacy application):
   1. The candidacy application is a preliminary application which includes a character questionnaire;
   2. Most candidates file the candidacy application during the second year of law school, though it is recommended that students who anticipate character and fitness issues file during their first year of law school;
   3. The timely fee for registration is $75 and the late fee for registration is $200 (a candidacy application is considered late if it is not filed by November 15 of the candidate’s second year of law school); and
   4. The candidacy application is accepted until August 15 for the February exam and until January 15 for the July exam.
2. Step Two – Application to Take the Bar Examination (the bar exam application):
   1. The bar exam application provides updated character and fitness information;
   2. The bar exam application is filed during the third year of law school;
   3. The timely bar exam application deadline for the February exam is November 1, for the July exam is April 1, and a $330 application fee must accompany the application;
   4. The late bar exam application deadline for the February exam is December 10, for the July exam is May 10, and a $430 application fee must accompany the application; and
   5. All Ohio bar exam fees must be paid via check or money order made payable to “Supreme Court of Ohio.”

Other deadlines and fees

1. The NCBE fee is $150 if the NCBE application is filed by November 15 of an applicant’s second year of law school;
2. The NCBE fee is $200 if the NCBE application is filed after November 15 of an applicant’s second year of law school; and
3. All NCBE fees must be paid via certified check or money order made payable to “National Conference of Bar Examiners.”

The fee for the MPT is $22. This fee must be paid via certified check or money order made payable to the “Supreme Court of Ohio.”

Forms

All forms are available online except for the fingerprint card. Forms must be completed online via the website, printed, and signed. Note that some forms require a notarized signature. The Office of Bar Admissions mails confirmation of eligibility to sit, along with exam instructions, two weeks prior to the exam date.

Attachments

Fingerprint cards are available at the Bar Admissions Office, Ohio law schools, and local police departments.

Results

The Board releases the results of the February exam in early May, and the results of the July exam in early November.

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