Rhode Island Bar Exam Information

2010 exam dates and location(s)

The February 2010 Rhode Island bar exam will take place on Tuesday, February 23 and Wednesday, February 24. The July 2010 Rhode Island bar exam will take place on Tuesday, July 27 and Wednesday, July 28. Exams are given in Providence.

Subject matter (MBE subjects are in bold)

Agency, Commercial Paper, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, Contracts/Sales, Corporations, Creditors’ Rights, Criminal Law and Procedure, Domestic Relations, Equity, Evidence, Federal Jurisdiction, Partnerships, Real Property, Rhode Island Practice and Procedure, Secured Transactions, Torts, Trusts, and Wills.

Structure

The Tuesday exam day consists of the written portion of the exam – one MPT, three Rhode Island essay questions, and six MEE questions. 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.

Scoring

Each essay and MPT answer is graded on a six-point scale. Each MPT score is multiplied by two as to be weighed the same as two essay questions. The essay and MPT raw scores are then aggregated and scaled to the MBE.

A scaled score of 130 on the MBE is required to pass. Graders will not read the essay or MPT answers of any examinee with an MBE scaled score lower than 130. A score of 276 is required to pass the exam.

MPRE

Candidates for the Rhode Island bar exam must score an 80 on the MPRE. An MPRE score is good for two years.

Pass rate

Rhode Island’s pass rate for the July 2008 exam was 80% for first time takers, and 80% for all takers.

Bar examiner contact information

Application deadlines

The deadline for the February exam is December 1. The deadline for the July exam is May 1. Note that there is no provision for late filing.

Application fees

The application fee for the Rhode Island bar exam is $450. If an applicant is interested in transferring his or her MBE score, an additional fee of $25 is required. Applicants can pay fees via a check payable to “Committee on Character and Fitness.”

Forms

The Rhode Island bar application packet includes: 1) the Application, 2) Supplemental Forms and Authorization and Release forms (Certificate of Law School Dean/Administrator, Handwriting Sample, Amendment to Application Form, Employment Verification Form, and Certificate of Good Moral Character), and 3) the Order. There is an additional form for an MBE score transfer. Applicants must provide a credit report.

Character and Fitness considerations

Applicants must provide the Committee with a criminal background check from all states in which they have resided since age 18.

Note that the Committee interviews all applicants.

Results

The date the exam results will be released by the Committee is provided to applicants at the time of their interview. This date usually falls approximately mid-May for the February exam, and mid-October for the July exam. The Committee mails results and posts them in the Supreme Court’s office. It then makes results available on its website within 24 hours of posting.

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