2011 New York Bar Exam Information
July 2011 New York Bar Examination Results
Results from July 2011 New York bar exam were released to candidates on November 2, 2011. The July 2011 Pass List is available from the New York Board of Law Examiners.
February 2012 New York Bar Exam
The next administration of the New York Bar Exam is February 28-29, 2012. The "Application Filing Period" for the February 2012 New York Bar Exam is November 1 - November 30, 2011. When available, applicants may file online at http://www.nybarexam.org/forms/forms.htm or via paper application.
Format of the New York Bar Examination
The New York Bar Exam contains two sections: the New York section and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE).
New York Section
The New York Section is administered on the first day of the New York Bar Exam and contains 5 essay questions, 50 New York multiple choice questions, and 1 Multistate Performance Test (MPT). The AM session of the New York Section contains 3 essays and 50 New York multiple choice questions in 3 hours and 15 minutes. The PM session contains 2 essays and 1 MPT in 3 hours.
MBE
The MBE is administered on the second day of the New York Bar Exam. The MBE is a 6-hour, 200 multiple choice question examination. The MBE is divided into 2 sessions of 3 hours with 100 questions in each session.
Scope and Subject Coverage of the New York Bar Exam
New York Section
New York Essays and Multiple Choice
The New York Section of the New York Bar Exam may include questions from the following subjects: Contracts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, Torts, Business Relationships, Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Remedies, Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure, Professional Responsibility, Trusts, Wills and Estates, and UCC Articles 2, 3, and 9. Each essay question on the New York section tests more than one subject, and, except for questions involving federal law, the New York Section is based upon the law of New York.
Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
The MPT, administered as part of the New York Section, does not test substantive law. Instead, the MPT is a 90 minute practical skills question covering legal analysis, problem solving, fact analysis, organization of a lawyering task, communication, and resolution of ethical dilemmas. Each MPT includes a File and Library. The Library provides the necessary substantive law for an applicant to complete the MPT.
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)
The 200 question MBE covers the subjects of Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts. The MBE tests fundamental legal principles instead of New York case or statutory law.
Grading of the New York Bar Exam
The five New York essays and MPT are graded according to a "predetermined marking formula," and the grades received are the raw essay scores. The total number of New York and MBE multiple choice questions answered correctly are the raw scores for those portions of the New York Bar Exam. The raw scores for each section are then converted to a common scale of 0-1000 and relative weights are assigned to each portion of the exam: 60% to the New York Section (40% essays, 10% MPT, and 10% New York multiple choice) and 40% to the MBE. A score of 665 is necessary to pass the New York Bar Exam.
Recent New York Bar Exam Passing Rates
Recent All Takers passing rates for the NY bar exam include: 70% for July 2010, 50% for February 2010, and 72% for July 2009. Complete New York Bar Examination statistics are available from the New York State Board of Law Examiners.
