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General Information About the Colorado Bar Exam

NOTICE: The following information is provided as a summary of commonly asked questions regarding the Colorado Bar Exam. It is not intended to fully address all application/admission policies and requirements. Please refer to both the "Instructions for Filing an Application to Take the Colorado Bar Exam" as well as C.R.C.P. 203 for complete details.

General Exam Information

The bar exam is held twice yearly on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July. The exam is administered in the Denver Metro Area at only one location.

Colorado is a Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) jurisdiction. Colorado will be administering the Legacy UBE through the February 2028 bar exam administration. The Legacy UBE consists of three parts: The Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), the Multistate Performance Test (MPT) and the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE).

Colorado will start adminster the NextGen UBE starting with the July 2028 bar exam administration.

General Exam Schedule - Legacy UBE

The MEE and MPT are administered on Tuesday, followed by the MBE on Wednesday. Exam schedules for applicants receiving testing accommodations may vary.

Multistate Essay Exam (Day 1)

The MEE portion of the Colorado Bar Examination consists of six questions. Examinees are required to answer all six essay questions in the morning session. A total of three hours is allocated to answer six essay questions (an average of thirty minutes per question). Learn more about the MEE, including subjects that may be tested and areas covered within those subjects, study aids and information guides.

Multistate Performance Test (Day 1)

The MPT consists of two 90-minute questions. Both MPT questions are given in the afternoon session. A total of three hours is allocated to answer two MPT questions. The MPT questions are designed to test skills commonly used by lawyers practicing law competently. These skills generally include, but are not limited to, the following: Legal Analysis, Fact Analysis, Awareness of Professional Responsibility, Problem Solving, Research Skills, and Writing Skills. Learn more about the MPT, study aids and information guides.

Multistate Bar Exam (Day 2)

The MBE is a 6-hour multiple-choice test consisting of 200 questions. It is divided into a 3-hour morning session and a 3-hour afternoon session. Learn more about the MBE, study aids and information guides.

Colorado Passing Score

Legacy UBE: In order to pass the Colorado Bar Exam starting February 2023, an examinee must score 270 scale points (of a possible 400). For exams prior to February 2023, the required passing score was 276 points. The formula for determining the total bar exam score is:

MBE Scale Score + MEE/MPT Scale Score = Bar Exam Score

  • Colorado does not accept MBE score transfers from other jurisdictions or from previous examinations for purposes of waiving the MBE portion of the exam.

NextGen UBE Exam

Colorado will begin administering the NextGen UBE Exam with the July 2028 exam administration. More information will be posted when available.

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