The New York State Bar Examination
DESCRIPTION OF THE BAR EXAMINATION
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The New York State bar
examination is administered twice a year on the last Tuesday and
Wednesday of every February and July. The bar examination contains
two sections, the New York section which is given on Tuesday, and
the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) which is given on Wednesday.
The New York section consists of five essay questions and 50
multiple choice questions prepared by the New York Board, and one
Multistate Performance Test question, developed by the National
Conference of Bar Examiners. The second day of the exam is the MBE
section which consists of 200 multiple choice questions. Each day of
the examination will consist of a morning session and an afternoon
session with a lunch break in between. The examination is given at
the same time and date at various testing locations across the
state.
Schedule for First Day of the Examination (Tuesday):
In the morning session, which begins at 9:00 A.M. and ends at 12:15
P.M., applicants must complete three essays and the 50 multiple
choice questions in three hours and 15 minutes. Although applicants
are free to use their time as they choose, the Board estimates an
allocation of 40 minutes per essay and 1.5 minutes per multiple
choice question.
In the afternoon session, which begins at 1:45 P.M. and ends at 4:45
P.M., applicants must complete the remaining two essay questions and
the MPT in three hours. Again, although applicants are free to use
their time as they choose, the National Conference of Bar Examiners
developed the MPT with the intention that it be used as a 90-minute
test. Therefore, the Board recommends that applicants allocate 90
minutes to the MPT and 45 minutes to each essay.
Schedule for Second Day of the Examination ? MBE (Wednesday):
The second day of the examination is the Multistate Bar Examination.
The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is a six-hour, two-hundred
question multiple-choice examination covering contracts, torts,
constitutional law, criminal law, evidence, and real property. The
examination is divided into two periods of three hours each, one in
the morning [9:00am to 12:00pm] and one in the afternoon [1:30pm to
4:30pm], with 100 questions in each period.
QUALIFYING TO SIT FOR THE BAR EXAMINATION - Applicants may
qualify to sit for the New York bar Examination in four ways:
1. Graduation from an American Bar Association (ABA) approved law
school in the United States with a juris doctor degree (Section
520.3 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals.)
2. A combination of law school study at an ABA approved law school
and law office study. (Section 520.4 of the Rules of the Court of
Appeals)
3. Graduation from an unapproved law school in the United States
with a juris doctor degree and practice in a jurisdiction where
admitted for 5 of the 7 years immediately preceding application to
sit for the New York bar examination. (Section 520.5 of the Rules of
the Court of Appeals)
4. Foreign law school study. (Section 520.6 of the Rules of the
Court of Appeals) (See also, "Foreign Legal Education" section of
this website)
Applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully review the
eligibility rules under
Section 520 of the Rules of the Court of
Appeals prior to applying to sit for the bar examination. It is the
responsibility of each applicant to be aware of the eligibility
requirements of the Rules of the Court of Appeals and the burden is
on each applicant to demonstrate their compliance with the
requirements of the Court Rules.
APPLYING TO SIT FOR THE BAR EXAMINATION
? Applicants may apply to sit for the bar examination by either
filing an on-line application or by contacting the Board's office to
request a paper copy of the application.
APPLICATION FEE - The application fee for the New York State bar
examination is $250.
If you choose to file the on-line application, the only acceptable form of payment is a credit card (Visa and Master Card only). Debit cards are not accepted. At this time, the only way to use a credit card for payment is by filing an on-line application. The Board cannot accept credit card payment by mail or by phone. If you choose to file a paper application by mail, the only acceptable forms of payment are as follows: certified check or cashier's check drawn on a U.S. bank, money order or travelers check drawn on a U.S. bank or financial institution. All payments should be made payable to: "NYS Board of Law Examiners." PERSONAL CHECKS ARE NOT ACCEPTED AND PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH.
DATES OF BAR EXAMINATION AND FILING DEADLINES
- The following is a list of bar exam dates for the next year. As a
rule, the bar exam is always held on the last Tuesday and Wednesday
of every February and July.
| Dates of Examination | Application Filing Period |
| February 23-24, 2010 | November 1 ? November 30, 2009 |
| July 27-28, 2010 | April 1 ? April 30, 2010 |
Re-Applicants please note: If you took and failed the immediately preceding examination, the deadline for re-application is the later of (1) the filing deadline above; or (2) 14 days from the date of the release of the examination results. Re-applicants who did not sit or show up for the immediately preceding examination must file their re-application in accordance with the filing dates set forth above.
LAPTOP PROGRAM FOR THE NYS BAR EXAMINATION
The New York State Board of Law Examiners expects to permit applicants to use their personal laptop computers with pre-installed security software to word process their answers to the essay questions and the MPT on the NYS bar examination (Laptop Program).
Please carefully consider the following information when determining
whether to participate in the Laptop Program:
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There are certain risks associated
with participation in the Laptop Program. Before you register to
participate in the Laptop Program, you must read and acknowledge
the ?Notice to Participants in the NY Bar Examination Laptop
Program? a copy of which is located on the laptop page of the
Bar Exam Application. As part of this Notice, you
will be required to acknowledge and understand that, in the
event of any technical difficulties, you will be required to
handwrite your essay answers.
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There is a non-refundable
technology fee of $100, which fee is in
addition to the $250 application fee, which you
will be required to pay directly to Examsoft Worldwide, the
software vendor selected for the Laptop Program. Applicants will
be contacted by email shortly after the application period ends with the necessary instructions for
registering with Examsoft. You will be required to cooperate
with Examsoft to 1) register for the laptop program; 2) download
and install the security software; and 3) certify your laptop
for the bar examination.
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Laptop Test Centers ? The Laptop
Program is not available in all test centers. At this time, the
Board plans to make laptop seats available at a test site in
Manhattan, Albany, and Saratoga Springs,
and applicants will generally be assigned to sites based on
their place of residence. Out of state residents will generally
be assigned to a test site in Albany, Saratoga Springs or
Buffalo. More specific information regarding test center
assignments will follow by email after the application filing
period has closed.
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After the conclusion of the bar
exam you will be required to upload your essay answers to the
software vendor?s secure web server by 11:59 pm on the essay day
of the exam. If you do not believe that you will be able to
comply with these requirements you should not participate in the
laptop program.
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All communications regarding the
Laptop Program will be by email only. It is your responsibility
to provide a valid email address on your application and to
promptly notify the Board of any change in your email address.
- You must provide your own laptop computer which must meet or exceed the minimum system requirements as determined by the selected software vendor which requirements may include the following:
- A laptop computer
- CPU = 1 GHz Pentium III or Industry Equivalent
- RAM = 1 GB
- Drives = 50 MB of free space
- Operating System = English 32-bit Versions of Windows XP or Vista and 64-bit Versions of Windows Vista
- Software = Internet Explorer 6.0 or greater
- Internet access for Softest Installation, Exam Download and Upload
- AOL Users ? Version 6.0 or higher required
- Screen Resolution must be 1024x768 or higher
- Valid email address is required
- Functioning USB port is required
- We DO NOT support Tablet PCS, or Mini PC's
Apple Macintosh Users: Users with Apple's Mac
OSX v.10.4.4 (Tiger) or Mac OSX v.10.5 (Leopard) laptops can run
SofTest in Windows XP or Vista installed via Apple's Boot Camp.
NEW YORK LOCAL SECTION
The New York portion is based on both procedural and substantive
law. It may deal with the six subject matters covered on the
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)--Contracts, Constitutional Law,
Criminal Law, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts (including
statutory no-fault insurance provisions). In addition, the questions
may deal with Business Relationships, Conflict of Laws, New York
Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure, Family Law, Remedies, New
York and Federal Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure, Professional
Responsibility, Trusts, Wills and Estates , and UCC Articles 2, 3,
and 9. More than one subject is tested in a single essay question.
Except for questions involving federal law, the New York essay and
multiple choice questions are based on the law of New York.
Each essay question is designed to test the applicant's ability to
analyze a given set of facts, to identify the issues involved and
the applicable principles of law, and to reason there from to a sound
conclusion. An essay answer should show a recognition of each issue
presented by the material facts, discuss the principles of law
applicable thereto and set forth the reasoning by which the
conclusion has been reached. The answer should be clear and concise.
It should be confined to the particular issues presented and should
not include information that is not responsive to the question.
Appropriate credit is given in the grading of essay answers for well
reasoned analyses of the issues and legal principles involved even
though the final conclusion itself may be incorrect.
A compilation of the essay questions and sample above average
candidate answers from the three most recent bar examinations is
available on this web site, or upon written request for a fee of $50
in a certified check, cashier's check or money order, payable to
"State Board of Law Examiners."
The New York multiple choice questions require the applicant to
select the correct answer from among four stated alternatives, of
which only one is correct.
MULTISTATE PERFORMANCE TEST (MPT)
The MPT, developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, is a
90 minute skills question covering legal analysis, fact analysis,
problem solving, resolution of ethical dilemmas, organization and
management of a lawyering task, and communication.
The Multistate Performance Test is designed to test an applicant?s
ability to use fundamental lawyering skills in a realistic
situation. Each test evaluates an applicant?s ability to complete a
task which a beginning lawyer should be able to accomplish.
The materials for each MPT include a File and a Library. The File
consists of source documents containing all the facts of the case.
The specific assignment the applicant is to complete is described in
a memorandum from a supervising attorney. The File might also
include, for example, transcripts of interviews, depositions,
hearings or trials, pleadings, correspondence, client documents,
contracts, newspaper articles, medical records, police reports, and
lawyer?s notes. Relevant as well as irrelevant facts are included.
Facts are sometimes ambiguous, incomplete, or even conflicting. As
in practice, a client?s or supervising attorney?s version of events
may be incomplete or unreliable. Applicants are expected to
recognize when facts are inconsistent or missing and are expected to
identify sources of additional facts.
The Library consists of cases, statutes, regulations and rules, some
of which may not be relevant to the assigned lawyering task. The
applicant is expected to extract from the Library the legal
principles necessary to analyze the problem and perform the task.
The MPT is not a test of substantive law, and problems may arise in
a variety of fields. Library materials provide sufficient
substantive information to complete the task.
The MPT requires applicants to (1) sort detailed factual materials
and separate relevant from irrelevant facts; (2) analyze statutory,
case, and administrative materials for relevant principles of law;
(3) apply the relevant law to the relevant facts in a manner likely
to resolve a client?s problem; (4) identify and resolve ethical
dilemmas, when present; (5) communicate effectively in writing; (6)
complete a lawyering task within time constraints.
These skills will be tested by requiring applicants to perform one
of a variety of lawyering tasks. Although it is not feasible to list
all possibilities, examples of tasks applicants might be instructed
to complete include writing the following: a memorandum to a
supervising attorney; a letter to a client; a persuasive memorandum
or brief; a statement of facts; a contract provision; a will; a
counseling plan; a proposal for settlement or agreement; a discovery
plan; a witness examination plan; a closing argument.
Additional information on the MPT, including the availability of
study aids, is available from the National Conference of Bar
Examiners at http://www.ncbex.org/multistate-tests/mpt/
MULTISTATE BAR EXAMINATION (MBE)
Effective with the February 2007 bar examination, the MBE will
include 190 live test questions in the following areas:
Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence,
Real Property, and Torts. There are 33 questions each in Contracts
and Torts and 31 questions each in Constitutional Law, Criminal Law
and Procedure, Evidence, and Real Property. In addition the exam
contains 10 pretest questions which are indistinguishable from the
live test items, but will not be used for scoring purposes.
The questions on the examination are designed to be answered by
applying fundamental legal principles rather than local case or
statutory law. A given question may indicate the applicable statute,
theory of liability, or comparable principle of law.
Many of the questions require applicants to analyze the legal
relationships arising from a fact situation or to take a position as
an advocate. Some questions call for suggestions about interpreting,
drafting, or counseling that might lead to more effective
structuring of a transaction.
All questions are multiple choice. Applicants are asked to choose
the best answer from the four stated alternatives. The test is
designed to give credit only when the applicant has selected the
best answer. Therefore, applicants should mark only one answer for
each question; multiple answers will not be counted.
Scores are based on the number of questions answered correctly.
Applicants are, therefore, advised to answer every question. Time
should be used effectively. Applicants should not hurry, but should
work steadily and as quickly as possible without sacrificing
accuracy. If a question seems too difficult, the applicant is
advised to go on to the next one and come back to the skipped
question later.
Answer sheets are centrally scored. Both raw scores and scaled
scores are computed for each applicant. A raw score is the number of
questions answered correctly. Raw scores on different forms of the
test are not comparable primarily due to differences in the
difficulty of the test forms. A statistical process called equating
adjusts for variations in the difficulty of different forms of the
examination so that any particular scaled score will represent the
same level of performance from test to test.
For instance, if a test were more difficult than previous tests,
then the scaled scores on that test would be adjusted upward to
account for this difference. The purpose of these adjustments is to
help ensure that no applicant is unfairly penalized (or rewarded)
for taking a more (or less) difficult form of the test.
Additional information on the MBE, including the availability of
sample questions, is available from the National Conference of Bar
Examiners at
http://www.ncbex.org/multistate-tests/mbe/
The National Conference of Bar Examiners has developed and released
an MBE study aid that they are calling the Multistate Bar
Examination - Annotated Preview, or MBE-AP. The MBE-AP is designed
to be delivered online. It consists of 100 questions drawn from
recent actual MBEs, representing the same content distribution as is
seen on a full-length MBE. In addition to the questions, both the
correct and incorrect options have been annotated to provide
guidance to examinees who are preparing to take the MBE. Finally,
the test includes a scoring component that will, to a limited
degree, allow examinees to gauge their overall performance and their
relative performance in each of the six MBE content areas.
The MBE-AP is available through the NCBE website; the specific link
is http://www.ncbex.org/mbe-ap/. The charge for a subscription is
$26, with each subscription lasting through the MBE test
administration that follows the purchase, that is, the subscription
would allow the use of the MBE-AP until the morning that the MBE is
next administered. While the subscription is active, examinees may
take the MBE-AP as often as they wish.
The test may be taken in a timed three-hour sitting, simulating an
actual MBE administration, or on a question-by-question basis so
that the examinee may consider the annotated answers in close
proximity to reading the test question. After the exam is taken
once, an examinee may choose to take the entire exam again or to
retake only the questions that were answered incorrectly. The NCBE
expects that in addition to using the MBE-AP to gain experience and
familiarity with the MBE multiple-choice format, many examinees will
also use it as a learning tool for substantive content.
MBE SCORE TRANSFERS
Transfer of MBE Score from another jurisdiction to New York:
As set forth in Board Rule
6000.6(g)(1),
an applicant taking the New York bar examination shall have the
option to transfer to New York an MBE score attained when taking the
MBE in another jurisdiction. In order to be transferred, the MBE
score attained in the other jurisdiction must have been attained
either (a) at an examination taken concurrently with the applicant
sitting for the New York bar examination, or (b) as part of a
passing examination in another jurisdiction during any of the three
administrations of the bar examination immediately preceding the
administration for which the applicant seeks to transfer said
previous MBE score. In any event, an MBE score attained in another
jurisdiction cannot be transferred if the examination taken in such
other jurisdiction was taken concurrently with a New York bar
examination which the applicant failed. The MBE scale score attained
in such other jurisdiction will be combined with the applicant's
scores on the New York section of the examination, in the same
manner as if the applicant had taken the MBE in New York.
A transferred MBE score may only be used for one administration of the New York bar examination. If an applicant fails the New York bar examination using a transferred MBE score, the transferred MBE score may not be used again for any future administrations of the New York bar examination.
MBE scores transferred from another jurisdiction will not be reported to candidates who are successful on the New York State bar examination.
An
applicant who elects to use an MBE score from another jurisdiction
as permitted above shall notify the Board of such election at the
time that the application to sit for the New York State bar
examination is filed, and shall make the arrangements to have such
score timely transferred to New York.
(i) To transfer a concurrent or prior MBE score
to New York from another jurisdiction the applicant must complete
the MBE score transfer form available on the website of the National
Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) at
http://www.ncbex.org/multistate-tests/mbe/services/transfers/
and pay the prescribed NCBE score transfer fee. If the transferred
MBE score was attained during one of the three prior administrations
of the MBE, the applicant must also provide proof from the other
jurisdiction, on a form provided for that purpose by the Board, that
the MBE score was attained as part of a passing examination in such
other jurisdiction.
(ii) The transferred MBE score, and if necessary, proof from
the other jurisdiction that the prior MBE score was attained as part
of a passing examination, must be received in the Board?s office no
later than April 1 following a February examination, and no later
than October 1 following a July examination. It shall be the
applicant?s responsibility to ensure that the Board receives the
report of the transferred MBE score in a timely manner. Failure to
timely transfer an MBE score to the Board, or failure to file the
required proof of a passing examination from the other jurisdiction
shall result in the nullification of an applicant?s bar examination
scores.
Transfer of MBE Score Earned in New York to Other
Jurisdictions. As set forth in Board Rule 6000.6(g)(2), an
applicant taking the bar examination in New York may request the
certification of an MBE score earned in New York to another
jurisdiction. An applicant requesting certification of an MBE score
earned in New York to another jurisdiction must direct such request
to the Board?s office on a form provided by the Board and pay the
prescribed fee as defined in Board Rule 6000.3(c).
MULTISTATE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY EXAMINATION (MPRE)
All applicants who have passed the bar examination and are seeking
admission to practice law in New York State must take and pass the
Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)
administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
prior to being certified by the Board to the Appellate Division.
The passing score in New York for the MPRE is 85.
The MPRE can be taken before or after the bar examination, however,
the applicant must pass the MPRE within three years either before or
after passing the New York bar examination, as measured from the
date the applicant sat for each examination. Therefore, if it has
been more than three years since an applicant took and passed the
MPRE, the applicant will be required to re-sit and pass the MPRE
before the applicant may be certified to the Appellate Division as
having passed the bar examination.
Applicants must designate New York as the jurisdiction to which the
score should be reported or have an official score report sent to
the Board by the NCBE.
Applicants who have not submitted to the Board proof of having taken
and passed the MPRE by the time the bar examination results are released,
will be notified that they have passed the bar examination but the
Board will NOT certify such applicants to the Supreme Court,
Appellate Division. Such applicants will have three years from the
date of the bar examination to take and pass the MPRE otherwise they
will have to re-sit the bar examination.
The MPRE is administered three times each year, in March, August and
November. Applications and information regarding the MPRE is
available from NCBE at
http://www.ncbex.org/multistate-tests/mpre/.
ADMISSION TICKETS -
Admission Tickets will generally become available to qualified
applicants to print directly from the Board?s website approximately
two to three weeks before the date of the scheduled examination.
Copies of admission tickets are no longer mailed to applicants. Test
Center Assignments will depend on the sites available for a given
administration of the examination. Generally, applicants will be
assigned to a test center in the department in which they reside;
out of state residents will be assigned to sit for the exam in
Albany, Buffalo or Saratoga Springs. Applicants must present their
Admission Ticket to security in order to enter the examination. The
seat number assigned in the Admission Ticket is the only means of
identification throughout the grading process. Each seat at the
examination has a number prominently displayed on a sticker. It is
critical that applicants sit in the correct seats, insert the
correct seat number on all of their essay answer booklets and
carefully complete the identifying grids on all multiple-choice
computer answer sheets.
TEST CENTER LOCATIONS - The examination is always held in Albany,
New York City and Buffalo and may be given at other locations. As test sites are confirmed, the
locations will be posted on the Board?s website under "Test Sites."
We do not have any information regarding hotel accommodations in any
of the locations. Most cities have a Visitors and Convention Bureau,
and we suggest you contact that type of organization, or your travel
agent, to obtain information.
TEST CENTER ASSIGNMENTS -
In accordance with Rule 6000.5, each applicant admitted to the
examination shall be assigned to a test center in one of the four
judicial departments located in the State. Test center assignments
will depend on the sites available for a given administration of the
exam. Generally, applicants will be assigned to a test center in the
department in which they reside; out of state residents will be
assigned to sit for the exam in Albany, Buffalo, or Saratoga
Springs.
REQUESTS FOR CHANGE IN TEST CENTER LOCATION
- A change of the testing location to which you will be assigned may
only be made in rare instances, and only upon a showing of good
cause. Such requests must be in the form of an affidavit showing the
location requested, the reason for the request, and supporting
documentation if applicable (i.e., medical necessity verified by a
doctor's certificate). Mere convenience or geographical proximity is
not considered good cause. Requests for Change of Testing Location
will be decided on a case-by-case basis and will be based on
availability of seats. Due to the availability of seats in Buffalo,
the Board generally is able to accommodate all requests to change a
seat location to the Buffalo site.
SECURITY POLICY ? Prior to
the date of the bar examination, you should carefully review the
Board?s security policy, which will be strictly enforced. The
Security Policy will also be included in your Admission Ticket.
Violations of the Security Policy (including the possession of notes
or cell phones in the testing room and writing after time is called)
will be vigorously prosecuted by the Board and may result in the
imposition of penalties as set forth in Board Rule 6000.9. Penalties
may include, but are not limited to, nullification of scores,
suspension from sitting for future exams, and notice to the Character
and Fitness Committee.
PHOTO IDENTIFICATION -
All applicants must bring an official picture ID to the examination,
which will be checked at all four sessions. Acceptable forms of ID
include a U.S. driver's license, a passport, or other government
issued photo ID. A non-U.S. citizen who does not possess a drivers
license issued by a U.S. state or territory must present a valid
passport for identification. The name on your photo ID must match the name under
which you filed your application.
ORAL AND WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN AT THE EXAMINATION - Oral and
written instructions are given at the examination. Many problems can
be avoided by listening to the oral instructions made at the
beginning and end of each examination session.
No applicant may leave the examination room (except to use the
restroom in a center where they are located outside the room)
without an Exit Pass, which can only be obtained from the proctor in
your section after you have turned in all your examination papers.
No applicant may leave their seat during the last 15 minutes of the
session for any reason. Applicants who do not stop writing when time
is called will be reported to the Board and may be found guilty of
violating the Board's rule covering Fraud and Dishonesty. The
collection process can be expedited if everyone remains quietly at
their seat and waits for the proctor to come to them to collect
their papers.
FRAUD, DISHONESTY AND OTHER MISCONDUCT (22 NYCRR § 6000.9) ? Board
Rule 6000.9 covers acts of fraud, dishonesty and other misconduct in
connection with the application to and the taking of the bar
examination. It is recommended that all applicants carefully review
Board Rule 6000.9 to familiarize themselves with the type of conduct
that is prohibited and the penalties that may be imposed. Acts of
fraud, dishonesty and other misconduct will be vigorously prosecuted
by the Board and may result in the imposition of penalties as set
forth in Board Rule 6000.9. Please note that writing or making any
marks or erasures on your exam papers after time is called is
subject to discipline under Board Rule 6000.9.
WITHDRAWAL FROM THE EXAMINATION
- Should you decide to withdraw from the examination, notify the
Board, in writing, by fax or by mail as soon as possible. The
application fee is non-refundable except in extremely limited
circumstances. If there are extenuating circumstances causing you to
withdraw, you may request a credit. All such requests must be in
writing and accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. The
reason for the withdrawal and the supporting documentation will be
reviewed by the Board to determine if there is a valid basis to
credit the fee. If you applied on-line and paid your fee by credit
card, you may be held responsible for any penalties incurred by the
Board should you cancel the credit card charge for any reason.
ABSENCE FROM EXAM OR ANY PART THEREOF
[Board Rule 6000.6(f)] ? Applicants must sit for both the New York
local section (in New York State) and the MBE (either in New York
State or concurrently in another jurisdiction). Any applicant who is
not present for both the morning and afternoon sessions of the New
York local section will not be permitted to take the MBE in New York
on the following day. Any examination papers submitted by an
applicant who does not take the entire examination will not be
graded, their application fee paid shall be forfeited and a new
application must be filed for any future examination. Also, no
applicant will be admitted to the examination more than one-half
hour after the examination begins.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS - The Board must be promptly notified in writing
of any changes in your residence or correspondence address. The
deadline to guarantee processing of a change of address for the
seating assignment or mailing of the admission ticket is February
1st for a February examination and July 1st for a July examination.
Please note that applicants have a continuing obligation until the
release of the examination results to notify the Board in writing of
any changes in address, either residence or correspondence. Absent a
change of address, examination results will be mailed to the last
correspondence address that we have on record.
APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION/CHARACTER AND FITNESS
INVESTIGATION - Shortly after the bar examination,
the Board sends to the Supreme Court, Appellate Division in each of
the four judicial departments, a list containing the names and
addresses of the applicants from that department who took the
examination. Each department then sends information regarding the
admission application to each applicant on its list in order to
expedite the admission process by permitting the applicants to
complete and file the forms prior to receipt of the results of the
examination. The forms must be filed within three years of the date
of the Board's initial letter notifying the applicant of successful
completion of the bar examination. These forms, which are the same
for all four departments, serve as the basis for inquiry by the
Committees on Character and Fitness into the applicant's character
and fitness to be members of the Bar.
If an applicant has a change of address resulting in a change in
Department between the time of receiving the application forms and
the results of the bar examination, the applicant should immediately
notify the Board in writing of such change. The Board, in turn, will
acknowledge receipt of the change to such applicant and notify each
Department involved of the change.
PASSING SCORE REQUIRED FOR BAR EXAM
- A final total weighted scaled score of 665 is required to pass the
examination, and any applicant who fails to attain a total weighted
scaled score of 665 must retake the entire examination at a
subsequent administration. There is no appeal from the final total
weighted scaled score.
GRADING OF BAR EXAMINATION -
The answers to the five essay questions and the MPT are each graded
in accordance with a predetermined marking formula, and the grades
attained by the applicant on the respective questions are the raw
essay scores. The total number of questions answered correctly by an
applicant on the 50 New York multiple choice questions is the raw
score for that portion, and the number of questions answered
correctly on the MBE questions is the applicant's raw score for
the MBE portion.
Through psychometrically approved scaling procedures, the raw scores
attained by the applicants on each portion of the examination are
converted to scaled scores on a common scale of 0 to 1000, and the
three scaled scores are then weighted and combined to yield total
weighted scaled scores on the same 0 to 1000 scale. The relative
weights assigned are 50% to the written portion (40% essays and 10%
MPT), 10% to the New York multiple choice, and 40% to the MBE
portion.
The essay and MPT answers of each applicant who receives an initial
total weighted scaled score of 655 through 664 are re-read and
re-graded by graders other than the initial graders. The two scaled scores
for each essay answer are averaged to determine a final scaled score
for each essay. The examination scores are then recomputed to
determine each applicant's final scaled score. There is no appeal
from this final score.
There is no passing or failing on any one portion of the
examination. Thus, a poor performance on one section of the
examination may be offset by a superior performance on another
section. Passing or failing is determined only on the basis of the
applicant's total weighted scaled score.
RESULTS OF BAR EXAMINATION -
The results of the bar examination, in the form of written pass/fail
notices, are mailed to all applicants on the same day. The day the
results are released, a results lookup screen will also be available
online for all applicants to view their results. The next day, a
list of all successful applicants will be posted on this website and
on the website of the New York Law Journal. While the Board does not
set a specific date for the release of bar exam results,
historically results from the July examination are released in
mid-November, and the results of the February examination are
released in mid-May.
Each successful applicant who has also furnished proof of successful
completion of the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination
(MPRE) is certified by the Board to the Appellate Division of the
judicial department in which the applicant resides or, if not a
resident, in which the applicant is employed full-time or, in the
absence of residence or employment in New York, to the Third
Department. In the case of an applicant who resides and is employed
in New York, residence takes precedence over employment for purposes
of certification. Once the Board has certified an applicant to a
particular department, a transfer can only be made upon application
to the Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division to which the
applicant has been certified. It is, therefore, important for
applicants to keep the Board notified, in writing, of their current
address.
Each successful applicant who has not furnished proof of successful
completion of the MPRE is also notified of that fact in writing. As
the MPRE scores of those applicants are received, they are certified
to the appropriate Appellate Division. The Board usually certifies
on a weekly basis, and it is very important for these applicants to
keep their current addresses on file with the Board so that they may
be certified to the correct department upon receipt of their MPRE
scores.
MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO FAILED APPLICANTS - During the 30-day period
following the date of the Board's notice of failure, applicants
whose final total weighted scaled scores are below 665 may obtain
one set of copies of their own essay answers by forwarding a written
request to the Board's office with a certified check, cashier's
check or money order in the amount of $40, payable to "State Board
of Law Examiners." Copies of the essay questions and sample
above-average candidate answers are also available for a fee of $15
each for the questions and answers. Within 60 days of the release of
the bar exam results, the Board will publish on this website, copies
of the essay questions and a synopsis of the MPT that appeared on
the examination, together with copies of sample applicant answers
that received better than average scores to those questions.