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Information & Applications » Bar Exam Application » Information for Bar Exam Application


Requirements for General Applicants

To be classified as a "general applicant" and certified as such for admission to practice law, an applicant must satisfy the requirements set out in Section .0501 of the Rules Governing Admission to the Practice of law in the State of North Carolina.

 

Moral Character and Fitness Guidelines

Every applicant shall have the burden of proving that the applicant possesses the qualifications of character and general fitness requisite for an attorney and counselor-at-law, is possessed of good moral character and is entitled to the high regard of confidence of the public. To view the Character and Fitness Guidelines, click here.

 

Educational Requirements

The applicant shall prove they possess the legal educational requirements as prescribed in Section .0700 of the Rules.

 

Birth Certificate

Rule .0501(3) requires the applicant to be at least (18) years of age.

 

North Carolina Bar Admission Registration

All persons who wish to file any sort of application with the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners (NCBLE) must first create a personal NC Bar Admissions Registration account on the NCBLE website. Click here for instructions.

 

Filing Deadlines and Fees

The filing deadlines (Rule .0403) and fees (Rule .0404) for General Applicants are in Section .0400 - APPLICATIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATIONS. All fees are non-refundable, except as provided in Rule .0405. For additional information on the General Application Deadlines and Fees, click here.

 

Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)

No General Applicant may be admitted to the bar of North Carolina unless he or she has taken and passed the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) outlined in Rule .0501(6), with a minimum score of 80. To register to take the MPRE or to request the transfer of your MPRE score North Carolina, click here.

 

Subject Matter

North Carolina adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) and administered its first UBE exam with the February 2019 bar examination. As outlined in Rule .0903, the components of the UBE are prepared by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and are comprised of:

Multistate Performance Test (MPT) http://www.ncbex.org/exams/mpt/

  • comprised of two writing tasks designed to test practical lawyering skills

Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) http://www.ncbex.org/exams/mee/

  • comprised of six essay questions testing law of general application

Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) http://www.ncbex.org/exams/mbe/

  • comprised of two hundred (200) multiple choice questions

 

Special Testing Accommodations

Below are links to general information about the Special Testing Accommodations

 

 

Applicants Required to Take MPT and MEE Using Personal Laptop Computer Beginning with February 2023 NC Bar Exam

Beginning with the February 2023 North Carolina Bar Examination, all applicants must take the written portion of the exam (MPT and MEE) using a personal laptop computer using software designated by the Board, unless granted a testing accommodation due to a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

 

You must answer “Yes” to the Exam Registration question in the application regarding laptop use. Information about Laptop Use is available on the NCBLE website homepage in the “Laptop Use” box.

To use your laptop to take the written portions (MPT and MEE) of the bar examination, you must submit a completed Laptop Application and the proper fee with your application.

Once your Laptop Application and fee have been received by the Board, you will be notified of the Registration Period, during which you will be required to download the necessary software onto the laptop you intend to use at the exam.

For General Application instructions, click here