Office of Academic Success and Bar Readiness

UBE - Uniform Bar Examination

 

The Uniform Bar Exam in Texas (UBE) FAQ’s as published by the Texas Board of Law Examiners (BLE)

What is the UBE?
The Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) is an assessment of competency to practice law that is coordinated by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and is composed of the Multistate Essay Examination, two Multistate Performance Test tasks, and the Multistate Bar Examination. It may be administered by any participating jurisdiction over two days. More information on the UBE can be found at www.ncbex.org/exams/ube/.  Participating jurisdictions accept transferred UBE scores from other jurisdictions that meet passing score requirements for the receiving jurisdiction. 

When will Texas begin using the UBE to qualify applicants for the Bar?
The proposed date for the first administration of the UBE in Texas is February 2021. What will Texas require as a passing score on the UBE? The Texas Supreme Court has not yet made a final determination on the passing score for the UBE. A UBE score of 270 is considered to be equivalent to the score of 675 required for passing the Texas Bar Examination, and 270 is the score that is likely to be approved by the Court as a passing UBE score.

When will Texas begin accepting UBE scores?
The Texas Supreme Court has not yet approved rules for transfer of UBE scores to Texas. Texas will most likely begin accepting transfer of UBE scores no later than July 1, 2020. The BLE has proposed to accept applications to transfer UBE scores beginning December 1, 2019, subject to Texas Supreme Court approval.

Will Texas accept a UBE score that was earned more than two years before the date of application for the Texas bar?
The Texas Supreme Court has not yet approved rules for transfer of UBE scores to Texas. Texas will most likely accept acceptable UBE scores earned within two years prior to the date of application for the Texas Bar, regardless of the applicant’s practice experience. Applicants with acceptable UBE scores earned up to five years before the date of application for the Texas Bar may be eligible for admission, with two years of practice experience.

Will Texas require completion of a Texas Law Component, in addition to an acceptable UBE score, to qualify for admission to the Texas Bar?
The Texas Supreme Court has not yet approved rules for admission with a UBE score. Texas will most likely require completion of an online course on Texas Law and an online, open book multiple-choice examination on Texas Law.

 

Currently, the following 35 jurisdictions have adopted or soon will adopt the UBE:

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Idaho
  • Illinois (starting July 2019)
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Maine
  • Maryland (starting date TBD)
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio (starting July 2020)
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island (starting February 2019)
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee (Starting February 2019)
  • Texas (Starting February 2021)
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Washington
  • Washington DC
  • West Virginia
  • Wyoming
  • U.S. Virgin Islands


 

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