Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)
The legal-ethics exam almost every U.S. jurisdiction requires before it will admit you — conflicts, confidentiality, candor, fees, trust accounts and judicial conduct.
About the exam
The MPRE is NCBE's two-hour, 60-question multiple-choice exam on the law governing the conduct and discipline of lawyers and judges. NCBE builds it on the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, the ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct, and controlling constitutional decisions and generally accepted principles from leading federal and state cases and from procedural and evidentiary rules. When a question turns on a procedural or evidentiary point — litigation sanctions, the scope of the attorney-client privilege — the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence apply unless the question says otherwise. Local state rules are not tested.
It is a separate exam from the bar exam itself: you usually take it during law school, on its own date, at a Pearson VUE test center. Scores run from 50 to 150, and each jurisdiction sets its own passing score — from 75 to 86 in NCBE's most recent statistics, with 80 and 85 the most common. Every jurisdiction except Wisconsin and Puerto Rico requires it. The NextGen bar exam transition does not replace the MPRE.
Our practice follows NCBE's 12-area subject matter outline and its percentage ranges. Every item is an original fact pattern written to the Model Rules and the Model Code of Judicial Conduct. None are NCBE sample questions or recalled exam items.
How we track your progress
Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:
- Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
- Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
- DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
- ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
- Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.
The exam blueprint
NCBE MPRE Subject Matter Outline (12 areas with percentage ranges), as published by NCBE for the 2026–2027 administrations — 60 items modeled on the MPRE (50 scored + 10 pretest on the real exam) across NCBE's 12 subject areas, weighted near the middle of each official percentage range. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Regulation of the legal profession 6–12% (NCBE) of the exam
20 practice questions in this domain so far
2 The client-lawyer relationship 10–16% (NCBE) of the exam
32 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Client confidentiality 6–12% (NCBE) of the exam
20 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Conflicts of interest 12–18% (NCBE) of the exam
36 practice questions in this domain so far
5 Competence, malpractice and civil liability 6–12% (NCBE) of the exam
20 practice questions in this domain so far
6 Litigation and other advocacy 10–16% (NCBE) of the exam
32 practice questions in this domain so far
7 Dealing with persons other than clients 2–8% (NCBE) of the exam
12 practice questions in this domain so far
8 Different roles of the lawyer 4–10% (NCBE) of the exam
16 practice questions in this domain so far
9 Safekeeping funds and property 2–8% (NCBE) of the exam
12 practice questions in this domain so far
10 Communications about legal services 4–10% (NCBE) of the exam
16 practice questions in this domain so far
11 Duties to the public and the legal system 2–4% (NCBE) of the exam
12 practice questions in this domain so far
12 Judicial conduct 2–8% (NCBE) of the exam
12 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Original fact patterns aligned to the official outline
Every question is tagged to one of the 12 areas and its topics — regulation of the profession, the client relationship, confidentiality, conflicts, competence, advocacy, third persons, the lawyer's roles, trust accounts, advertising, public duties and judicial conduct.
Exam-critical hints
Reveal the rule that unlocks the question — the element, the exception, the trigger word in the call. Every answer comes with a full rationale for the right choice and for each wrong one.
Adaptive testing
Questions steer toward your weakest areas, weighted by how much each counts on the real exam, and get harder as you get stronger.
Timed practice exams
Full-length exams at the real pace — 60 questions in 2 hours — with a live pacing indicator and a full review.
Flashcards, case simulations and guides
100 flashcards for Model Rule numbers, confidentiality exceptions, conflict-waiver requirements and key terms like 'informed consent' and 'confirmed in writing', 6 case simulations where a matter's conflicts, fee and trust-account problems unfold step by step, and 4 illustrated guides to the conflicts analysis, the confidentiality exceptions, the trust-account rules and judicial disqualification you explore hotspot by hotspot.
Progress for every blueprint area
Each area moves from Not started to Getting started, Developing, Proficient and Exam ready — so you know exactly what to study next.
Test at home or at a center
Create an NCBE account, register for an MPRE window by its deadline, then schedule your seat with Pearson VUE. Register early — test-center seats are not guaranteed, and travel may be needed.
At a Pearson VUE test center
- The MPRE is given only on computer at Pearson VUE test centers in the U.S. and its territories.
- Bring acceptable government-issued photo ID that matches your NCBE account.
- No notes, rule books or devices. Take Pearson VUE's online tutorial ahead of time.
- Scores usually arrive within five weeks and can be sent to any jurisdiction through NCBE.
Before you book
- Check your jurisdiction's passing score and how long it accepts an MPRE score on NCBE's jurisdiction map.
- Request testing accommodations through NCBE well before the registration deadline.
- The fee is $185 for 2026–2027 windows; rescheduling costs $25.
- Use NCBE's free subject matter outline and key words and phrases list to learn the vocabulary of the questions.
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 60 questions in 2 hours.
Pacing checkpoints
Hit these and you finish with time to revisit your flagged questions. Our timed practice exams run at this same pace.
The week before
- Take one full 60-question timed exam 3–5 days out, then rest.
- Spend your last sessions on conflicts of interest, the client-lawyer relationship and litigation — together they are roughly 40% of the exam.
- Drill the exact wording NCBE uses: 'subject to discipline', 'may', 'must', 'proper', 'informed consent', 'confirmed in writing'.
- Recite Rule 1.6(b)'s exceptions and Rule 1.7's consent requirements from a blank page.
Exam morning
- Eat a real breakfast; expect 2½–3 hours at the center.
- Arrive 30 minutes early at the Pearson VUE center with matching photo ID.
- Use the restroom right before you start.
During the exam
- Read the call first: is it asking whether the lawyer is subject to discipline, civilly liable, or disqualified? The answers differ.
- Watch 'may' vs 'must' — permissive disclosure is not mandatory disclosure.
- Answer under the Model Rules and the Model Code of Judicial Conduct, not your state's version.
- Answer every question — there's no penalty for guessing, and 10 unscored items are mixed in where you can't spot them.
Keep your head
- A few nerves sharpen focus. If you freeze, take three slow breaths and reread the stem.
- Your score is equated to a fixed standard, not curved against the people in the room.
- Change an answer only when you find a real reason in the facts.
After you pass the MPRE
- The MPRE isn't renewed — but your jurisdiction decides how long a score stays usable for admission, so check its rule before you sit the bar.
- Send your score to other jurisdictions through NCBE Score Services.
- Once admitted, your state sets your ongoing ethics CLE; many states require ethics hours every reporting period.
- The NextGen bar exam transition (2026–2028) does not change the MPRE requirement.
Official sources and further reading
- NCBE — MPRE ↗Format, test dates and the official overview.
- NCBE — Preparing for the MPRE ↗What law the exam is based on and NCBE's study materials.
- MPRE Subject Matter Outline (PDF) ↗The 12 areas and their percentage ranges.
- MPRE Key Words and Phrases (PDF) ↗How NCBE uses 'subject to discipline', 'may', 'proper' and similar terms.
- NCBE — Registering for the MPRE ↗Deadlines, fee and Pearson VUE scheduling.
- NCBE — MPRE Scores ↗The 50–150 scale and score release.
- MPRE minimum passing scores by jurisdiction ↗NCBE statistics with each jurisdiction's passing score.
Ready to start?
240 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
MPRE is a registered trademark of the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). QuizMe and thinQtank Learning are not affiliated with or endorsed by NCBE, the American Bar Association or Pearson VUE. The ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and Model Code of Judicial Conduct are copyrighted by the ABA; we cite rule numbers and paraphrase. Our practice items are original fact patterns, not NCBE sample questions or recalled exam items. Exam details are summarized from NCBE's published MPRE pages and subject matter outline. The estimated score is not an NCBE conversion. Dates, fees and passing scores change — always confirm with NCBE and your jurisdiction before you register.