Connecticut Bar Examining Committee Frequently Asked Questions about Admission to the Connecticut bar Computer-Based Testing Important Regulation Changes – Effective January 16, 2017 - PDF Important Regulation Changes – Effective September 5, 2016 - PDF Important Regulation Changes – Effective March 21, 2016 - PDF Admission by Examination List of approved law schools Registering for the bar examination Filing deadline Examination dates Numbers of times you can take the bar examination Exam format Bar review courses Pass rates MBE transfer Passing score Admission after passing the examination Non-standard testing on the bar examination Copy of your filed bar application Fees		More FAQs About taking the examination Admission without examination Admission by UBE Transfer Score General Questions New Admittees Attorney Links Attorney/Firm Look-up Client Security Fund FAQs about Attorneys Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers Multi-jurisdictional Practice (MJP) Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel Statewide Grievance Committee

1. Where can I get a list of approved law schools?
All law schools approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) are also approved by the Bar Examining Committee.

• List of ABA-approved law schools
• Massachusetts School of Law

Also approved by the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee is the Massachusetts School of Law.

2. How do I register for the bar examination?
The application for admission by examination is available in fillable PDF format. Applications are examination specific. The application for the February 2017 examination is currently available. This application cannot be used for any other examination. See Form 1E on Forms list.

3. What is the filing deadline for the bar examination?
The filing deadline for the February 2017 bar examination is Wednesday, November 30, 2017. An application is considered filed on the date it is received by the Committee in its Administrative Office NOT the date it is postmarked.

4. When is the bar examination given?

5. How many times may I take the bar examination?
There is no restriction on the number of times a candidate may sit for the bar examination.

6. What is the format of the bar examination?
Effective with the February 2017 bar examination, Connecticut will administer the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). The UBE is uniformly administered, graded, and scored by user jurisdictions and results in a portable score that can be transferred to other UBE jurisdictions. Information on the UBE.

The bar examination is a two-day examination:

Day 1:

• 2 ninety-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) questions. Information on the MPT
• 6 thirty-minute Essay Examination (MEE) questions. Information on the MEE and Subjects Tested 

Day 2:

• Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), a 200-question multiple choice examination. Information on the MBE and Subjects Tested

7. How do I register for a bar review course?
It is the policy of the Committee not to provide information about bar review courses. You can usually obtain this information from any law school.

8. What are the recent pass rates on the bar examination?

9. Can I transfer a Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) score?

There is no required minimum score. The Committee does not provide any advice regarding whether a particular score should be transferred.

An applicant may also sit for the concurrent MBE in another jurisdiction as a part of a bona fide bar exam in that jurisdiction and take only the MPT and the MEE in Connecticut.

An applicant who elects to transfer an MBE score to Connecticut from a concurrent or prior administration of the exam may do so for purposes of local admission to the Connecticut bar. In order to attain a UBE score, an applicant must sit for the MPT, MEE and MBE in Connecticut during the same administration of the exam.

10. What is the passing score on the bar examination and how is it calculated?
The passing score for the July 2016 bar examination is 264 out of a possible 400 points. Effective with the February 2017 exam, the passing score is 266 out of a possible 400 points. A bar examination score is the sum of the applicant's MBE scaled score and Written Examination score on the MBE scale, which consists of the MPT and the MEE(i.e., the MBE counting 50%, the MPT counting 20%, and the MEE counting 30%). There is no passing score on either part alone. For example, a high score on the MBE can offset a low score on the Written Examination. Your MBE scaled score and your Written Examination score on the MBE scale are calculated to the nearest whole number.

The MPT consists of 2 ninety-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) questions which are scored from 0 – 7. Your MPT raw score is the sum of the scores on each question. The theoretical range of MPT raw scores is 0 – 14.

The MEE consists of six 30-minute essay-type questions which are scored from 0 - 7. Your MEE raw score is the sum of the scores on each question. The theoretical range of Essay Examination raw scores is 0 - 42.

Written Examination raw scores are converted to scores on the MBE range of scaled scores using the formula below:

SS = Xb + Sb/Sa (RS - Xa)    where:

For the July 2016 bar examination, all applicants with total scores between 254 and 263 will have their Written Examination answers reread. Effective with the February 2017 bar examination, all applicants with total scores between 256 and 265 have their Written Examination answers reread. Unless the applicant clearly demonstrates that a clerical error has been made or that the Committee's grading procedures have been violated, there is no review of the applicant's answers or scores once the results of the bar examination are released.

11. What happens after I pass the bar examination?
Passing the bar examination is only one half of the process leading to admission to the Connecticut bar. All candidates for admission also undergo an intensive character and fitness investigation. Candidates who have passed the bar examination, have completed their files in a timely manner, and have been recommended for admission to the bar will be scheduled by the Committee for an admission ceremony. Currently there is a group ceremony before the Supreme Court following each examination. The dates of the admission ceremonies, set by the Supreme Court, are generally about one month after the bar results are published. Frequently Asked Questions by New Admittees

12. How do I petition for non-standard testing on the bar examination?
If you have a disability that requires a modification of the standard testing protocols, click here for instructions and the forms.