MULTISTATE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY EXAMINATION

The current minimum Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) score required for admission to practice law in California is a scaled score of at least 86.  Applicants who took the examination prior to January 1, 2008, who received a scaled score of at least 79 will be considered as having met the MPRE requirement under the standard that was in place at the time they took the examination.

In addition to passing the California Bar Examination, applicants for admission to practice law in California must take and pass the MPRE in accordance with Title 4, Division 1, Chapter 5 of the Rules of the State Bar of California (Admissions Rules).  The MPRE is developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE).  The examination is a sixty item two-hour multiple-choice examination administered three times each year at established test centers across the country.  More information regarding the examination, including states for administration and applying to take the examination is provided by the NCBE through the following link:

http://www.ncbex.org/assets/media_files/Information-Booklets/MPREIB2013.pdf

Applicants may take the examination anytime after completing their first year of study and after registering with the Committee of Bar Examiners (Committee), which must be done online through the Admissions’ portion of The State Bar of California’s website at www.calbar.ca.gov/admissions.  All questions concerning the administration and/or grading of this examination should be directed to the NCBE.

It is necessary for an applicant to request that his/her score be reported or transferred to California.  Simply being a California applicant or resident will not cause this to occur.

To avoid delays in an applicant’s admission to practice law if he/she is successful on the California Bar Examination, he/she should ensure that:

  1. he/she has registered with the Committee before taking the MPRE;
     
  2. that the correct registration number is included on the MPRE application form;
     
  3. that he/she has requested that the score be reported to California; and,
     
  4. that the examination is taken and the required minimum scaled score has been achieved at least three months prior to the release of results from the California Bar Examination.

Any inquiries concerning application materials and the administration and processing of the MPRE should be directed to the NCBE.