Format, Content, & Grading of the Iowa Bar Exam

All data provided below are subject to change by a decision at any time by the Iowa Board of Law Examiners.  When any changes are made, they will be posted on this site.

The Iowa Bar Exam is a 2-1/2-day exam -- Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday -- with essays on Monday, essays and performance questions on Tuesday, and the multiple-choice Multistate Bar Exam on Wednesday.

First Day (Monday):  
Three hours  
Four Iowa Essay Questions

Second Day (Tuesday):
Three hours  
Four Iowa Essay Questions
Three hours
Two 90-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) questions
For details on the MPT, click here.

Third Day (Wednesday) morning session: 
3 hours 
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)
100 Multiple-Choice questions.

Third Day (Wednesday) afternoon session: 
3 hours
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) 
100 Multiple-Choice questions.

Iowa accepts an MBE score from a bar exam taken in another jurisdiction within the prior two years.

For further details on the MBE, click here.


Subjects Tested on the Iowa Bar Exam:

MBE Subjects
Constitutional Law
Contracts/Sales
Criminal Law/Procedure
Evidence
Real Property
Torts

Essay Subjects
Business Associations
Civil Procedure (Iowa & Federal)
Constitutional Law
Contracts
Criminal Law & Procedure (Iowa)
Family Law
Torts
Wills
Trusts
Guardianship & Conservatorship

Grading of the Iowa Bar Exam:

Iowa does not disclose its grading formula. 

*MPRE
A scaled score of 80 on the MPRE must be on file with the examiners by October 1 for the subsequent Winter bar exam, or by March 1 for the subsequent Winter bar exam.

If, however, an Applicant takes the MPRE in March and is sitting for that Summer's Iowa bar exam, the MPRE score may be accepted upon petition. 

MPRE scores are good for three years in Iowa.

Admission on Motion 
(i.e., without having to sit for the bar exam)

To be admitted on motion, an attorney admitted elsewhere must have practiced law for at least five of the seven years immediately preceding his or her Iowa application, and must show a bona fide intention to practice law in Iowa. 

Admission on Motion Info

For further information, contact:

Iowa Board of Law Examiners
Office of the Supreme Court Clerk
1111 East Court Avenue
Des Moines  IA  50319
Telephone: 515-281-5911

Exam Dates:

Winter 2007
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 
February 26, 27, 28, 2007

Summer 2007
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 
July 23, 24, 25, 2007


Note: You may sit for the Iowa Bar Exam before your law school graduation if you receive your degree within 45 days from the first day of the bar exam.

Filing Deadlines and Fees:

Filing deadlines and fees are subject to change.  Contact the Iowa Board of Law Examiners to learn the rules in effect at the time of your application.

Updated Fees