Format, Content, & Grading of the South Carolina Bar Exam

All data provided below are subject to change by a decision at any time by the South Carolina bar examiners.  When any changes are made, they will be posted on this site.

The South Carolina Bar Exam is a three-day exam -- Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday -- with the essay questions on Monday and Tuesday, and the multiple-choice Multistate Bar Exam on Wednesday.

First and Second Days (Monday and Tuesday):  
South Carolina Essay Questions, testing six areas of law (The specific subject areas vary from exam to exam).

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.

If you take two bar exams at the same time (local in South Carolina on Monday and Tuesday, local in the other jurisdiction on Thursday, MBE in either state on Wednesday), South Carolina will accept the score of the MBE taken in either state.

For further details on the MBE, click here.

Note: All South Carolina applicants are required to complete an approved "Bridge the Gap Program" before admission to the South Carolina bar.  "Bridge the Gap" Info


Subjects Tested on the South Carolina Bar Exam:

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

South Carolina Essay Subjects
Business Law
Civil Procedure
Commercial Law
Domestic Relations
Equity
Insurance
Legal Writing & Research
Trial Advocacy
Wills, Trusts & Estates

Grading of the South Carolina Bar Exam:

You must receive a scaled score of at least 110 on the MBE for your essays to be graded.

Your MBE counts for one of seven parts of the exam.

The minimum passing score on the essay is 70.

Your essays count for six of the seven parts of the exam.

The minimum passing score on the MBE is 125 scaled.

You must pass six of the seven parts to pass the South Carolina Bar Exam.


South Carolina generally releases the results of the Summer exam in late October, and the results of the Winter exam in late April.

*MPRE: If you get a passing score on the MPRE before filing for the bar exam, the score must be within four years of the date of application.

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

South Carolina does NOT permit admission on motion.  

In order to become a member of the South Carolina bar, you must take and pass the South Carolina bar exam.

However, South Carolina sometimes makes exceptions for law professors.

South Carolina also allows for applicants for limited certificates to practice law.

For further information, contact:

South Carolina Office of Bar Admissions
Deputy Clerk
P.O. Box 11330
Columbia, SC 29211
Telephone: 803-734-1080

Exam Dates:

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

Summer 2007
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 
July 23, 24, 25, 20047

Filing Deadlines and Fees


Filing deadlines and fees are subject to change.  Contact the South Carolina Bar Examiners to learn the rules in effect at the time of your application.