Format, Content, & Grading of the Tennessee Bar Exam

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

The Tennessee Bar Exam is a two-day exam -- Wednesday and Thursday -- with the multiple-choice Multistate Bar Exam on Wednesday and essays on Thursday.

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

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

If you take two bar exams at the same time (e.g., local in the other jurisdiction on Tuesday, local in Tennessee on Thursday, MBE in either state on Wednesday), Tennessee will accept the score of the MBE taken in either state.  If you decide to take the MBE in the other state, you must make a written request for permission by Tennessee.

Tennessee will not accept an MBE score from any time other than a concurrent administration. 

For further details on the MBE, click here.

Second Day (Thursday):  
12 Essay Questions


Subjects Tested on the Tennessee Essay Portion:

Agency
Civil Procedure (State & Federal)
Commercial Paper & Bulk Transfers
Conflict of Laws
Corporations
Domestic Relations or Personal Status
Partnerships
Personal Property
Professional Responsibility
Restitution & Remedies
Sales
Secured Transactions
State Constitutional Law
Wills & Estates
Plus the six MBE subjects


Grading of the Bar Exam:

If your MBE scaled score is 125-129, you must pass 9 of the 12 essays. 

If your MBE scaled score is 130-134, you must pass 8 of the 12 essays.

If your MBE scaled score is 135 or higher, you must pass 7 of the 12 essays. 

Tennessee generally releases the results of the Summer exam in mid-October and the results of the Winter exam in mid-April.

*MPRE -- You must receive a scaled score of at least 75 on an MPRE taken within two years of sitting for the Tennessee Bar Exam.

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

1. You must be a graduate of an ABA-accredited law school.

2. You must have taken and passed an "equivalent" bar exam in another jurisdiction.

3. You must be admitted to the bar of another jurisdiction and must have practiced law for at least five years.

4. You must have a present intent to practice law in Tennessee. 

For further information, contact:

Tennessee Board of Law Examiners 
706 Church Street, Suite 100
Nashville, TN 37243
Telephone: 615-741-3234

Exam Dates:

Winter 2007
Wednesday and Thursday, 
February 28, March 1, 2007

Summer 2007
Wednesday and Thursday, 
July 25 and 26, 2007


Filing Deadlines and Fees

Notice of Intent Form 

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