New York Bar Exam tutoring for US JDs and foreign-trained lawyers.
One-to-one tutoring for the MBE, MEE, MPT and New York Law Exam from tutors admitted to the New York bar. We work alongside your bar review course or as your main preparation, and we specialise in two groups who need more than a lecture series: LLM graduates trained abroad and repeat takers.
What the New York Bar Exam involves.
New York administers the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) over two days, on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July. On top of the UBE, New York adds its own state-specific requirements.
Passing the exam is only part of admission. New York also requires the MPRE, 50 hours of qualifying pro bono work, the Skills Competency and Professional Values requirement for applicants who began law school after August 2016, and a character and fitness review by the Appellate Division. We help you plan for all of it.
| MBE | 200 multiple-choice questions across seven subjects, worth half of your UBE score |
|---|---|
| MEE | Six 30-minute essays testing a wider range of subjects |
| MPT | Two 90-minute performance tasks: practical legal writing from a case file |
| Passing score | 266 on the UBE scale |
| New York component | The New York Law Course and the online New York Law Exam |
| MPRE | A separate ethics exam; New York requires a scaled score of 85 |
| NextGen | New York is scheduled to move to the NextGen bar exam from July 2028 |
Rules are set by the New York State Board of Law Examiners and can change. Always confirm current requirements and deadlines at nybarexam.org.
Every component of the New York Bar Exam.
Multiple choice
- Civil Procedure
- Constitutional Law
- Contracts and Sales
- Criminal Law and Procedure
- Evidence
- Real Property
- Torts
Essays
Rule statements, issue spotting and clear analysis under time pressure, across the MBE subjects plus Business Associations, Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Secured Transactions and Trusts and Estates. Every practice essay gets written feedback.
Performance tests
How to read a case file and library quickly, organise a memo, brief or letter, and finish both tasks in time. The MPT rewards method, which makes it the fastest component to improve.
NY Law Course and NY Law Exam
The New York distinctions that matter, from civil practice under the CPLR to New York evidence, so the online New York Law Exam does not become a last-minute scramble.
MPRE
Focused preparation on the ABA Model Rules for the ethics exam, which many students sit during law school or before the bar. New York requires a scaled score of 85.
NextGen bar exam
For candidates sitting after New York's switch: integrated question sets, performance tasks and the foundational skills NextGen tests, taught from the NCBE's published content scope.
From your LLM to the New York bar.
Every year thousands of lawyers trained in other countries sit the New York Bar Exam, most of them in July right after finishing an LLM in New York or elsewhere in the US. They face a particular set of challenges, and we know them well.
- Checking eligibility under section 520.6 and applying early for the Board's foreign evaluation
- Choosing LLM courses that satisfy New York's credit requirements
- Learning US civil procedure, evidence and constitutional law from first principles
- Mastering the MBE's fact-heavy multiple-choice style in a second language
- Writing essays in the direct, rule-based style US graders expect
Still choosing a programme? See our LLM admissions and tutoring page.
A plan built around your score, not a generic calendar.
Bar prep is a ten-week sprint for most candidates. We make each week count.
Baseline assessment
A timed MBE set and a practice essay in the first week, so we know your starting point in every subject.
A week-by-week plan
We fit your sessions around your bar review course or job, putting more time into the subjects and skills where you can gain the most points.
Feedback on every essay
Your essays and MPTs come back with line-by-line comments on structure, rule statements and analysis, then we rewrite them together.
Final-month simulation
Full timed practice under exam conditions, a review of your memorised rules and a calm plan for the two exam days.
Passing on your next attempt.
If you did not pass, you are in good company, and the right changes make a real difference.
We start with your score report: how far you were from 266, and whether the shortfall came from the MBE or the written component. If your essays are available, we read them. Then we build a plan around the components that cost you most, rather than asking you to repeat the same course a second time.
Many repeat takers are working full time, so we offer evening and weekend sessions in Manhattan and online.
New York Bar Exam prep: frequently asked questions.
Do I still need a commercial bar review course?
Most of our students take a commercial bar review course and use us alongside it. The course gives you lectures and a question bank. We give you a tutor who reads your essays, explains why you are missing particular MBE questions and adjusts your plan week by week. Some retakers and foreign-trained lawyers prefer to work with us as their main preparation.
Can a lawyer trained outside the US sit the New York Bar Exam?
Often, yes. New York is the most popular US bar exam for foreign-educated lawyers. Eligibility is decided by the New York State Board of Law Examiners under section 520.6 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals, usually on the basis of your foreign law degree and, in many cases, a qualifying US LLM. Apply for the Board's foreign evaluation early, because it can take months.
What are the New York Law Course and the New York Law Exam?
Alongside the UBE, New York requires you to complete the New York Law Course, an online course on New York-specific law, and pass the New York Law Exam, an online multiple-choice test. We help you learn the key New York distinctions so they do not become a last-minute worry.
I passed the UBE in another state. Can I transfer my score to New York?
New York accepts transferred UBE scores that meet its passing score within the time limit set by the Board of Law Examiners. You still need to complete the New York Law Course and pass the New York Law Exam, and meet New York's other admission requirements. Check the Board's current rules before you apply.
When does New York switch to the NextGen bar exam?
New York has announced that it will adopt the NCBE's NextGen bar exam, currently scheduled from July 2028, with the UBE continuing until then. If you will sit after the switch, we prepare you for NextGen's integrated question sets and performance tasks.
I failed the bar exam. Can you help me pass next time?
Yes. We start by reviewing your score report and, where available, your released essays. Most repeat takers are closer than they think. A plan that targets the weakest component, often essay structure or a handful of MBE subjects, usually moves the score more than repeating the whole course.