UBE bar exam results generally arrive four to ten weeks after the test, depending on which jurisdiction you sat in and whether you took the February or July administration. Scores are reported on a 400-point scale, and the minimum passing score runs from 260 to 270 across the UBE jurisdictions.1National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Bar Exam Score Range If you passed, your next moves are admission in your sitting jurisdiction or a score transfer; if you did not, you can retake or transfer to a jurisdiction with a lower cut score.
When Results Are Released
February test-takers usually see scores in late March or April. Maryland posted its February 2026 results on March 27, 2026.2Maryland Courts. February 2026 Uniform Bar Exam in Maryland Results July test-takers typically wait until September or October.
Why the spread? The NCBE scores the multiple-choice portion and does the final scaling, but each jurisdiction’s board of law examiners publishes results on its own schedule. Smaller jurisdictions sometimes turn results around in five to six weeks. Larger ones with thousands of candidates can take ten to twelve weeks because local graders must evaluate every written answer before NCBE performs the final scaling.
Watch your board of law examiners’ website as the window approaches. Release dates can shift by a day or two, and most boards post an announcement before results drop.
How to Access Your Score Report
Results go to the secure applicant portal run by your jurisdiction’s board of law examiners. You log in with the NCBE number and password you created during registration. The report shows your scaled MBE score, your written component score, and your total UBE score, usually with some comparison to national performance.
You can download an official PDF of the report from the same portal. That document is your formal proof of performance until admission is complete. If results don’t appear on the expected date, check the board’s website for an updated notice before calling — boards are swamped during results season.
What Score You Need to Pass
Each UBE jurisdiction sets its own cut score, from 260 at the low end to 270 at the high end:1National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Bar Exam Score Range
- 260: Alabama, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah
- 264: Indiana
- 266: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Washington, Virgin Islands
- 268: Michigan
- 270: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming
A 270 clears every UBE jurisdiction. A 266 qualifies you in roughly half of them. Someone who hits 268 but wanted a 270 jurisdiction still has more than two dozen states available without retaking the exam.
Reading Your Score Breakdown
Your total UBE score combines three components, each weighted differently:3National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Bar Exam Scores
- Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), 50%: 200 multiple-choice questions on contracts, constitutional law, criminal law, evidence, torts, and more. 175 are scored; 25 are unscored pretest questions.
- Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), 30%: six essays, 30 minutes each.
- Multistate Performance Test (MPT), 20%: two 90-minute lawyering tasks, such as drafting a memorandum or client letter from a provided file.
NCBE applies statistical equating so a given number means the same thing from one administration to the next. A 280 earned in February reflects the same ability as a 280 the following July.3National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Bar Exam Scores If one half of your breakdown dragged the total down, that tells you where to focus if you need to retake.
Transferring Your Score to Another Jurisdiction
Portability is the UBE’s defining feature. If your score meets the cut score of a different jurisdiction, you can transfer it rather than retest. The NCBE handles transfers through its online score services portal and charges $30 for each official UBE score transcript sent to a receiving jurisdiction.4National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Score Services The NCBE side usually processes in a few business days, though high-volume periods right after results can add minor delays.
The receiving jurisdiction will verify your score against its minimum and still run you through its own character and fitness review. The destination state’s bar application fee is separate from the $30 transcript fee and can be substantial.
How Long Your Score Stays Valid
Each jurisdiction sets a maximum age for a transferred UBE score. The windows vary widely:5National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Maximum Score Age
- 2 years: North Dakota, Rhode Island
- 25–30 months: Alabama, Pennsylvania
- 3 years: Arkansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Virgin Islands, West Virginia
- 37–40 months: Idaho, Washington
- 4 years: Illinois
- 5 years: Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Texas
Colorado, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming use a tiered structure with different windows depending on circumstances. A score good in Texas for five years expires in two years for North Dakota, so check your target jurisdiction’s rule before counting on a transfer.
What Else You Need Besides a Passing Score
Passing the UBE does not, on its own, admit you to practice. Nearly every jurisdiction also requires the MPRE and a character and fitness review.
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination is a separate 60-question test on legal ethics scored from 50 to 150. Most jurisdictions require 80. The lowest threshold is 75 (including New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania); the highest is 86 (Utah). The MPRE runs three times a year, so you can take it before or after the bar.
Character and fitness is a background investigation covering your education, employment, finances, and any criminal or disciplinary history. Boards treat omissions or misrepresentations on the application as independently disqualifying, often more serious than the underlying conduct would have been on its own.
If You Didn’t Pass
Failing is more common than many candidates expect, and it isn’t career-ending. Start with the score breakdown. If MBE was strong but written scores pulled you under, or the reverse, you know where to focus.
The exam is given every February and July, so most people who fail can sit for the next administration. Roughly 35 jurisdictions allow unlimited retakes. About 20 impose limits ranging from two to six attempts; some are absolute, others let the board grant additional attempts on a case-by-case basis.
If you’re close to the cut score in your target jurisdiction but your number already clears a lower one, consider transferring instead of retaking. A 268 that falls short of Pennsylvania’s 270 still qualifies you everywhere with a 266 or lower cut score.1National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Bar Exam Score Range
A Note on the NextGen Transition
The score in your results portal is a legacy UBE score on the 400-point scale. The NextGen Uniform Bar Examination launches in a first wave of jurisdictions in July 2026, with the final legacy UBE administration scheduled for February 2028.6National Conference of Bar Examiners. New NCBE Report Confirms NextGen Uniform Bar Exam Ready for Launch NextGen scores use a different 500-to-750 scale, and each jurisdiction will set its own cut on that scale.7National Conference of Bar Examiners. NextGen UBE Scores and Score Portability
For transfer purposes, a legacy UBE score that meets a jurisdiction’s requirements and falls within its validity window should remain transferable even after that jurisdiction switches to NextGen. The transition is designed so candidates who took the earlier version aren’t penalized.7National Conference of Bar Examiners. NextGen UBE Scores and Score Portability If you’re planning a transfer years out, confirm the receiving jurisdiction’s policy on legacy scores before relying on it.