You can take the MPRE three times a year — in March, August, and November — at Pearson VUE testing centers across the United States and its territories. For 2026, the test dates are March 24–25, August 11–12, and November 12–13.1National Conference of Bar Examiners. 2026 MPRE Dates and Deadlines Eligibility is set by each jurisdiction’s bar admission agency, and nearly every U.S. jurisdiction requires a passing score for bar admission, so most law students sit for it during their second or third year.
2026 Test Dates and Registration Deadlines
Each administration spans two days, and you pick one of them when you schedule your appointment. The 2026 calendar:
- March 24 or 25 — register by January 22, 2026
- August 11 or 12 — register by June 11, 2026
- November 12 or 13 — register by September 17, 2026
The fee is $185 per administration, paid to Pearson VUE when you schedule.2National Conference of Bar Examiners. Registering for the MPRE Register early. Testing centers in major metro areas fill up, and waiting until the deadline often means a longer drive or a less convenient time slot.
Who Is Eligible to Take the MPRE
Specific eligibility rules are set by each jurisdiction’s bar admission agency, so the first place to check is the agency for the state where you intend to seek admission. Some jurisdictions require you to have completed a professional responsibility course before registering. Most candidates are law students or recent graduates of ABA-approved law schools.
Two jurisdictions don’t require the MPRE at all: Wisconsin and Puerto Rico.3NCBE. About the MPRE Exam Two others — Connecticut and New Jersey — accept successful completion of a law school professional responsibility course as an alternative to a passing score. Everyone else sitting for a U.S. bar needs an MPRE score.
When During Law School to Take It
The most common approach is to take the MPRE during the second or third year of law school, ideally while the material from your professional responsibility course is still fresh. That timing also builds in a cushion to retake the exam if needed without delaying your bar application. If you don’t pass, there’s no cap on retakes — you can register for any subsequent administration — but each attempt requires a new $185 fee, so there’s an incentive to prepare well the first time.4NCBE. MPRE Bar Exam Scores
How long a passing score stays valid depends on where you plan to seek admission. Some jurisdictions, like California and Washington, D.C., have no expiration. Others impose specific windows: New York gives you four years from the test date, Texas gives you five. The range across jurisdictions runs from about two years to indefinite. Verify the validity period with your jurisdiction’s bar admission agency before you take the MPRE early in law school, so your score doesn’t expire before you’re ready to apply.
How to Register Once You’ve Chosen a Date
Registration moves between NCBE and Pearson VUE:
- Create an NCBE Account at ncbex.org if you don’t already have one.
- Log in, select MPRE Registration, and request authorization to test.
- Wait for your Authorization to Test email from Pearson VUE, usually within 24 hours.
- Schedule your appointment through Pearson VUE and pay the $185 fee by debit or credit card.
You have to schedule within 48 hours of receiving the authorization email and no later than the registration deadline for that administration.2National Conference of Bar Examiners. Registering for the MPRE During registration, you’ll designate one jurisdiction to receive your score automatically. NCBE sends it there about five weeks after the exam at no extra charge.5National Conference of Bar Examiners. How Can I Have My MPRE Score Reported to Jurisdictions Additional score reports cost $30 per jurisdiction.6NCBE. MPRE Score Services
If You Need to Reschedule
You can reschedule for a $25 fee, but only up to 48 hours before the first day of the test administration.7National Conference of Bar Examiners. Scheduling Your MPRE Appointment to Test Rescheduling only lets you change the time or testing center within the same administration. You can’t shift to a different administration window. Miss the 48-hour cutoff and you forfeit the fee and have to register from scratch for a later administration.
If you have a disability covered under the ADA, request testing accommodations through your NCBE Account well ahead of the registration deadline. Requests received after the registration deadline for a given administration won’t be considered for that sitting.8NCBE. Important Dates for MPRE Test Accommodations For 2026, NCBE recommends submitting accommodation requests by November 20, 2025 for March, April 23, 2026 for August, and July 30, 2026 for November.