Best Bar Prep for the Illinois Bar Exam: UBE at 266, Tiered Fees and MPRE 80

Format and score

The MPRE minimum is 80.

Application fee steps

For the February exam, the page lists $1,200 through September 15, $1,475 from September 16 to November 1 and $1,875 from November 2 to November 30. For July, $1,200 through February 15, $1,475 from February 16 to April 1 and $1,875 from April 2 to April 30. Laptop registration typically opens six or more weeks before the exam, and the page listed a 2025 fee of $135. Verify every date with the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar.

Picking a course for a 266

A 266 is in the middle of UBE standards, so it rewards balanced preparation. Compare providers on the number of licensed MBE questions, how writing is graded and the access window. If you might move to a state with a higher minimum, such as 270, aim above 266 in practice.

Character and fitness, and who can transfer in

BARBRI's Illinois page says applicants complete a character and fitness questionnaire covering personal, academic, work and financial histories. That takes time to assemble, so start it while you study, not after the exam.

Illinois also accepts a UBE score of at least 266 earned in another jurisdiction within the preceding four years, and Illinois's own passing score stays valid for four years. If you took the UBE elsewhere and scored under 266, a new Illinois course is not the fix, a retake is. BARBRI states that nearly 90 percent of its students who do the average amount of prep pass, a claim about its own students that we cannot verify, so use it as a marketing statement and not as a pass rate.

Score portability

Illinois is a UBE jurisdiction, so a passing score can move to other UBE states within their time limits and score minimums. See our score transfer guide.