Why states add these
Texas: the Texas Law Course
Texas requires a Texas Law Component, satisfied by the Texas Law Course, a series of video presentations on Texas law by Texas attorneys. It costs nothing, but you take it through a TexasBarCLE account. The minimum UBE score in Texas is 270, and a transferred score must be 270 or higher and earned within the five years before you file.
New York: the Law Course, the Law Exam, pro bono and skills
New York's UBE passing score is 266. On top of that, every applicant completes the New York Law Course and passes the New York Law Exam. The course cannot be completed more than one year before you first sat for the UBE, and a Law Exam score stays valid for three years from the results date. The MPRE requirement is a scaled 85, valid four years from the day it was taken. Before the Appellate Division admits anyone, the applicant must complete 50 hours of pro bono service, and applicants who began law school after August 1, 2016 must satisfy the Skills Competency Requirement in Rule 520.18. The applicant must also be at least 21 and clear character and fitness review.
Ohio: an open-book test on your own device
Ohio's Law Component is an open-book test taken on the applicant's own device through ExamSoft, with the course outlines available throughout. It is a pre-admission requirement, so no one is sworn in before passing it.
Maryland: outlines and an online quiz
The Maryland Law Component is a set of written outlines and an online quiz on them. The Board sends instructions about a week after the Notice of Intent, and the applicant can finish it any time after that. The Board will not act on the Character Committee's recommendation until the applicant has a qualifying UBE score, a qualifying MPRE score and the completed component on file.
Massachusetts: 50 questions, 40 to pass
The Massachusetts Law Component is an open-book online exam on Massachusetts-specific law: 50 multiple-choice questions on 10 areas, with outlines through the Bar Applicant Portal. An applicant must answer 40 of the 50 correctly. There is no fee and no limit on attempts, results appear instantly, and an unsuccessful examinee can retake after a 24-hour wait.
Tennessee: a 7.5-hour online course
Every Tennessee applicant completes the Tennessee Law Course, a mandatory 7.5-hour online course on Tennessee-specific law that must be finished before licensing. The registration fee is $15, and login details arrive within 5 business days of payment. Exam applicants get access within 10 days after the bar exam.
Montana: the Law Seminar
The Montana Law Seminar is a Supreme Court required course on the structure of the Montana legal system, the unique aspects of Montana law and the accepted culture of practice there. It is online and pre-recorded, is provided after the applicant clears character and fitness, carries no CLE credit and costs $155. The Board's July 2026 pass letter separated applicants it recommended for admission from those who passed the exam but still needed a qualifying MPRE score, the seminar, or both.
Arizona, Missouri and South Carolina
Arizona does not test Arizona law on the exam, but applicants need the MPRE at a minimum of 85 and the online Course on Arizona Law.
Missouri's Board and Supreme Court prepared a mandatory open-book test, the Missouri Educational Component Test. Its review materials include 11 outlines on subjects including torts, civil procedure, real property, trusts, estates, family law, business associations, administrative law, Missouri courts, evidence and trust account management, and the test has 33 questions with a passing score of 28. It must be completed within one year after the applicant receives written notice of passing the bar exam. South Carolina's Course of Study on South Carolina Law is an 11-part video series, free of charge, with no CLE credit, and each video's end questions must be answered correctly. You must complete the ordered course within 30 days of ordering, and it can satisfy the requirement for applications filed within three years of completion.
Nevada: four components
Nevada's comprehensive licensing plan requires four components: the MPRE, the Foundational Law Examination, the Lawyering Performance Examination and the Supervised Practice Program. The MPRE may be taken any time during law school. The Foundational Law Examination and the supervised practice requirement become available after 42 credits, and the Lawyering Performance Examination must be taken after graduation and is offered in January and June.
How to plan around them
Ask three questions for your jurisdiction: what is the format, when can I take it, and when is it due. Some open only after you file your application, some must be done within a year of passing, and some expire after a set number of years. Put each date in your admission calendar.
Common questions
Do I have to take a state law course after passing the UBE?+
In many states, yes. Texas, New York, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Montana, Arizona, Missouri and South Carolina all add a course, seminar or open-book test to admission.
How hard is the Massachusetts Law Component?+
It is an open-book online exam of 50 multiple-choice questions on 10 areas, with 40 correct needed to pass. There is no fee, results are instant and you can retake after a 24-hour wait.
What does New York require besides the UBE?+
The New York Law Course, the New York Law Exam, an MPRE score of 85, 50 hours of pro bono service, and for those who began law school after August 1, 2016, the Skills Competency Requirement.
What to do next
- 1
Find your jurisdiction's local component on its own page on this site.
- 2
Note when it opens, when it is due and how long a completion stays valid.
- 3
Do it early enough that it cannot delay your oath.