Head to head on what each lists (September 24-25, 2026)
- Themis: four months of access, tuition listed at $2,995 with a $1,895 limited-time price, more than 4,000 multiple-choice questions with an integrated UWorld MBE QBank, unlimited essay grading by attorney graders and a closed-system AI grader, and shorter lectures.
- Kaplan: access up to 6 months, more than 4,000 exam-like MBE questions plus released NCBE questions, live interactive seminars (Kaplan says it is the only major provider offering them), an AI tutor and instant essay grader, unlimited grading from experts or AI, and four full-length practice exams. Its page advertised up to $1,000 off through September 30. A third-party review put Kaplan's Complete Bar Review near $2,500.
- Guarantee framing: Kaplan states 92 percent of first-time students who complete 75 percent of assigned practice pass the UBE, a conditional claim that counts completers only.
Verdict
Compare the exact 2027 course, not the historical brand
National bar products change as jurisdictions transition to NextGen. Ask each provider to show how the selected course handles integrated question sets, performance tasks, legal research, short and medium constructed responses, and the seven published skills: or, for legacy candidates, the MBE/MEE/MPT allocation.
Kaplan’s official pages advertise Qbanks, online courses, live or streaming lectures, customizable study plans, exam-like practice, and writing support. Themis’s official pages advertise its directed study mode, lectures, graded essays, and included UWorld access. Package details control.
Use your baseline to weight the comparison
A candidate with a doctrine gap should inspect lesson clarity and outline depth. A candidate with slow selected-response performance should inspect analytics and explanation quality. A candidate with weak writing should count feedback cycles, turnaround, rubric detail, and opportunities to rewrite.
Do not give every feature equal weight. Score each provider against the two or three limitations most likely to cost you points.
Inspect access and support terms
Compare start and expiration dates, mobile access, printed materials, technical support, tutoring availability, repeat policies, cancellation terms, and financing. Save a copy of the terms that applied when you enrolled.
What changed in the essay scope
NCBE's MEE preparation page says that effective with the July 2026 bar exam Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Trusts and Estates and Secured Transactions are no longer tested on the MEE. Business Associations, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property and Torts may still be covered.
NCBE adds that from July 2026 through February 2028 Family Law and Trusts and Estates will be tested regularly through the MPT. When you compare two courses, ask whether each has removed the dropped subjects from its essay drilling and added them to its performance-test practice.
NCBE's content scope says family law will be added to the NextGen foundational concepts starting with the July 2028 exam. Until then it appears in skills-focused questions with legal resources provided. A course that teaches family law as memorized doctrine for 2027 may spend your hours on the wrong task.
Reading the fine print on refunds, repeats and access dates
Before paying either provider, put five dates and terms in a table: the last day a full refund is available, the day access starts, the day access ends, what a repeat offer requires you to have completed, and whether a deferral to another exam administration is allowed. A repeat offer that requires completing every assigned task by a date is worth far less than one that requires a passing-effort log.
Count backward from your exam date. If access ends the week of the exam and your study plan runs through the exam, a fee for a short extension belongs in the total cost now. Ask for these terms in an email so you have them in writing, and save the reply beside your receipt.
Common questions
Which subjects left the MEE in July 2026?+
Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Trusts and Estates and Secured Transactions, according to NCBE's MEE preparation page.
Where do Family Law and Trusts and Estates appear now?+
On the MPT from July 2026 through February 2028, according to NCBE, and in skills-focused NextGen questions with legal resources provided.
Which areas may the MEE still cover?+
Business Associations, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts including UCC Article 2, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property and Torts, per NCBE.
How many MEE questions are there?+
Six 30-minute questions, according to NCBE, and some questions may include issues in more than one area of law.
Do MEE subjects vary from exam to exam?+
Yes. NCBE says the particular areas covered vary from exam to exam, so a course should drill all eligible subjects.
Should I still study Conflict of Laws?+
Only if your jurisdiction's own exam tests it. NCBE removed it from the MEE, but state-drafted exams and some states' essays may still cover it.
Where can I get official MEE practice?+
NCBE offers free MEE questions from recent administrations without analyses, older questions with analyses free, and paid official study aids.
What does the MEE test besides rules?+
Identifying issues, separating relevant from irrelevant facts, and presenting a reasoned analysis in a clear, concise and well-organized composition, according to NCBE.
What to do next
- 1
Identify your exam version.
- 2
Run a subject and writing baseline.
- 3
Weight features by measured weakness.
- 4
Compare complete price and access terms.
- 5
Complete comparable demos before enrolling.