Licensed and original questions
Several providers separate questions licensed from NCBE from questions their own authors wrote, and they count them differently. Ask which questions are in the total. Ask whether it includes practice-exam questions.
Bar review comparison
Compare the paid courses on what they say, and see where a free course falls short.
This bar review comparison lists what seven providers state about price, questions, feedback and guarantees. The table lists what seven bar prep providers state on their own public pages, retrieved September 24, 2026, for price, multiple-choice questions, written feedback, guarantees, NextGen support, and access. Each cell is the provider's own statement, and a cell says so plainly when the saved page did not show the fact. Nothing here is a ranking or a finding that one provider works better than another. A free course cannot match a paid one on licensed questions, live teaching, or graded feedback.
| What is stated | BARBRI | Themis | Kaplan | Quimbee | BarMax (TestMax) | UWorld MBE QBank | AdaptiBar | BarExam Complete |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Premium Bar Review for the 2027 exam: original price $2,999, with listed sale prices of $2,299 and $2,099 depending on the option chosen. | 2027 exam prep, self-pay: $2,995 list, shown as $1,895 when full tuition is paid now or $2,095 with $25 due now, both as limited-time promotions. | No list price on the page as saved. It advertised a promotion of up to $1,000 off, ending 9/30. | Not stated on the page as saved. Check its bar review page. | California and UBE comprehensive courses $1,895; MBE course $899.99; MBE questions bank $395. | Not stated on the page as saved. Its pricing loads dynamically and did not save. | Not stated on the page as saved. Its page loads dynamically and did not save. | Free. No account and no payment. |
| Multiple-choice questions | 1,000+ NCBE-licensed MBE questions, or NextGen question sets. | 4,000+ multiple-choice questions, including 1,350+ NCBE-licensed, with an integrated UWorld MBE QBank. | 4,000+ MBE-style questions plus released NCBE questions; a NextGen course with 3,000+ realistic questions. | More than 1,400 questions licensed directly from the NCBE and thousands of additional MBE-style questions, with over 300 on-demand lessons. | States that every MBE question, practice essay, and performance test is a real, officially licensed question from previous bar exams. | Not stated on the page as saved. Its page loads dynamically and did not save. | Not stated on the page as saved. Its page loads dynamically and did not save. | 4008 original fact-pattern questions with a reason for every choice, plus 1704 short rule drills. None is licensed from NCBE. |
| Written feedback | Personalized feedback on NextGen written assignments, or unlimited essay feedback for legacy exams. | Unlimited essay grading, using closed-system AI plus a dedicated attorney essay grader. | Unlimited writing-assignment grading by in-house experts, or AI grading with instant feedback. | Graded practice MEEs and MPTs. | Sells additional essay revisions at $30 each or ten for $200. | Not stated on the page as saved. It is a multiple-choice bank. | Not stated on the page as saved. It is a multiple-choice simulator. | Self-grading against point sheets and model answers. No graded human or AI feedback. |
| Guarantee | A guarantee that lets you repeat the course without paying additional tuition; exam supplements are excluded. | A Pass or a Free Repeat Guarantee for first-time Themis takers: a free repeat for the next administration of the same bar exam. | Pass guaranteed or repeat for free. Kaplan also states that 92% of first-time students who complete 75% of the assigned practice pass the UBE on the first try. That figure is Kaplan's, is conditional on completion, and is not independently verified. | Not stated on the page as saved. Check its bar review page. | A pass guarantee: you may be eligible for a refund if you do not pass. Terms are on its own page. | Not stated on the page as saved. Check its pricing page. | Not stated on the page as saved. Check its site. | None. There is nothing to refund. |
| NextGen | Offers a NextGen course, per its own FAQ. | Lists NextGen prep on its course page. | A NextGen course with 100 integrated question sets and three full-length practice exams. | Not stated on the page as saved. Check its bar review page. | Not stated on the page as saved. Check its FAQ. | Not stated on the page as saved. Check its page. | Not stated on the page as saved. Check its site. | 213 original integrated question sets; not NCBE items. |
| Access | 4+ months of course access. | 4-month access windows tied to the exam date. | Up to 6 months of access. | Not stated on the page as saved. Check its bar review page. | Instant and lifetime access, per its own description. | Its page says every Themis Bar Review course includes free access to the MBE QBank. | Not stated on the page as saved. Check its site. | No expiry. Progress is stored on your own device. |
| Source | Provider pageRetrieved September 24, 2026 | Provider pageRetrieved September 24, 2026 | Provider pageRetrieved September 24, 2026 | Provider pageRetrieved September 24, 2026 | Provider pageRetrieved September 24, 2026 | Provider pageRetrieved September 24, 2026 | Provider pageRetrieved September 24, 2026 | How this course is built |
Reading the table
Bar review comparison: counts and guarantees mean different things at different providers.
A bigger question count is not a better bank. A guarantee has conditions. A price moves. Check these points before any number changes your decision.
What a guarantee covers
A repeat-the-course offer, a free repeat for the next administration, and a refund are three different promises, each with its own conditions such as first-time status, completed assignments, or a deadline. Read the terms page, not the headline. Conditions live there.
Pass claims
A pass rate that applies only to students who finished a set amount of practice describes the people who finished, not the people who enrolled. Treat it as the provider's claim. Look for the definition.
Price and access
A list price, a promotional price, and a price that depends on how you pay can all appear on one page. Record the date you checked, and ask what happens to the price and access if your exam date moves.
Where this course fits
Free is a real advantage, and so are the things it cannot supply.
What it does well
Every rule links to a cited source, every jurisdiction has its own sourced guide, and every practice question explains all four choices. There is no cost, no account, and no expiry. It can sit beside any paid course.
What it does not have
No NCBE-licensed questions, no video or live teaching, no graded feedback on essays or performance tests, and no pass guarantee. The questions are original and unofficial, and the readiness measure is not a score prediction.
Who it suits
A candidate who wants a complete, sourced study base and free practice, a candidate adding volume to a paid course, and a candidate deciding whether a paid course is worth the price.
Who should pay
A candidate who wants licensed questions, structured daily assignments, graded writing feedback, or a guarantee is buying things a free course does not offer. Compare the paid options above and read each provider's terms.
To use the free course well, start with the baseline diagnostic, practice in the question bank, sit a timed exam, and calibrate against authentic questions in the Official Practice Center. The cost guide covers the full budget, and the BARBRI and Themis comparison goes deeper on those two.
Deeper guides
Course-by-course guides
BARBRI: Premium vs. Elite, cost, pass rate, is it enough, and its phases in Foundations, Deep Dive and Final Review. Head to head: Kaplan, Helix, AdaptiBar, Quimbee and BPP. Also Themis vs. Kaplan and AdaptiBar vs. UWorld.
By situation: ADHD, retakers, LL.M. and foreign-trained, California, Florida, New York, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and what candidates say.