The writing path changes by jurisdiction and date, which is easy to get wrong if a candidate assumes every state simply runs whatever the national exam happens to test that year, so this directory separates uniform legacy writing, NextGen constructed and performance work, state-drafted examinations, and separate local-law requirements into their own tracks instead of treating writing as one interchangeable skill everywhere. 11 jurisdictions use their own state-drafted format rather than a uniform national one: California-drafted exam, Delaware-drafted exam, Florida-drafted exam, Georgia-drafted written exam, Hawaiʻi component exam, Louisiana nine-part written exam, Mississippi-drafted exam, Nevada licensing transition, South Dakota component exam, Virginia-drafted exam, Puerto Rico General Revalidation Exam.
| Jurisdiction | Format |
|---|---|
| California-drafted exam | July 2026: five one-hour California essays and one 90-minute Performance Test on day one; 200-question MBE on day two. |
| Delaware-drafted exam | July 2026: two 90-minute MPT tasks Tuesday morning, four Delaware essay questions Tuesday afternoon, and the 200-question MBE Wednesday. |
| Florida-drafted exam | Part A: three hours of essays plus three hours of 100 Florida multiple-choice questions. Part B: the 200-question MBE. |
| Georgia-drafted written exam | Two MPT tasks Tuesday morning, four Georgia essay questions Tuesday afternoon, and the MBE Wednesday. The MBE is 50% of the total; the written score is the other 50%, with each MPT weighted 1.5 times an essay. |
| Hawaiʻi component exam | Current official components are the MBE, MEE, MPT, a Hawaiʻi Legal Ethics Exam, and the separate MPRE. |
| Louisiana nine-part written exam | Part I is a three-day, nine-part examination: Civil Code I, II, III; Louisiana Civil Procedure; Torts; Business Entities; Constitutional Law; Criminal Law/Procedure/Evidence; and Federal Jurisdiction/Procedure. It is primarily essay and may include multiple choice. Code subjects receive double weight. |
| Mississippi-drafted exam | Mississippi uses an MBE day plus two days of essay and/or performance work prepared by the Board or NCBE. The Board identifies the current state-essay subjects and session details for each administration. |
| Nevada licensing transition | July 2026 is the final old-format exam: six Nevada essays, the MBE, and two Nevada Performance Tests. Under the Nevada Plan, the exam is a 100-question closed-book multiple-choice Foundational Law Exam taken on a computer at a testing center, a Lawyering Performance Examination of three practical scenarios (a four-hour session for the first two and a two-hour session for the third), supervised practice, and the MPRE. |
| South Dakota component exam | Through February 2027: five MEE essays in 2.5 hours, one South Dakota Indian Law essay, two 90-minute MPT tasks, the MBE, and the separate MPRE. |
| Virginia-drafted exam | July 2026: nine Virginia essay questions and ten Virginia multiple-choice questions on Tuesday, plus the MBE Wednesday for the standard option. The Virginia written component is 60% and the MBE 40% of the combined score. |
| Puerto Rico General Revalidation Exam | The current General Revalidation Examination is administered in Spanish and contains 184 multiple-choice exercises on day one and eight essay/discussion questions on day two. The separate Notarial Examination has its own format. |
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
July 2026: five one-hour California essays and one 90-minute Performance Test on day one; 200-question MBE on day two.
Write five one-hour IRAC/CRAC answers per full simulation, complete 90-minute California performance files, and learn California distinctions in the official scope: community property, remedies, professional responsibility, trusts, wills/succession, and state variations.
Transition: NextGen begins July 2028; California reports a separate state component no earlier than July 2029.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
Train multiple-choice and short-answer work, medium constructed responses, integrated question sets, legal-research tasks, and performance tasks using supplied resources when provided.
Use the integrated bank for linked file-and-law tasks, the writing lab for full-format responses, and official NCBE study aids for authentic task exposure.
July 2026: two 90-minute MPT tasks Tuesday morning, four Delaware essay questions Tuesday afternoon, and the 200-question MBE Wednesday.
Train two back-to-back MPTs and four jurisdiction-specific essays in a three-hour block. Use Delaware’s official subject list and published questions rather than a generic six-MEE schedule.
Transition: NextGen begins February 2028; verify the local component and score policy for that administration.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
Part A: three hours of essays plus three hours of 100 Florida multiple-choice questions. Part B: the 200-question MBE.
Split preparation between issue-rich Florida essays and rapid state multiple choice. Use the Board’s free study guides for released essays, sample answers, and Florida MCQ; build separate Florida distinction sheets.
Transition: NextGen with a Florida Law Component begins July 2028.
Two MPT tasks Tuesday morning, four Georgia essay questions Tuesday afternoon, and the MBE Wednesday. The MBE is 50% of the total; the written score is the other 50%, with each MPT weighted 1.5 times an essay.
Practice a full 3-hour MPT pair and a full 3-hour four-essay block. Prioritize complete written coverage because the two performance tasks together carry substantial written weight.
Transition: NextGen begins July 2028 with a jurisdiction-specific requirement.
Current official components are the MBE, MEE, MPT, a Hawaiʻi Legal Ethics Exam, and the separate MPRE.
Prepare the applicable MEE/MPT administration while separately learning the Hawaiʻi Legal Ethics component. Verify the precise session schedule in the final applicant notice.
Transition: NextGen begins July 2028; Hawaiʻi-specific requirements continue to require separate verification.
Train multiple-choice and short-answer work, medium constructed responses, integrated question sets, legal-research tasks, and performance tasks using supplied resources when provided.
Use the integrated bank for linked file-and-law tasks, the writing lab for full-format responses, and official NCBE study aids for authentic task exposure.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
Part I is a three-day, nine-part examination: Civil Code I, II, III; Louisiana Civil Procedure; Torts; Business Entities; Constitutional Law; Criminal Law/Procedure/Evidence; and Federal Jurisdiction/Procedure. It is primarily essay and may include multiple choice. Code subjects receive double weight.
Use Louisiana civil-law materials and simulate the actual Monday/Wednesday/Friday sequence. Allocate more time to the five double-weighted Code exams and practice mixed essay/MCQ response within each official subject block.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
Train multiple-choice and short-answer work, medium constructed responses, integrated question sets, legal-research tasks, and performance tasks using supplied resources when provided.
Use the integrated bank for linked file-and-law tasks, the writing lab for full-format responses, and official NCBE study aids for authentic task exposure.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
Mississippi uses an MBE day plus two days of essay and/or performance work prepared by the Board or NCBE. The Board identifies the current state-essay subjects and session details for each administration.
Do not infer a UBE schedule. Train Mississippi-law essays, the Board’s announced subjects, and the assigned NCBE essay/performance components using the current applicant instructions.
Transition: NextGen adoption details remain subject to current Board announcements.
Train multiple-choice and short-answer work, medium constructed responses, integrated question sets, legal-research tasks, and performance tasks using supplied resources when provided.
Use the integrated bank for linked file-and-law tasks, the writing lab for full-format responses, and official NCBE study aids for authentic task exposure.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
July 2026 is the final old-format exam: six Nevada essays, the MBE, and two Nevada Performance Tests. Under the Nevada Plan, the exam is a 100-question closed-book multiple-choice Foundational Law Exam taken on a computer at a testing center, a Lawyering Performance Examination of three practical scenarios (a four-hour session for the first two and a two-hour session for the third), supervised practice, and the MPRE.
Route by date. July 2026 candidates train the six-essay/MBE/two-NPT format. 2027 candidates train the FLE and three long performance tasks while scheduling supervised-practice completion.
Transition: The Nevada Plan replaces the old exam beginning in 2027; Nevada has not adopted NextGen.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
Train multiple-choice and short-answer work, medium constructed responses, integrated question sets, legal-research tasks, and performance tasks using supplied resources when provided.
Use the integrated bank for linked file-and-law tasks, the writing lab for full-format responses, and official NCBE study aids for authentic task exposure.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
Through February 2027: five MEE essays in 2.5 hours, one South Dakota Indian Law essay, two 90-minute MPT tasks, the MBE, and the separate MPRE.
Train five 30-minute MEE essays as one block, a separate Indian Law essay using the official topic list, and a back-to-back MPT pair. Do not omit the state-specific Indian Law component.
Transition: NextGen begins July 2027; the last MPT/MEE/Indian Law/MBE administration is February 2027.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
July 2026: nine Virginia essay questions and ten Virginia multiple-choice questions on Tuesday, plus the MBE Wednesday for the standard option. The Virginia written component is 60% and the MBE 40% of the combined score.
Simulate two three-hour Virginia sessions: five essays in the morning; four essays plus ten MCQ in the afternoon. Use the Board’s past questions and actual ten-point answers, and learn the current Virginia subject list and distinctions.
Transition: NextGen begins July 2028.
Train multiple-choice and short-answer work, medium constructed responses, integrated question sets, legal-research tasks, and performance tasks using supplied resources when provided.
Use the integrated bank for linked file-and-law tasks, the writing lab for full-format responses, and official NCBE study aids for authentic task exposure.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
For the applicable legacy administration, train six 30-minute MEE essays and two 90-minute MPT tasks. Route to NextGen only when the jurisdiction’s listed transition date applies.
Practice rule-first 30-minute essays, closed-universe performance tasks, and full written-day simulations. Verify any local component separately.
Train multiple-choice and short-answer work, medium constructed responses, integrated question sets, legal-research tasks, and performance tasks using supplied resources when provided.
Use the integrated bank for linked file-and-law tasks, the writing lab for full-format responses, and official NCBE study aids for authentic task exposure.
Train multiple-choice and short-answer work, medium constructed responses, integrated question sets, legal-research tasks, and performance tasks using supplied resources when provided.
Use the integrated bank for linked file-and-law tasks, the writing lab for full-format responses, and official NCBE study aids for authentic task exposure.
Train multiple-choice and short-answer work, medium constructed responses, integrated question sets, legal-research tasks, and performance tasks using supplied resources when provided.
Use the integrated bank for linked file-and-law tasks, the writing lab for full-format responses, and official NCBE study aids for authentic task exposure.
The current General Revalidation Examination is administered in Spanish and contains 184 multiple-choice exercises on day one and eight essay/discussion questions on day two. The separate Notarial Examination has its own format.
Use the official Spanish-language specification table, released discussion questions, grading criteria, and sample multiple-choice items. Prepare Puerto Rico civil-law and local-law doctrine; a generic UBE course is not a substitute.
Train multiple-choice and short-answer work, medium constructed responses, integrated question sets, legal-research tasks, and performance tasks using supplied resources when provided.
Use the integrated bank for linked file-and-law tasks, the writing lab for full-format responses, and official NCBE study aids for authentic task exposure.