Bar Exam Basics

Applicants for admission to the Illinois bar may qualify on examination.

Illinois Supreme Court Rule 704 sets forth the requirements for qualification on examination, which includes an academic qualification examination, also known as the Illinois bar exam.

When - February and July 

The Illinois bar exam is offered twice a year on the last consecutive Tuesday and Wednesday in February and July.

Where - Chicago

The Illinois bar exam is administered at various venues in Chicago.

The February bar exam will be held at the University of Illinois of Chicago Forum (UIC Forum) located at 725 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago 60608.

The July  bar exam venue(s) will be announced at a later date.

Notices of Eligibility for the exam are posted to his/her user homepage approximately 2 weeks prior to the exam.

From the website of the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. 

There are four components to the Illinois two-day bar exam:

• The Illinois Essay Examination (IEE): 3 questions, 90 minutes.
• The Multistate Performance Test (MPT): 1 question, 90 minutes.
• The Multistate Essay Exam (MEE): 6 questions, 3 hours.
• The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE): 200 questions, 6 hours.

Sources: National Conference of Bar Examiners, and Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar

Applicants must also:

• Take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam:  The Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar also requires applicants to pass, by a scaled score of 80 or more, the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE). Register here.
• Submit to a Character and Fitness inquiry, which they can initiate as early as their 1L year. Start the process here.