Pennsylvania Bar Exam: A Basic Guide

There are three different cities in which you can take the Pennsylvania Bar Exam in. However, there is only one way to pass this exam, to study. To effectively prepare to take the Pennsylvania Bar Exam you will need to know how to qualify for the exam, what will be on the exam, and where you should get the most up-to-date study materials. This article will tackle all of these issues and it should help Pennsylvania Bar Candidates get a head start in their preparation for this professional exam.

QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify for the Pennsylvania Bar Exam you only need to meet a few requirements. The first qualification is that the candidate has a law degree from an ABA approved law school. The second qualification is that the candidate be of good moral character. To meet this requirement you will need to undergo a criminal and financial background check. The final qualification is that the candidate takes the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam, and passes it with a score of at least 75 points.

REGISTERING FOR THE EXAM

To register to sit for the Pennsylvania Bar Exam you will need to download, print out, complete, and submit an application package. These can be found on the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners’ website.

Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners
5070 A Ritter Road, Suite 300
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17055
(717) 795-7270 Local Telephone Number
http://www.pabarexam.org

THE EXAM’S FORMAT

The Pennsylvania Bar Exam will be given over a two day period in the towns of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh during the last week of February, and in the towns of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg during the last week of July. On the first day of the Pennsylvania Bar Exam you will take two different tests. You will take an essay exam, which consists of six essay questions, and you will take the Multistate Performance Test. On the second day of the exam you will take the Multistate Bar Exam, which is made up of 200 multiple choice questions that cover general legal issues. To pass this examination you will need an essay, MPT, MBE composite score of at least 272 points.

WHAT TO STUDY

To prepare for the Pennsylvania Bar Exam Essay you should review the following topics:

1. Business Organizations
2. Employment Discrimination as outlined in Title VII, ADA, and ADEA
3. Professional Responsibilities
4. Federal and Pennsylvania Civil Procedure
5. Federal and Pennsylvania Criminal Procedure
6. Real Property
7. Criminal Law
8. Family Law
9. Torts
10. Wills, Trusts, and Estates
11. Conflicts of Laws
12. Federal and Pennsylvania Constitutional Law
13. Contracts
14. Federal Income Taxes (Personal Only)
15. Uniform Commercial Code (Article II – Sales only)

For a study materials please check out the following links:

1. Pennsylvania Legal Code located at http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/067/chapter83/chap83toc.html
2. Uniform Commercial Code located at http://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc/ucc.table.html
3. You can request sample MEE essay questions by writing to: National Conference of Bar Examiners, 402 West Wilson Street, Madison, WI 53703-3614
4. You can download past Pennsylvania essay questions and answer sets and other study materials from http://www.pabarexam.org/Bar_Examination/Review_Material/Exam_Review_Material.htm

To study for the Multistate Performance Test study the following skills:

1. Problem Solving
2. Legal Analysis and Reasoning
3. Factual Analysis
4. Communication
5. Organization and Management of a Legal Task
6. Recognizing and Resolving Ethical Dilemmas

To prepare for the Pennsylvania Bar Exam you will also need to study for the Multistate Bar Exam. This exam will be made up of 200 multiple choice questions that cover the following topics as they are generally applied throughout the United States of America:

1. Constitutional Law
2. Contracts and Sales
3. Criminal Law and Procedures
4. Evidence
5. Real Property
6. Torts

If you would like a study guide for this section you can visit the NCBE website at http://www.ncbex.org/.