South Carolina Bar Examination (UBE)
Bar Exam Information
NOTE: Bar exam information is subject to change without notice.
Please verify with bar examiner’s office.
BAR EXAM DATES AND FORMAT
2021: February 23 – 24, July 27 – 28
The South Carolina Bar Exam is a 2-day Uniform Bar Exam (UBE).
Day 1: Six 30-minute Multistate Essay Exam questions (MEE in the AM) and two 90-minute Multistate Performance Test questions (MPT in the PM).
Day 2: Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), a 200-question, multiple-choice exam (100 questions in the AM, 100 questions in the PM).
Supreme Court of South Carolina
Office of Bar Admissions
Supreme Court Building
1231 Gervais Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 734-1080
Fax: (803) 734-0394
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
1101 Lincoln Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Subjects Tested
- Constitutional Law
- Contracts/Sales
- Criminal Law/Procedure
- Evidence
- Federal Civil Procedure
- Real Property
- Torts
- Business Associations (Agency, Partnerships, Corporations, Limited Liability Companies)
- Conflicts of Law
- Family Law
- Trusts and Estates (Decedents' Estates; Trusts and Future Interests)
- Secured Transactions (Article 9 of Uniform Commercial Code)
- Plus, all MBE Subjects
Multistate Performance Test “Closed universe” practical questions using instructions, factual data, cases, statutes and other reference material supplied by examiners.
South Carolina requires an MPRE scaled score of 77. The score must be from an administration of the MPRE that occurred within three (3) years of the date on which the application for the admission is filed with the Clerk of the Supreme Court.
Filing Deadlines and Fees
If the applicant has been admitted to practice law for more than one (1) year in another state, the District of Columbia, or another country at the time the application is filed, the applicant shall pay an additional fee of $750.
$1,000 for applications filed from December 1st to January 10th for the July Bar Exam or from August 1st to August 31st for the February Bar Exam. $1,500 for applications filed during the remainder of the application periods.
Scoring
The MEE and MPT scores are scaled to the MBE, with the MBE weighted 50%, the MEE 30% and the MPT 20%. The scores are combined to determine if the applicant has achieved a passing score of 266.
Additional Requirements
Applicants seeking admission to practice law in South Carolina pursuant to Rule 402, SCACR, must complete the Course of Study on South Carolina Law as a requirement of admission. The Course of Study is a series of online videos available on the South Carolina Bar’s website. Only applicants who have filed a complete Application for Admission are permitted access to the Course of Study videos. Once an applicant has filed a complete Application for Admission, the applicant will be sent a link to the Course of Study and registration information to access the Course of Study. An applicant’s successful completion of the Course of Study on South Carolina Law may be used to satisfy the requirements of Rule 402 for applications filed within three (3) years of the date of completion of the Course of Study.
Reciprocity
Admission on Motion
South Carolina does not provide for admission on motion. In narrow situations, a special application may be made by a dean or tenured professor of the University of South Carolina or Charleston School of Law. Contact the Supreme Court of South Carolina for more information. Otherwise, exam required of all applicants.
Admission by UBE
A scaled score of 266 is required for admission and may not be over three years old at the time the application is filed. If based on a UBE Score from another jurisdiction, the applicant must have the score transferred to South Carolina by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
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Need extra help passing the Uniform Bar Exam?
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Experienced Bar Exam Tutor
