The Illinois Bar Exam is administered by the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar in order to identify and recommend to the Supreme Court qualified candidates for admission to the Illinois Bar.  The bar exam lasts two days.  On the first day, a Multistate Performance Test question, six Multistate Essay Examination questions, and three Illinois state law questions are given.   Learn more about AmeriBar's Illinois Bar Review Course.  On the second day, the Multistate Bar Examination is administered. Learn more about AmeriBar's Multistate Bar Review Course.  Click here for more information about the Multistate Performance Test Home Study Course.  

AmeriBar offers a complete Illinois bar review course, an MBE review course, and an Illinois essay exam course.

The Illinois essays count for 43%, the MPT counts for 7%, and the MBE counts for 50%.

In addition to passing the Illinois Bar Exam, an applicant must attain a scaled score of 80 on the MPRE.  Click here for more information about AmeriBar's Free Online MPRE Review Course and how it can help you pass the Illinois Bar Exam.  

Illinois will accept the transfer of MBE scores from another jurisdiction for 1 year or the two preceding exams. The required minimum scaled score is a 140. Please contact the state where you took the MBE to inquire about having your score transferred to Illinois.

Please note than an applicant who elects to transfer a previous MBE score to Illinois must achieve a passing score on the essay portion of the current Illinois bar exam in order to pass the exam. The point value of the transferred MBE score will not be included in an applicant's total score on the Illinois bar exam and thus cannot offset an inadequate performance on the essay exam.

Any MBE-transfer applicant who fails the Illinois bar examination will be required to write a two-day examination on reexamination.

The regular deadline for the February exam in Illinois is September 1. The regular filing deadline for Illinois' July exam is February 1. Applications received for the February exam will be acknowledged in writing by December 1 and applications for the July exam will be acknowledged in writing by June 1.

The Board will not accept applications for a February examination until the month of August preceding that February exam, and will not accept applications for a July examination until the month of January preceding that July exam. Applications are never accepted by facsimile.

Click here for the results from the latest bar exam administered in Illinois.

Contact the Illinois board at (217) 522-5917

Contact the board of bar examiners for the most current information.