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Iowa Bar Exam Format
Overview
The Iowa Bar Exam is administered over two days. The examiners have adopted the Uniform Bar Exam (“UBE”).
Day 1
The written portion of the exam is administered on the first day of the Iowa bar exam. The written portion of the bar exam consists of the Multistate Performance Test (“MPT”) and the Multistate Essay Exam (“MEE”). You will have three hours to answer two MPT questions. You will have three hours to answer the six MEE questions.
Day 2
The Multistate Bar Exam (“MBE”) is administered on the second day of the Iowa bar exam. The MBE is a multiple-choice test containing 200 questions. The MBE is split into a morning and afternoon session. Each session consists of 100 questions. You have three hours to complete each session.
Iowa Bar Exam Format Video
Useful Links
- Iowa Bar Review Course – AmeriBar has been helping students pass the Iowa bar exam for over 15 years.
- IowaBarExam.com – Detailed Information and resources for Iowa bar exam takers.
- MBEQuestionBank.com – Online question bank with over 2500 simulated MBE questions.
Reciprocity
Iowa permits admission based on a UBE score of at least 266 that is transferred from another jurisdiction within the applicable time limit, if every other requirement for admission is fulfilled. Basically, Iowa permits admission without examination for a lawyer who fulfills specified requirements, which include:
- being licensed in another state or the District of Columbia;
- practicing law for five of the past seven years; and
- not having character or fitness problems.
Iowa Next Gen Status
Adopted Next Gen Uniform Bar Exam? Yes
Date of First Next Gen Exam: July 2027
Exam Dates
- February 24-25, 2026
- July 28-29, 2026
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Iowa Bar Admissions
Office of Professional Regulation
Iowa Judicial Branch Building
1111 East Court Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
Iowa MPRE Score Requirement
Iowa requires bar exam applicants to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (“MPRE”). You must score 80 or higher on the MPRE in order to pass in Iowa.
Scoring/Grading and Results
In order to pass the Iowa bar exam, you must score at least 266. This equates to 133, based on the MBE’s 200-point scale. The scores of the exam sections are weighted as follows: MPT 20%, MEE 30%, and MBE 50%. Iowa makes bar exam results available approximately six weeks after the exam.
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