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South Dakota Bar Exam Format
The South Dakota Bar Exam is administered over two days.
Day 1
The written portion of the exam is administered on the first day of the South Dakota bar exam. The written portion of the bar exam consists of the Multistate Essay Exam (“MEE”), an Indian law question, and the Multistate Performance Test (“MPT”). You will have three hours to answer the five MEE questions and one Indian law question. You will have three hours to answer two MPT questions.
Day 2
The Multistate Bar Exam (“MBE”) is administered on the second day of the South Dakota 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.
South Dakota Bar Exam Format Video
Useful Links
- South Dakota Bar Review Course – AmeriBar has been helping students pass the South Dakota bar exam for over 15 years.
- SouthDakotaBarExam.com – Detailed Information and resources for South Dakota bar exam takers.
- MBEQuestionBank.com – Online question bank with over 2500 simulated MBE questions.
Reciprocity
The State of South Dakota permits South Dakota bar exam reciprocity. A person may qualify for admission to the South Dakota Bar without examination if the person fulfills several requirements, some of which include providing evidence:
- of graduation from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association;
- that for the past five years they have practiced law in specified capacity; and
- of certification of admission to practice law in another jurisdiction.
South Dakota 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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South Dakota Bar Admissions
500 E. Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501
South Dakota MPRE Score Requirement
South Dakota requires bar exam applicants to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (“MPRE”). You must score 85 or higher on the MPRE in order to pass in South Dakota.
Scoring/Grading and Results
In order to pass the South Dakota bar exam, you must score 130 on the MBE’s 200-point scale. The scores of the exam sections are weighted as follows: the written portion 50% and MBE 50%. South Dakota makes bar exam results available approximately 8 to 10 weeks after the exam.
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