Wisconsin bar exam information

What is the Wisconsin bar exam?

The Wisconsin bar exam assesses whether an examinee is competent to practice law in the State of Wisconsin. Passing the bar exam is an essential step in becoming a lawyer in Wisconsin. Examinees are tested on a variety of legal subjects. Bar exam scores are scaled, meaning that scores are adjusted to reflect the relative difficulty of a particular exam. These adjustments ensure that no examinee is unfairly penalized or rewarded for taking a more or less difficult exam.

Studying for the Wisconsin bar exam is a full-time job that requires discipline, determination, and—for most people—a formal course structure. The Quimbee Bar Review course is expertly designed to help you supplement your preparation for the Wisconsin bar examination in the most efficient and effective way possible. Our bar review course includes 1,400+ real practice questions from past bar exams, detailed answer explanations, and comprehensive outlines of MBE subjects.

Read on to learn more about the Wisconsin bar exam.

What is the Wisconsin bar exam format?

The Wisconsin bar exam consists of the MBE, the MEE, and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT).

Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)

The MBE is a six-hour, 200-question multiple-choice examination developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and administered by participating jurisdictions, including Wisconsin, on the last Wednesday in February and the last Wednesday in July of each year.

According to the NCBE, the purpose of the MBE is to assess the extent to which an examinee can apply fundamental legal principles and legal reasoning to analyze given fact patterns.

The MBE is divided into morning and afternoon testing sessions of three hours each, with 100 questions in each session. There are no scheduled breaks during either the morning or afternoon session, though test taskers typically may be excused from the exam room during the test. Be sure to check with your jurisdiction, however, as the rules regarding leaving the exam room may vary.

Of the 200 questions on the MBE, 175 questions are scored. The remaining unscored 25 questions are used by the NCBE to test potential future questions. The scored questions are distributed evenly, with 25 questions from each tested subject area. The Wisconsin bar exam subjects include civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law and procedure, evidence, real property, and torts. The MBE counts for 50 percent of the total Wisconsin bar exam score.

Multistate Essay Examination (MEE)

The MEE consists of six 30-minute issue-spotter questions. The MEE is administered on the Tuesday before the last Wednesday in February and July of each year.

Subjects that may be tested on the MEE include business associations, civil procedure, conflict of laws, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law and procedure, evidence, family law, real property, torts, trusts and estates, and Article 9 (secured transactions) of the Uniform Commercial Code. The weight of the MEE may vary by administration.

Multistate Performance Test (MPT)

The MPT is the third component of the Wisconsin bar exam. The MPT is not a test of substantive knowledge. The MPT consists of two 90-minute problems designed to mimic real-world tasks that a new attorney might be assigned.

The materials for each MPT include a file and a library. The file consists of the facts of a fictitious case and includes legal documents related to the case. The library contains statutes, cases, and other forms of rules. The file and library will include both relevant and irrelevant information; it’s up to you to figure out what you’ll need to complete your task. The examinee’s task will be outlined in a memorandum contained in the file. The weight of the MPT may vary by administration.

Jurisdiction-Specific Component

The Wisconsin bar exam may also include questions prepared by the Wisconsin Board of Bar
Examiners. For more information on this component, please see the Wisconsin Court Systems' website.

Wisconsin bar exam information

Below is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that provides helpful information to Wisconsin bar examinees.

What are the Wisconsin bar exam dates?

The Wisconsin bar exam is offered twice a year on the last consecutive Tuesday and Wednesday in February and July. The Wisconsin bar exam is typically administered in Middleton.

When do I need to register for the Wisconsin bar exam?

The regular deadline for the February 2025 exam is December 1, 2024. The regular deadline for registering for the July 2025 bar exam in Wisconsin is May 1, 2025. For the latest deadline updates, please see the Wisconsin Court Systems' website.

What are the fees for the Wisconsin bar exam?

The regular application fee for the Wisconsin bar exam is $450. For more details on fees, visit the Wisconsin Court Systems' website.

When will I receive my Wisconsin bar exam results?

Wisconsin bar exam results are released approximately six weeks after the administration of the exam. Results are mailed directly to examinees and are not posted publicly.

What is the statewide pass rate for all exam takers in Wisconsin?

36% (February 2024)

Please note that this is not the pass rate for Quimbee Bar Review, but rather the average for all people who took the bar exam in Wisconsin. To see Quimbee Bar Review's pass rates, please go here.

What is the Wisconsin bar exam contact information?

The Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners is the organization responsible for overseeing admission to the bar in Wisconsin. It is through this board that you will register for the bar exam, receive exam information, and obtain your score.

Address:
Board of Bar Examiners
110 East Main Street, Suite 715
P.O. Box 2748
Madison, WI 53701-2748

Phone: (608) 266-9760

Website: https://www.wicourts.gov/services/attorney/bar.htm

How do I get Wisconsin bar exam news?

News and information about the Wisconsin bar exam can be found on the Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners' website.

What is the best Wisconsin bar exam prep course?

Quimbee does not provide state-specific coverage for the Wisconsin bar exam, but you can use Quimbee Bar Review to supplement your prep. All of the course material for Quimbee Bar Review is available from your computer.

Wisconsin Bar Practice Tests

Quimbee’s course offers several full-length practice MBEs and thousands of MBE practice questions—many licensed directly from the NCBE. Quimbee’s practice MPTs are also real, licensed tests from past bar exams. You’ll also get personalized feedback from a dedicated attorney grader on your practice essays for the MEE, so you can check your understanding, learn what you need to work on, and feel confident that you’re ready by test day.

Wisconsin Bar Study Guide

With Quimbee, you’ll watch Quimbee's beautifully designed video lessons, practice multiple-choice questions to test what you've learned, and read through Quimbee's expert-written outlines. And true understanding isn’t just answering a question correctly. You need to know why you got a question right or why you got a question wrong. Quimbee provides you with detailed explanations for every practice question so that you can understand the difference between the correct and incorrect answers.

Quimbee’s outlines provide comprehensive coverage of all MBE and MEE subjects. Quimbee Outlines are written by experts and are perfectly tailored to the NCBE’s subject-matter outlines, so you can be confident you’re studying only the material that’s tested on the bar exam.

So, if you’re wondering how to pass the Wisconsin bar exam, check out Quimbee Bar Review, and you’ll see why Quimbee is the best supplemental course available.