Tennessee administers the UNIFORM BAR EXAMINATION in February and July . The UBE consists of two Multistate Practice Tests (MPT), six Multistate Essay Examination questions (MEE) and the Multistate Bar Examination. Information regarding applications and deadlines can be found here. Suggestions for answering essay questions can be found at the end of this page.
No transferred MBE scores: Tennessee does not accept MBE scores transferred from previous Tennessee exams or from another jurisdiction, whether or not concurrent. All applicants sit for the entire examination and only scores earned in a single administration will be considered when seeking admission by examination score.
Bar Examination Schedule
July/Summer 2024 Uniform Bar Examination Dates: Tuesday, July 30, and Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Testing will be conducted in:
- Knoxville at the Knoxville Convention Center
- Memphis at the Great Hall and Conference Center
- Nashville at The Fairgrounds Exposition Center.
Non-Standard Testing may be at other locations. The anticipated date for release of grades is October 11, 2024. Please note that the date for release of grades is subject to change.
February/Winter 2025 Uniform Bar Examination Dates: Tuesday, February 25, and Wednesday, February 26, 2024. Testing will be Nashville only at a location to be announced. Non-Standard Testing may be at other locations.
NEW DEADLINES AND PROCESSES – The Tennessee Supreme Court adopted amendments to Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 7 on October 30, 2023, and approved amendments to the Board Policies and Procedure on January 22, 2024. All of the amendments were effective as of the date of adoption. Rule 7 and the Board Policies cann be found in the menu under Governing Authorities. Please note the following regarding the changes:
- DEADLINES FOR FILING AN APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION BY EXAMINATION HAVE CHANGED. Applicants must meet the new Application Deadline of May 1 for July or December 1 for February (unless the Deadline is a weekend, then the next business day); Applications for admission and for non-standard testing or courtesy accommodations CLOSE on the Application Deadline. See Rule 7, Section 3.03 and Board Policy P-3.03. Complete information and step-by-step instructions are available under Admission by Exam Score – “How to Apply – First Time Application” or “How to Apply – Reexamination.”
- Requests for Non-Standard Testing Accommodations and Courtesy Accommodations: The Synergy Request for Non-Standard Testing Accommodations has been revised and will include Form 1, and a new application, Request for Courtesy Accommodations with Form 1A, will be completed available to applicants when applications open for the examination in Synergy.
- NON-STANDARD TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS POLICY P-3.11 AND RELATED APPENDIX A HAVE BEEN REVISED AND INCLUDE DIFFERENT EVALUATION REPORT AND TESTING REQUIREMENTS, PARTICULARLY IF REQUESTING EXTRA TIME. For more information, go to “Non-Standard Testing Accommodations” under “Admission by Exam Score.”
- THE GENERAL INSTRUCTION MANUAL will be posted to the end of this page on the first business day after exam applications open. For example, the July 2024 General Instruction Manual will be posted to this page on March 1, 2024.
- All applicants, whether first-time or re-exam, MUST read the Manual, then sign and upload the Acknowledgment of Receipt of the General Instruction Manual by the FINAL DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS (Dec 20 or May 20) in order to sit for the examination.
- Applicants who fail to upload the signed Acknowledgment by the Final Deadline will not be eligible to sit for the examination.
- The General Instruction Manual is specific to each exam. Applicants must read the Manual for each exam period and upload the signed Acknowledgment form for the current exam.
- The ACKNOWLEDGMENT FORM FOR THE CURRENT EXAM IN FILLABLE .PDF IS POSTED TO THE END OF THIS PAGE. You will also find it in exam forms.
For elements of a complete application, click the following link for the application instructions: How to Apply – first time exam or re-examination. Checklists are available in the “main site menu “Tennessee Board of Law Examiners Index” on each page and in Forms.
Applicants are responsible for having read Tennessee Supreme Court Rules 7, 8, and 9, as well as the information on this website and Board Policies and Procedures, which are found under the Governing Authorities tab. Most questions can be answered by reading this material.
Applicants completing the bar examination will receive information for access to the Tennessee Law Course which must be completed, in addition to completion of the character and fitness investigation, in order to be eligible for admission.
Character and Fitness in-person interviews are required of applicants for admission by examination, re-examination and transferred UBE score who are not licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants for admission by exam, re-examination, transferred UBE score, comity or military spouse rules who are licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction may be required by the Board to appear for an in-person interview and will receive notice from the Board. Interviews are conducted in mid-August, September and March by members of the Tennessee bar appointed by the Supreme Court.