Georgia Bar Exam

Georgia Bar Examiners

Office of Bar Admissions
244 Washington Street, SW
Suite 440
Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-3490

Bar Exam Format

The Georgia bar exam consists of three parts: (1) the Multistate Performance Test (“MPT”) prepared by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (“NCBE”) but graded by the Georgia Board of Bar Examiners, (2) essay questions prepared and graded by the Board of Bar Examiners, and (3) the Multistate Bar Exam (“MBE”) prepared and graded by the NCBE.

Day 1

The morning session of the first day of the Georgia bar exam is from 9:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M., and the afternoon session is from 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. During the morning session, the Board of Bar Examiners administers the two MPT Items. There is no break between the items, and you can manage your own time within each testing session. However, the Board estimates using 90 minutes on each of the two items.
During the afternoon session, the Board of Bar Examiners administers four essay questions. Again, there is no break between the essays, and you can manage your own time. However, the Board estimates using 45 minutes on each of the four essays.

Day 2

The morning session of the second day of the Georgia bar exam is from 9:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M., and the afternoon session is from 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. During each of these three-hour sessions, you will answer 100 multiple choice questions on the MBE.

Reciprocity

Reciprocity may be available to any attorney licensed in a United States jurisdiction other than Georgia if the Georgia Board of Bar Examiners finds that the attorney satisfies the admission eligibility requirements. Admission may be made on motion without examination if the attorney is certified for fitness and satisfies other eligibility requirements provided in Part C, Section 2, of the Rules Governing Admission to the Practice of Law in Georgia.

Subjects/Topics

The Georgia bar exam subjects or topics that may be tested on the essay portion of the exam include:

  • Business Organizations;
  • Constitutional Law;
  • Contracts;
  • Criminal Law and Procedure;
  • Evidence;
  • Family Law;
  • Federal Practice and Procedure;
  • Georgia Practice and Procedure;
  • Non-Monetary Remedies;
  • Professional Ethics;
  • Property;
  • Torts;
  • Trusts, Wills and Estates; and
  • Uniform Commercial Code (Articles 2, 3 & 9).

Bar Exam Dates

The Georgia bar exam is held in February and July. The exam is usually on the last Wednesday and prior Tuesday of each month.

2024

  • February 27-28, 2024
  • July 30-31, 2024

Exam Results

The Georgia Board of Bar Examiners individually notifies you whether you passed the bar exam. Notification of bar exam results is made as promptly as possible. The results of the Georgia bar exam results are generally released in late May for the February bar exam, or late October for the July bar exam. A list of applicants who passed the Georgia bar exam is also posted on the Office of Bar Admissions’ website.

Scoring/Grading

A scaled score of at least 270 on a 400 point scale must be achieved to pass the Georgia bar exam. To obtain this score, raw scores are converted to scaled scores, and then combined.

Pass Rate/Stats

The Georgia bar exam pass rate changes with each administration. The overall pass rate ranges anywhere from 60% to 85%. The pass rate for first-time takers also varies but ranges from approximately 75% to 90%. The repeater pass rate is significantly lower. It ranges from approximately 30% to 45%.