Bar Exam Resources Guide

This Guide was created to assist W&L law students in preparing for the bar exam.

Helpful Information

Contact us!

For additional information on print and electronic resources available to you and the information on this Guide, please contact a librarian at LawRef@wlu.edu

For additional information on W&L bar courses, the bar exam components, studying assistance and tips, creating a bar exam study schedule, etc., please contact Prof. Leila Lawlor at llawlor@wlu.edu

For questions regarding the bar exam application process or materials, please contact Dean Maria Saez Tatman at msaeztatman@wlu.edu

Looking for a Notary?

In the Law School:

Sue Coffey, Lewis Hall 233A (540-458-8981 or CoffeyS@wlu.edu)

Brittany Fix, Lewis Hall 348 (540-458-8550 or BFix@wlu.edu)

Victoria Johnston, Lewis Hall 348 (540-458-8544 or VJohnston@wlu.edu)

Brianne Kleinert, Lewis Hall 245 (540-458-8567 or KleinertB@wlu.edu)

Emma Martone, Lewis Hall 324 (540-458-8541 or EMartone@wlu.edu)

Sheryl Salm, Lewis Hall 105 (540-458-8482 or SalmS@wlu.edu)

Milea Webb, Lewis Hall 322 (540-458-8584 or MWebb@wlu.edu)

Other Notaries on W&L's campus are listed online

One common element of the bar exam from jurisdiction to jurisdiction is the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). The MBE is administered in every jurisdiction except Louisiana and Puerto Rico.

Content and Scoring of the Exam

The MBE consists of 200 multiple-choice questions administered during two three-hour examination periods on the last Wednesday in February and the last Wednesday in July each year. For the MBE's scope of coverage, see the MBE Subject Matter Outline

Additional details regarding the structure of the exam and tested subjects are available on the NCBE’s MBE Preparation page

According to the NCBE, “[t]he 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.”

Study Resources for the MBE

The Law Library contains a special Bar Success Collection of resources to help you prepare for the bar exam. This collection is located in the Main Reading Room on Level 3A.

The Library also has eBook collections that can assist you in studying: 

Below is a sampling of the print and electronic resources available from the Law Library: 

If you’re looking to purchase additional resources yourself:

  • The NCBE provides you with some sample test questions online. 
  • When you register for a Bar Review course they will provide you with multiple simulated MBE exams.
  • The NCBE has a list of MBE study aids in their online store

Jurisdictions Administering the MBE

(last updated Feb. 22, 2024)