Connecticut Bar Exam: Eligibility, 2026 Format, and Fees

The Connecticut bar exam changes format in July 2026, when the state moves from the legacy Uniform Bar Examination to the NextGen UBE. The new passing score is 616 on a 500–750 scale, replacing the old 266 on a 400-point scale. To sit for it, you need an ABA-approved law degree, a satisfied professional responsibility requirement, a clean character and fitness review, and an application filed through the Bar Examining Committee’s portal by the posted deadline.

Who Can Sit for the Exam

Connecticut Practice Book Section 2-8 sets the baseline. You need a Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws from an ABA-approved law school, you must be at least 18, a U.S. citizen or lawful resident, and of good moral character.¹

You also have to clear the professional responsibility requirement one of two ways: score at least 80 on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, or earn a C or better (or a “Pass”) in a law school course on professional responsibility or legal ethics.² If you go the MPRE route, the score must be no more than four years old when you apply.³

Foreign-educated applicants have an extra layer. You must petition the Bar Examining Committee for a determination on your foreign education, pay a nonrefundable $500 filing fee, and show that your legal education is substantially equivalent to a U.S. program. On top of that, you need an LL.M. of at least 24 credit hours from an ABA-approved or Committee-approved school, with coursework in professional responsibility, legal research and writing, American legal studies, and bar-tested subjects.⁴ The petition deadline is April 1 for the July exam and November 1 for February.

What the Exam Looks Like in 2026

Connecticut is in the first wave of jurisdictions administering the NextGen UBE starting July 2026.⁵ The old three-part structure (MBE, MEE, MPT) is gone. In its place is an integrated exam that mixes question types within each session.

The test runs a day and a half, split into three sections of three hours each. Within each section you’ll see standalone multiple-choice questions, integrated sets that combine multiple-choice and short written answers around one legal scenario, and longer performance tasks that ask you to analyze given materials and draft a work product.⁶

Eight subjects form the core: civil procedure, contract law, evidence, torts, business associations, constitutional law, criminal law, and real property.⁷ Other areas, including family law and trusts and estates, may appear through February 2028 as context for skills questions, but the exam will supply the governing rules for those, so you aren’t expected to memorize them.

Scoring weight breaks down this way: standalone multiple-choice counts for 49% of your score, integrated question sets for 21%, and performance tasks for 30%.⁸ Written responses are scored by Connecticut-appointed graders using NCBE rubrics, and NCBE handles the final equating.

How to Apply and What It Costs

Applications go through the Bar Examining Committee’s electronic filing portal. The fee is $900 if you file by the first deadline and $1,000 if you file during the late period.³ For the July 2026 exam, the first deadline is March 31 and the final deadline is April 30. For February, the dates are October 31 and November 30. You pay by credit card when you submit.

The application asks for a lot. You’ll need official transcripts sent directly from your law school, a complete driving history from every state where you’ve held a license, and detailed employment records. The character and fitness side goes further: criminal history with supporting court documents, financial issues, references who can speak to your honesty, and a current credit report so your disclosures line up with official records.

After you submit online, mail a signed and notarized acknowledgment page to the Committee’s Hartford office. The Committee confirms receipt by email, and the character and fitness investigation begins from there. It can include an in-person interview with a local bar member.

Testing Accommodations

If you need nonstandard testing conditions, your petition and all supporting documentation must be filed by the close of the general application period: November 30 for February, April 30 for July.⁹ If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, you have through the next business day.

There is no late filing. The Committee administratively rejects petitions that arrive after the deadline, so treat the date as fixed and schedule any medical evaluations well in advance.

Passing Score and Getting Your Results

The NextGen UBE reports one score on a 500–750 scale, and Connecticut’s passing line is 616.³ If you sat for the legacy UBE before the transition, the old 266 on a 400-point scale still applies to that score.¹⁰

The Committee does not publish a fixed release date for July results, but they historically come out in the fall. Successful candidates receive notice along with instructions for the next steps toward admission.

Transferring a Score From Another State

Connecticut accepts both legacy UBE scores (minimum 266) and NextGen UBE scores (minimum 616) earned in any UBE jurisdiction, as long as the score is no more than five years old when you apply.¹¹ A transferred score doesn’t skip the rest of the process: you still file the full application, pass character and fitness, and satisfy the professional responsibility requirement.

If You Don’t Pass

Connecticut doesn’t cap the number of attempts outright, but there is a catch. After four unsuccessful attempts, you can only sit for the February administration. The July window closes to you, which slows down the retake cycle considerably if you haven’t passed early.

After You Pass: Swearing In and the Annual Tax

Passing doesn’t make you an attorney. You attend a formal swearing-in ceremony at the Supreme Court Building, with a valid government-issued photo ID, arriving about 45 minutes early for mandatory registration. Seating is limited to two guests.¹² If you can’t attend, your invitation letter explains how to request an excuse and arrange an alternate date.

Don’t let it slide. Your recommendation for admission is good for only 180 days. Miss that window and the Bar Examining Committee has to re-certify you before you can be sworn in.¹²

Once admitted, Connecticut imposes an annual occupational tax of $565, due to the Commissioner of Revenue Services by January 15 each year.¹³ It applies to anyone engaged in the practice of law in the state. Newly admitted attorneys do not have to complete continuing legal education credits in their year of admission.

Skipping the Exam: Admission on Motion

Experienced attorneys already licensed elsewhere can apply for admission on motion under Practice Book Section 2-13. You must have actively practiced law as your primary livelihood for at least five of the past ten years, hold a J.D. from an ABA-approved school, and be in good standing in every jurisdiction where you’re admitted.²

Reciprocity matters here. At least one jurisdiction where you’re admitted must also allow Connecticut attorneys to transfer in without an exam. The professional responsibility requirement still applies (MPRE score of 80 or a passing grade in a law school ethics course). And if you failed the Connecticut bar exam within the past five years, this route is closed to you.²

1
Judicial Branch of the State of Connecticut. Connecticut Practice Book
2
Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Admission Without Examination
3
Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Bar Exam Page
4
Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Determination on Foreign Education
5
Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Connecticut Bar Examining Committee Home
6
National Conference of Bar Examiners. NextGen Bar Exam
7
National Conference of Bar Examiners. NextGen Uniform Bar Exam Fact Sheet
8
National Conference of Bar Examiners. NextGen UBE Scores and Score Portability
9
Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Petition for Non-Standard Testing Conditions
10
Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Admission by UBE Score Transfer
11
National Conference of Bar Examiners. Connecticut Jurisdiction Page
12
Connecticut Bar Examining Committee. Admission Ceremonies FAQs
13
Justia. Connecticut Code 51-81b – Occupational Tax on Attorneys