To become a licensed attorney in Illinois, you have to meet the Illinois bar exam requirements set by the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar under the Illinois Supreme Court: a Juris Doctor from an ABA-approved law school, a passing score on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, a combined scaled score of at least 266 out of 400 on the Uniform Bar Examination, a completed character and fitness investigation, and the oath administered at a swearing-in ceremony. The exam is given twice a year, in February and July.
Who Qualifies to Sit for the Exam
Your law degree has to come from a school that held American Bar Association approval at the time you graduated. If your school lacked ABA accreditation when you finished, you are not eligible for admission in Illinois. Graduates of foreign law schools are handled under a separate set of Supreme Court rules.
You also need a scaled score of at least 80 on the MPRE, the national ethics exam offered three times a year, typically in March, August, and November. You do not have to have the MPRE score before sitting for the bar exam itself, but the Board will not certify you for admission without it.
How to Apply and What It Costs
Applications go through the Board’s electronic portal, where you create an account, upload transcripts and supporting documents, and pay your fees. The portal is also where the Board sends messages about missing items or follow-up requests.
Filing fees rise the longer you wait. Under Rule 706, the schedule effective January 1, 2026, sets three tiers for each administration.
For the February bar exam:
- $650 by the September 15 regular deadline
- $925 after September 15 but by the November 1 late deadline
- $1,325 after November 1 but by the November 30 final deadline
For the July bar exam:
- $650 by the February 15 regular deadline
- $925 after February 15 but by the April 1 late deadline
- $1,325 after April 1 but by the April 30 final deadline
The Board will not consider any application filed after the final deadline. There are no exceptions or extensions.1Illinois Courts. Rule 706 – Filing Deadlines and Fees of Registrants and Applicants
If you want to type your written answers rather than handwrite them, register separately for the laptop program and pay a $135 fee. Illinois contracts with ILG Technologies, and examinees use the ILG Exam 360 software. Budget for this on top of your filing fee.2Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. July 2026 Laptop Program
Character and Fitness Investigation
Every applicant submits a detailed Character and Fitness Questionnaire, and the questionnaire reaches well beyond criminal history. You must disclose academic misconduct going back to age 13, employment terminations or disciplinary actions, bankruptcies, debts over $500 that are more than two months past due, tax filing issues, and civil lawsuits. Criminal questions cover the past 25 years and include arrests, citations, and traffic offenses where you forfeited collateral.3Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. Character and Fitness Questionnaire
The questionnaire explicitly states that no expungement order, sealed record, or attorney’s advice excuses you from full disclosure. Sealed and expunged records still must be reported. The Board’s position is that hiding a minor issue is more damaging than the issue itself, and applicants who omit something they thought trivial can face delays or denial.
Under Rule 708, the Committee on Character and Fitness weighs whether your record shows the honesty, trustworthiness, diligence, and reliability required to practice law. Some applicants have to receive character and fitness certification before they can even sit for the exam. That group includes anyone convicted of a felony, anyone with pending felony charges, anyone previously rejected in another state on character grounds, and any attorney disciplined in another jurisdiction.4Supreme Court of the State of Illinois. Rule 704 – Qualification on Examination You remain under a continuing duty to update the Board with new information until the moment you are admitted.
What the Exam Covers
Illinois administers the Uniform Bar Examination, a two-day test accepted in more than 40 jurisdictions. Day one is written; day two is entirely multiple choice. The three components carry different weights.
Multistate Bar Examination
The MBE fills day two with 200 multiple-choice questions across two three-hour sessions of 100 questions each. Subjects covered are civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law and procedure, evidence, real property, and torts. It is the heaviest single component at 50% of your total score.5National Conference of Bar Examiners. Preparing for the MBE
Multistate Essay Examination
The MEE presents six essays, 30 minutes each, drawing from subjects including civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, evidence, real property, torts, and business associations. Starting with the July 2026 administration, four subjects are being removed from the MEE: conflict of laws, family law, trusts and estates, and secured transactions.6National Conference of Bar Examiners. MEE Preparation The MEE is worth 30% of your total score.
Multistate Performance Test
The MPT is two 90-minute tasks that simulate real lawyering work. You receive a file of case materials and a library of legal authorities, along with a supervising attorney’s memo telling you what to draft, whether a persuasive brief, a client letter, a contract provision, or an objective memorandum. Everything you need is in the packet; no outside legal knowledge is required. The MPT is worth 20% of your score.7National Conference of Bar Examiners. MPT Bar Exam – Multistate Performance Test
Passing Score and Retakes
You need a combined scaled score of at least 266 on the 400-point scale. Illinois uses compensatory scoring, so there is no minimum on any individual component: a strong MBE can offset weaker essays, and the reverse.8Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. Understanding Your Examination Score
You cannot pass in parts. A 133 on the MBE does not mean you cleared half the exam and only have the writing sections left. You either reach 266 overall or you retake the entire exam. There is no cap on the number of attempts, but each one requires a new application and the full filing fee.
Testing Accommodations
If you have a disability covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, you can request nonstandard testing accommodations. The deadline matches the final late filing deadline: April 30 for the July exam and November 30 for the February exam. Your completed forms and supporting medical or psychological documentation must arrive by that date, with no exceptions. The Board asks for detailed diagnostic information from your treating provider and a record of the specific accommodations you have received from schools, testing organizations, or employers.9Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. Nonstandard Testing Accommodation
A separate track called Administrative Accommodations covers health-related needs that do not change the standard testing format. Those deadlines are earlier: January 15 for the February exam and June 15 for the July exam.
After You Pass
Passing the exam does not admit you. The Board separately certifies you to the Illinois Supreme Court after confirming you have cleared the character and fitness investigation and met every other requirement, including the MPRE. The Clerk of the Supreme Court then notifies you of certification by email.10Illinois Courts. Bar Admission Ceremonies
The swearing-in ceremony is your first official court appearance. A Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court administers the oath, and you sign it. Business attire is mandatory, and the Court has turned people away for failing to dress appropriately. In some judicial districts, attendance is required unless you obtain advance permission to be excused. Candidates certified after the ceremony cutoff receive separate instructions for taking the oath at a later date.
Transferring a UBE Score From Another State
Because Illinois uses the UBE, you can transfer a qualifying score earned in another UBE jurisdiction instead of sitting for the exam again. The score must be at least 266, and you must file the transfer application within four years of the date the score was earned. The Board treats a score as earned on the last day of the month of that administration, so a July 2024 score is earned on July 31, 2024. The transfer application fee is $1,500 and is nonrefundable even if you withdraw.11Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. Rule 704A Admission By UBE Transfer You still have to meet the Illinois MPRE requirement and clear the character and fitness investigation.12Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. General Information for Admission by Transferred Uniform Bar Examination Score under Rule 704A
What Changes in 2028
Illinois has announced it will adopt the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination starting in 2028, replacing the current UBE format in use since 2019. The NextGen exam runs one and a half days rather than two, with six hours of testing on day one and three hours on day two, and it shifts the focus away from memorizing legal doctrines toward foundational lawyering skills like legal research, client counseling, investigation, and legal writing.13National Conference of Bar Examiners. Illinois to Administer NextGen Bar Exam in 2028
If you are sitting in 2026 or 2027, you will still take the current UBE. Some subject-matter changes are already in effect: starting with the July 2026 MEE, family law and trusts and estates will no longer appear as standalone essay topics and will instead show up in performance tasks with provided legal resources. Anyone planning to sit in 2028 or later should expect a preparation approach that looks substantially different from what current test-takers use.