The Illinois MPRE passing score is a scaled 80. You don’t have to clear that number before sitting for the Illinois bar exam, but the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar will not recommend you for a law license until a passing MPRE score is on file.1Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. Information For Bar Exam Applicants – Section: Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)
How 80 Compares Nationally
MPRE cutoffs range from 75 to 86 across U.S. jurisdictions. Illinois sits in the middle with about 20 other jurisdictions at 80, including Florida, Connecticut, Indiana, and Kentucky. New York, Texas, and California require 85 or 86. Alabama, Georgia, and Pennsylvania accept a 75.2National Conference of Bar Examiners. MPRE Scores
If you might apply for admission in a stricter jurisdiction later, a score of exactly 80 will get you into Illinois but not into a state at 85. Aiming above the highest cutoff you might need saves you from a second sitting.
Getting Your Score to the Illinois Board
Scores post to your NCBE account roughly five weeks after the exam.3National Conference of Bar Examiners. When Will MPRE Scores Be Released During registration you can select the jurisdictions that should receive your score automatically. If you didn’t pick Illinois then, you can request a score report later through your NCBE account for $30 per jurisdiction, and NCBE sends it the next business day after the request.4National Conference of Bar Examiners. FAQs About Bar Admissions – Section: How Do I Send My Score to Another Jurisdiction
Transferring in a Uniform Bar Examination score under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 704A doesn’t change this step. You still need a passing MPRE score of 80 or above on file with the Board, sent through the same NCBE score report process.5Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. Rule 704A Instructions
How Long an MPRE Score Stays Valid in Illinois
You need a valid passing score at the time the Board recommends you for admission.1Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. Information For Bar Exam Applicants – Section: Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) Illinois Supreme Court Rule 704 sets the bar examination score validity at four years from the exam date, but the specific validity window for MPRE scores is governed separately. Confirm the current MPRE validity period directly with the Illinois Board before assuming an older score still counts; if it has lapsed, you’ll have to retest before you can be sworn in.
If You Score Below 80
There’s no cap on retakes. Register and pay again for the next administration. The NCBE imposes no waiting period beyond the natural gap between the three annual test windows, so the fastest turnaround between sittings is roughly four months.
Most retakers pass on their second try. Focused review of the areas that carry the most weight on the exam, particularly conflicts of interest and the client-lawyer relationship, tends to move scores meaningfully between sittings.
2026 Test Dates, Fee, and Registration
The MPRE is offered three times a year at Pearson VUE testing centers. Registration for all 2026 dates opens December 16, 2025. The exam fee is $185, paid to Pearson VUE when you schedule your appointment.6National Conference of Bar Examiners. 2026 MPRE Dates and Deadlines
- March 24–25, 2026, with a registration deadline of January 22, 2026
- August 11–12, 2026, with a registration deadline of June 11, 2026
- November 12–13, 2026, with a registration deadline of September 17, 2026
Register well before the deadline. Popular test centers fill first, and late registration narrows your choice of locations and time slots.7National Conference of Bar Examiners. Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination
Because scores take about five weeks to release, working backward from your intended Illinois admission date is the safest way to pick a sitting. A November exam, for example, produces a score in mid-December, leaving room to retake in March if you fall short.