To pass the Indiana bar exam, you need a scaled score of at least 264 on the Uniform Bar Exam, which Indiana administers over two days each February and July. Getting licensed takes more than that score: you also need a Juris Doctor from an ABA-approved law school, a passing score on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, a completed character and fitness review, and attendance at the swearing-in ceremony. The Indiana Board of Law Examiners runs the whole process.
Who Can Sit for the Exam
A Juris Doctor from an American Bar Association–approved law school is the baseline requirement.1Indiana Judicial Branch. Eligibility to Sit for the Bar ABA approval alone is not a guarantee, because the Indiana Supreme Court reserves the right to disapprove any specific school.2Indiana Supreme Court. Indiana Rules for Admission to the Bar and the Discipline of Attorneys Rule 13 – Educational Requirements for Admission by Examination
Foreign law graduates can be considered if the Board waives the ABA-school requirement. To be eligible for that waiver, you need a graduate degree from an ABA-approved law school in a program based on American law, and the Board must find you qualified by education or experience.1Indiana Judicial Branch. Eligibility to Sit for the Bar
Every applicant must also pass the MPRE with a scaled score of at least 80. That score has to be earned within two years before or after your Indiana bar exam date. You can take the bar exam without having passed the MPRE yet, but you cannot be formally admitted until you clear it.3Indiana Board of Law Examiners. Indiana Board of Law Examiners – Prior to Admission
Application Deadlines and Fees
Indiana gives the exam twice a year. For 2026, the February exam runs February 24–25 and the July exam runs July 28–29. Deadlines depend on whether you are a first-time taker or a re-examinee, and each cycle has a regular window and a more expensive late window.
First-time applicants:4Indiana Board of Law Examiners. Applying for the Bar Exam
- July exam: file by April 1 ($250) or through April 15 late ($500).
- February exam: file by November 15 of the prior year ($250) or through November 30 late ($500).
Re-examination applicants get slightly later deadlines:5Indiana Supreme Court. Indiana Rules for Admission to the Bar and the Discipline of Attorneys Rule 15 – Applications, Filing Dates and Fees for Examination and Re-Examination
- July re-exam: file by May 30 ($250) or through June 15 late ($500).
- February re-exam: file by December 15 of the prior year ($250) or through December 30 late ($500).
Indiana does not appear to cap the number of times you can retake the exam. If you want to type the written portions, add $110 payable to ILG Technologies for laptop testing; registration instructions come out roughly a month before the exam.6Indiana Board of Law Examiners. Laptop Testing
What the Exam Looks Like
Indiana uses the Uniform Bar Exam.7Indiana Supreme Court. Indiana Rules for Admission to the Bar and the Discipline of Attorneys Rule 17 It has three parts, weighted differently in your final score: the Multistate Bar Examination counts for 50%, the Multistate Essay Examination for 30%, and the Multistate Performance Test for 20%.8National Conference of Bar Examiners. Uniform Bar Examination
Multistate Bar Examination
The MBE is a full day of multiple-choice questions split into two three-hour sessions of 100 questions each. Of the 200 total, 175 are scored and 25 are unscored pretest items mixed in indistinguishably. Scored questions are divided evenly across seven subjects: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.9National Conference of Bar Examiners. Preparing for the MBE
Multistate Essay Examination
The MEE gives you six 30-minute essay questions for a total of three hours. Questions can pull from twelve subject areas: Business Associations, Civil Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Real Property, Secured Transactions, Torts, and Trusts and Estates.10National Conference of Bar Examiners. Multistate Essay Examination Not every subject shows up on a given exam.
Multistate Performance Test
The MPT is two 90-minute tasks simulating real legal work: a memo, a persuasive brief, a client letter, or something similar. Each task comes with a file of facts and a library of legal authorities, so you are analyzing unfamiliar law rather than recalling memorized rules.
Test Day Rules
Security at the testing center is strict. Study materials of any kind are banned, including books, notes, outlines, and anything electronic. Wristwatches are prohibited entirely. Bringing a banned item into the testing area can result in disqualification, and the Board recommends leaving anything not on the allowed-items list in your hotel room or car.11Indiana Board of Law Examiners. Prohibited Items The specific testing location is published on the Board’s website several weeks before the exam.12Indiana Board of Law Examiners. Admissions
Passing Score and Results
You pass with a combined scaled score of at least 264.7Indiana Supreme Court. Indiana Rules for Admission to the Bar and the Discipline of Attorneys Rule 17 That total blends the weighted results of the MBE, MEE, and MPT. Results usually come out one to three months after the exam, accessible through your NCBE account after a transcript services request.
Pass rates move around by administration. For the February 2026 exam, 47% of all takers passed and 53% of first-time takers passed.13Indiana Judicial Branch. Bar Admissions – Results July administrations historically pass at higher rates because the pool skews toward recent graduates sitting for the first time.
Character and Fitness Review
The Board investigates whether you have the honesty and reliability expected of an officer of the court. Applications most often stall here, and the reason is usually incomplete disclosure rather than the underlying facts.
You complete a Character and Fitness Questionnaire through the Board’s portal.14Indiana Board of Law Examiners. All Forms It asks for a chronological list of every residence since age 18 with no gaps, a full employment history with supervisor contacts, and disclosure of any criminal history, civil litigation, or significant financial defaults. Disciplinary actions in undergraduate or graduate school get reported too.15Indiana Board of Law Examiners. Character and Fitness Questionnaire You also need references who can speak to your reputation, along with official transcripts and certificates of graduation, which schools can be slow to produce.
Fingerprints and Background Check
Every applicant submits fingerprints for a criminal history report processed by the Indiana State Police. If the Board does not have your report before the exam date, your application is incomplete and you cannot sit.16Indiana Board of Law Examiners. Bar Examination/UBE Transfer Instructions Processing can take several weeks. Send results directly to the Board’s office in Indianapolis; if they come to you instead, upload a copy and mail the original to the Board.
Character and Fitness Interview
The Board may schedule an interview to clarify anything raised in the background check. These are common and not automatically a sign of trouble. They typically involve a local committee member. Answer any requests for additional information quickly to keep your file moving.
Getting Admitted With a UBE Score From Another State
If you already passed the UBE elsewhere with a 264 or higher, you can apply for Indiana admission without retaking the exam. The score has to be within five years of your application date. You also need an MPRE score of at least 80, membership in good standing wherever you are admitted, a JD from an ABA-accredited school, and a passing character and fitness review. The transfer filing fee is $500.17Indiana Board of Law Examiners. UBE Score Transfers
One requirement catches transfer applicants off guard: within six months of admission by transferred score, you must complete the Indiana Law Course, which covers Indiana-specific law. Miss that window and the Board can recommend that the Supreme Court suspend your license until you finish it.17Indiana Board of Law Examiners. UBE Score Transfers Candidates who sit for the exam in Indiana are not required to take this course.
Swearing-In Ceremony
Passing the exam and clearing character and fitness do not by themselves let you practice. You need to be sworn in. For the February 2026 cycle, the ceremony is scheduled for May 12, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at The Palladium in Carmel, Indiana. Guests are welcome, with seating first-come, first-served.12Indiana Board of Law Examiners. Admissions If you cannot attend in person, you can request a mail admission packet by emailing the Board; it goes out after the ceremony.