Tennessee bar exam results are released by the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners (TBLE) in early-to-mid April for the February administration and in mid-October for the July administration. The board posts a pass list on its website first, then mails an individual score letter to every applicant within a day or two. For the February 2026 exam, the pass list went up by 2:30 p.m. CDT on April 9, 2026, and score letters reached applicants by 4:30 p.m. on April 10, 2026.1Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. Tennessee Board of Law Examiners
When Results Are Released
February test-takers wait roughly eight to nine weeks. July test-takers wait longer, with results landing around mid-October. The board publishes the exact release date and time for each administration on its website ahead of the drop, so check there once you’re inside that window rather than relying on rumors from prior cycles.
How to Check Your Score
Results arrive through two channels. The public one is the Success List, a PDF posted on the TBLE website that contains only the names of applicants who passed.2Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. Tennessee Board of Law Examiners – Success List Open it and search for your name with Ctrl+F. The list does not include numeric scores, and it does not include failing applicants.
The private channel is the score letter mailed to every applicant, pass or fail. That letter carries your total scaled score. Applicants also manage their bar accounts through the TBLE’s Synergy portal at synergy.tnble.com using their existing application credentials.3Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. Synergy Portal
If your name isn’t on the Success List, two things are possible. You may not have reached the passing score, or your result may be held for another reason, such as an unresolved character and fitness matter. Wait for the letter before drawing conclusions.
What Score You Need to Pass
Tennessee administers the Uniform Bar Exam. To pass, you need a total scaled score of at least 270 out of 400.4Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts. Tennessee Adopts Uniform Bar Exam That total combines three components:
- The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), 200 multiple-choice questions, weighted at 50 percent of the total.
- The Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), six essays, weighted at 30 percent.
- The Multistate Performance Test (MPT), two 90-minute practical exercises, weighted at 20 percent.5National Conference of Bar Examiners. The Uniform Bar Examination (UBE)
Among UBE jurisdictions, 270 sits in the middle: some states pass at 260, a few require 280.
Recent Pass Rates
For the July 2025 administration, Tennessee’s overall pass rate was 73 percent. First-time takers passed at 81 percent. Repeat takers passed at 28 percent.6National Conference of Bar Examiners. Bar Exam Results by Jurisdiction The gap between first-time and repeat passers is typical of UBE jurisdictions. The TBLE publishes detailed statistics, including breakdowns by law school, shortly after each administration on its statistics page.
If You Passed
A 270 on your letter is not a license. Three more things stand between you and active practice.
The MPRE
Tennessee requires a scaled score of 82 on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, the separate ethics test administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.7National Conference of Bar Examiners. The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) You can sit for the MPRE before or after the bar exam, but a qualifying score must be on file before the board will issue your Certificate of Eligibility. This requirement comes from Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 7, Section 1.03(d).8Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts. Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 7 – Licensing of Attorneys
Character and Fitness
The NCBE conducts a background investigation on behalf of the TBLE covering criminal history, financial responsibility, academic discipline, and candor.9Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. First Time Applicant – How to Apply This runs alongside your exam preparation in most cases, since it kicks off when you file your bar application. The most common cause of delay is incomplete disclosure, so disclose everything and explain it.
The Oath of Admission
Once the board approves your application, you receive a Temporary Law Certificate. You then have 90 days from the date on that certificate to take the Oath of Admission, either at a scheduled group ceremony at the Tennessee Supreme Court or individually before any authorized judicial official.10Board of Professional Responsibility. Information for New Attorneys You cannot practice in Tennessee until the oath is administered.
If you take the oath by affidavit rather than at a ceremony, send the original signed documents to the Supreme Court Clerk’s office in Nashville within 30 days.11Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts. Tennessee Rule 6 – Admission of Attorneys Once the Clerk processes the paperwork, the Board of Professional Responsibility activates your license.
If You Didn’t Pass
There is no published cap on how many times you can retake the Tennessee bar. If your last Tennessee attempt was within the past three years, you file a Re-Examination Application rather than starting over.12Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. Re-Examination – How to Apply Beyond three years, you go through the first-time process again, including a fresh background investigation. The re-examination fee is $725, the same as a first-time application.
Deadlines are firm. For the February exam, the standard filing deadline is December 1 of the prior year, with a final deadline of December 20. For the July exam, the standard deadline is May 1 and the final deadline is May 20.9Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. First Time Applicant – How to Apply When a deadline falls on a weekend or state holiday, it shifts to the next business day.
Working Under Supervision While You Wait
Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 7, Section 10.04 lets recent graduates practice under supervision before admission. You become eligible once you’ve either submitted your bar application or graduated from law school, whichever comes later, and you must work under a Tennessee-licensed attorney in good standing.8Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts. Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 7 – Licensing of Attorneys
Supervised practice continues through the release of your results. If you pass, it runs until you’re formally admitted. If you don’t pass, you can keep practicing under supervision only if you file a re-examination application within ten days of receiving your results. In every case, supervised practice cannot exceed 16 months from your law school graduation date.
Transferring Your Score to Another State
Because Tennessee uses the UBE, your score is portable. Each receiving jurisdiction sets its own minimum score and its own score-age limit, which runs from two to five years depending on the state.13National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Maximum Score Age You request an official transcript through your NCBE account, which sends it directly to the receiving jurisdiction.14National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Score Portability
A transferred score only clears the exam requirement. You still need to satisfy the receiving state’s character and fitness review, MPRE score, and any other jurisdiction-specific rules. Check whether that state has moved to the NextGen exam, because legacy and NextGen scores use different scales and portability between the two formats is still developing.
A Note on the NextGen Transition
Tennessee is scheduled to adopt the NextGen UBE for its July 2027 administration. Before then, the state will accept transferred NextGen scores starting with the July 2026 cycle and will continue accepting legacy UBE scores earned through February 2028.1Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. Tennessee Board of Law Examiners The NextGen exam is scored on a 500–750 scale rather than the legacy 400-point scale.15National Conference of Bar Examiners. NextGen Bar Exam The Tennessee Supreme Court has committed to setting the NextGen passing score by August 31, 2026. If you sit for the July 2026 Tennessee exam, you’ll still take the legacy UBE and your result will be reported on the 270 scale described above.