Texas Bar Exam Passing Score: 270, MPRE, and Texas Law

The Texas bar exam passing score is 270 out of 400 on the Uniform Bar Exam. That single number, weighted across three components, is what the Texas Board of Law Examiners uses to decide whether you’ve cleared the exam itself. Clearing it isn’t the same as getting licensed: Texas also requires a passing MPRE score, completion of the Texas Law Component, and a character and fitness clearance before a license issues.¹

What the 270 Actually Measures

The 270 is an aggregate score, not a floor on any one section. A strong performance on the multiple-choice portion can offset a weaker essay showing, and vice versa, as long as the combined total lands at 270 or above.¹

The three components are weighted like this:

The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) counts for 50%. It’s 200 multiple-choice questions across seven subjects, given over a full day.
The Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) counts for 30%. Six 30-minute essays, graded by Texas graders and then statistically scaled onto the same 200-point framework as the MBE.
The Multistate Performance Test (MPT) counts for 20%. Two 90-minute practical tasks worked from a case file, such as drafting a memo or a client letter.

Raw scores don’t map straight onto the final number. MBE raw scores go through an equating process that adjusts for how a given exam compared in difficulty to prior administrations, and essay raw scores are scaled by a standard deviation method that aligns them with MBE performance.¹ The three weighted, scaled scores are added and rounded to a whole number. That’s your UBE score.

Among UBE states, 270 is on the higher end. New York, Illinois, and New Jersey sit at 266 or lower. Colorado, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Pennsylvania match Texas at 270, and no UBE jurisdiction currently requires more.²

The MPRE Score You Also Need

Texas requires a scaled score of at least 85 on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, a separate 60-question test on legal ethics.³ The MPRE is offered in March, August, and November, and you can sit for it before, during, or after law school.

A passing MPRE score is valid for five years from the test date.⁴ If more than five years pass between your MPRE and your bar application, you’ll need to take it again.

The Texas Law Component

The UBE tests general legal principles, not Texas-specific law, so the Board layers on its own requirement. The Texas Law Component is roughly 12 hours of video presentations from Texas attorneys on state-specific topics.⁵

After each segment you answer “hurdle questions” that confirm you were paying attention. The Board describes these as testing minimal comprehension rather than mastery. You need to answer most of them correctly to move to the next segment. The course runs free through TexasBarCLE, and there’s no separate sit-down exam and no formal percentage cutoff.⁵

Character and Fitness

Every applicant goes through a character and fitness investigation, and the Board won’t make a licensing determination until it’s complete. The review covers criminal history, employment and academic records, financial responsibility, and any prior professional discipline.⁶

The process starts in law school. First-semester students file an initial Declaration by deadlines set in the admissions rules, and late filing triggers additional fees. Applicants with a felony record should read Rule 4(d) closely, and anyone previously disciplined for professional misconduct in any jurisdiction may be barred from filing at all under Rule 4(e).⁶

One point worth flagging: the Board can access a wider range of criminal history data than the standard Texas DPS public database shows. Records that don’t appear in a public search may still need to be disclosed. Omitting something the Board later finds on its own tends to create a bigger problem than the underlying incident.

If You Score Below 270

Texas doesn’t cap the number of times you can sit for the bar. If you fall short of 270, you can reapply for the next administration through the ATLAS portal.⁵ There’s no waiting period beyond the natural gap between February and July, and no additional coursework required before a retake.

Repeat takers pay $545 per attempt.⁷ Each attempt produces a fresh UBE score; old scores don’t carry over or average with new ones.

Transferring a Score Into or Out of Texas

UBE scores travel. A 270 earned in Texas can be transferred to any other UBE jurisdiction that accepts 270 or lower, which right now is all of them, though each state adds its own state-specific coursework and character requirements.⁸²

For scores coming into Texas, the Board accepts UBE results of 270 or higher earned within the five years immediately before the transfer application. Scores older than five years can’t be transferred.⁹ Other states set their own validity windows, so if you’re transferring out, check the receiving jurisdiction’s rule before you assume the score is still live.

The NextGen Bar Exam Is Coming

Texas has announced it will move to the NextGen bar exam starting in July 2028. NextGen is a redesigned version of the UBE from the National Conference of Bar Examiners, with changes to format and tested competencies. If you’re sitting before that transition, the current UBE format and the 270 passing score apply. If your timeline reaches 2028 or later, watch the Board’s announcements for the updated scoring rules.

1
Texas Board of Law Examiners. Scoring and Weighting the Texas Bar Exam
2
National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Minimum Scores
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National Conference of Bar Examiners. Texas
4
Supreme Court of Texas. Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas – Rule V
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Texas Board of Law Examiners. Frequently Asked Questions
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Texas Board of Law Examiners. Character and Fitness
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National Conference of Bar Examiners. Texas – Bar Examination Fees
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National Conference of Bar Examiners. UBE Score Portability
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Texas Board of Law Examiners. UBE Transfer Information