The North Dakota Bar Exam is taken by law graduates who want to be admitted to practice in North Dakota. This page collects our free practice sets by subject area, shows worked explanations for sample questions, and summarizes the fees, deadlines and passing scores published by the North Dakota State Board of Law Examiners.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Time limit (Legacy UBE (through February 2027)) | Two days, four 3-hour sessions (12 hours)[1] | North Dakota State Board of Law Examiners · Oct 21, 2026 |
| Passing score | UBE 260; NextGen UBE 610; MPRE 85[2] | ncbex.org · Oct 21, 2026 |
| Exam fee | $200 exam fee to the Board (+$400 for applicants without a prior ND law student registration; NCBE character and fitness fee is separate)[3] | North Dakota State Board of Law Examiners · Oct 21, 2026 |
| Retake fee | $200 (plus C&F fee)[2] | ncbex.org · Oct 21, 2026 |
| Retake policy | Limit of 6 attempts; supplemental application if within 3 years[2] | ncbex.org · Oct 21, 2026 |
| Validity | Transferred UBE score accepted for 2 years (5 if in active practice)[4] | North Dakota State Board of Law Examiners · Oct 21, 2026 |
| Eligibility | Age 18+ and a JD from an ABA-approved law school[5] | North Dakota State Board of Law Examiners · Oct 21, 2026 |
| Next exam date | Feb 23-24, 2027; Jul 27-28, 2027; Feb 22-23, 2028[6] | North Dakota State Board of Law Examiners · Oct 21, 2026 |
| Registration deadline | Oct 1 (Feb exam); Mar 15 (Jul exam)[5] | North Dakota State Board of Law Examiners · Oct 21, 2026 |
According to North Dakota State Board of Law Examiners, “An applicant for admission to the North Dakota Bar must be 18 years of age and have received a Juris Doctor or equivalent degree from a law school approved, or provisionally approved, for accreditation by the American Bar Association.”[5]
The North Dakota Bar Exam is the licensing test for lawyers seeking admission in the state. It is run by the North Dakota State Board of Law Examiners and given in Bismarck on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July. Listed dates are Feb 23-24, 2027, Jul 27-28, 2027 and Feb 22-23, 2028.
The legacy UBE format, used through February 2027, runs over two days with four 3-hour sessions, 12 hours in total. The minimum passing UBE score is 260. The NextGen UBE minimum is 610, and the MPRE minimum is 85.
To apply, you must be 18 or older and hold a Juris Doctor or equivalent degree from an ABA-approved or provisionally approved law school. Applications are due Oct 1 for the February exam and Mar 15 for the July exam. The exam fee is $200, with an extra $400 for applicants without a prior North Dakota law student registration. The NCBE character and fitness fee is separate.
Retakes cost $200 plus the character and fitness fee. Candidates are limited to 6 attempts, and a supplemental application applies if you retake within 3 years. A transferred UBE score is accepted for 2 years, or 5 years if you are in active practice.
Rules and dates can change, so confirm everything with the Board before you apply. Our practice questions are written by us with AI tools and are not real exam questions.
Prepare for the ND Bar - North Dakota Bar Exam exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: Under the North Dakota Constitution, what body has the sole power of impeachment?
Answer: A. The state House of Representatives or Legislature
Explanation:
The state House of Representatives, or Legislature, is correct. Impeachment is a legislative power, and North Dakota follows the usual state pattern of giving the lawmaking body the power to bring charges against officials.
The Governor is wrong because the Governor is an executive officer who may be the target of impeachment, not the body that brings it. The Supreme Court is wrong because courts decide cases and do not start impeachment. The Attorney General is wrong because that office enforces the law and does not hold this power.
Rule to remember: impeachment is a political process that belongs to the legislative branch, while the executive and judicial branches are not the accusing body. When a question asks who holds a check on other branches, match the power to the branch it belongs to.
Question: How are amendments to the North Dakota Constitution proposed and ratified?
Answer: A. Through legislative proposal or citizen initiative, followed by popular vote
Explanation:
Legislative proposal or citizen initiative, followed by a popular vote, is correct. North Dakota lets both the legislature and the people put amendments forward, and voters make the final decision at the ballot box.
Only by the Governor is wrong because the Governor has no sole power to amend the constitution. Through federal authorization is wrong because a state constitution is amended under state procedures, not by federal permission. By the state Supreme Court is wrong because courts interpret the constitution and do not rewrite it.
Rule to remember: a state constitution changes through the process the constitution itself sets out, usually a proposal followed by approval of the voters. Watch for answer choices that hand the power to a single official or to another level of government.
Question: What does the North Dakota Commerce Clause analysis consider?
Answer: A. Whether state law unduly burdens or discriminates against interstate commerce
Explanation:
Whether state law unduly burdens or discriminates against interstate commerce is correct. This is the core of dormant Commerce Clause analysis, which limits what states may do even when Congress has not acted.
Whether the law is popular with voters is wrong because popularity has no bearing on constitutional validity. Whether the Governor approved the regulation is wrong because executive approval does not cure a constitutional defect. Whether federal funding is involved is wrong because funding is not the test for this doctrine.
Rule to remember: start by asking whether the law discriminates against out-of-state commerce, and if it does not, ask whether it places an undue burden on interstate commerce. Political support and who signed the law do not decide the question.
Start with the official material. Read the Board's application page and the exam FAQs so you know the format, the deadlines and the score you need. Check whether your sitting uses the legacy UBE or NextGen, since the passing score differs.
Next, take a short practice test to find your weak areas. Then work through the subject sets one at a time, such as Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law and Torts and Evidence. For each missed question, write down the rule in your own words before you read the explanation again.
Give extra time to Essay and Performance Subjects, because written answers need practice that multiple-choice drills cannot give. Add Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Specific Law for the material that is particular to the state.
In the final weeks, practise in long, timed sittings that match the real session lengths, and return to the questions you missed. Treat our questions as practice for recall and reasoning, not as a preview of real exam items.
The minimum passing UBE score is 260. For the NextGen UBE the minimum is 610. The MPRE minimum is 85. Check the North Dakota State Board of Law Examiners and NCBE jurisdiction page for the current requirements before you sit the exam.
It is given in Bismarck on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July. Listed dates are Feb 23-24, 2027, Jul 27-28, 2027 and Feb 22-23, 2028. Confirm the schedule on the Board's exam dates page before you plan travel.
Applications for the February exam are due Oct 1. Applications for the July exam must be received at the Board office by Mar 15. Late filing rules are set by the Board, so check its application page for details.
The exam fee paid to the Board is $200. Applicants without a prior North Dakota law student registration pay an extra $400. The NCBE character and fitness fee is separate. Retakes cost $200 plus the character and fitness fee.
North Dakota limits candidates to 6 attempts to earn a passing UBE score. If you retake within 3 years, a supplemental application applies. The retake fee is $200 plus the character and fitness fee.
Yes. A transferred UBE score is accepted for 2 years from the exam date if you have not been actively practicing law, or 5 years from licensure if you have. Read the Board's reciprocity page for the full conditions.
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