The Vermont bar exam is taken by law graduates and other applicants who want admission to practice in Vermont, and it is run by the Vermont Board of Bar Examiners. This page gives you free practice sets for each subject area, a plain summary of format, scoring and deadlines, worked examples, and a study plan. Always confirm details on the official Vermont Judiciary site.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions (NextGen UBE (from July 2027)) | 3 three-hour sessions, each with 2 integrated question sets[1] | Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Number of questions (UBE (legacy)) | 200 MBE questions on day 2[1] | Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Passing score (NextGen UBE (from July 2027)) | 620[2] | Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Passing score (UBE (legacy)) | 270[1] | Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Retake policy | Max 4 failed attempts (any UBE jurisdiction); waiver possible[2] | Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Validity | Admission requirements must be met within 2 years of the passing exam[2] | Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Delivery (NextGen UBE (from July 2027)) | In person in South Burlington; NextGen entirely computer-based[1] | Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Eligibility | Education requirements, fewer than 4 prior failures, MPRE 80+[2] | Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Next exam date (UBE (legacy)) | February 23-24, 2027 (South Burlington)[1] | Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Late registration deadline | Late filing only by Board permission for extraordinary circumstances[2] | Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Registration deadline | November 15 for the February exam; April 15 for the July exam[1] | Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary · Oct 27, 2026 |
According to Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary, “The NextGen exam will consist of three, rather than four, three-hour sessions.”[1]
The Vermont bar exam is the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), and passing it is one requirement for admission to practice in Vermont. The Board of Bar Examiners and the Vermont Judiciary set the rules, so treat their pages as the final word.
The legacy UBE is given in person in South Burlington. The next sitting listed is February 23-24, 2027. Day 2 is the 200-question multiple-choice Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). A passing score in Vermont is 270 or higher on the legacy UBE. From July 2027 the NextGen UBE replaces it. It is entirely computer-based, made up of 3 three-hour sessions, each with 2 integrated question sets, and the passing score is 620 or higher.
Applications for the February exam must be received by November 15, and for the July exam by April 15. Late filing is allowed only with Board permission and only for extraordinary circumstances. The Board can accept or deny a late petition.
Eligibility under the Rules of Admission includes meeting the education requirements, having fewer than 4 prior failures, and a scaled MPRE score of 80 or higher. An applicant who has failed the bar exam 4 times will not be permitted to sit for the UBE in Vermont, though a waiver is possible. After you pass, you must meet all remaining admission requirements within 2 years of the exam date, or the application is deemed withdrawn.
The content areas below are copied from the official VT Bar content outline published by Vermont Board of Bar Examiners / Vermont Judiciary. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Practice on this site |
|---|---|
| Business Associations[1] | VT Bar Business Organizations Practise telling entity types apart and who holds authority, owes duties and bears liability in each. |
| Civil Procedure[1] | VT Bar Civil Procedure Practise jurisdiction, pleading, joinder and the order in which motions and defenses must be raised. |
| Constitutional Law[1] | VT Bar Constitutional Law Practise identifying the right level of scrutiny and whether a government actor is involved at all. |
| Contract Law[1] | VT Bar Contracts and Commercial Law Practise formation, defenses, breach and remedies, and when the sale of goods rules replace common law. |
| Criminal Law[1] | VT Bar Criminal Law and Procedure Practise matching facts to each element of a crime and spotting the constitutional limits on police conduct. |
| Evidence[1] | VT Bar Evidence Practise hearsay definitions and exceptions, relevance limits and privilege. |
| Family Law[1] | VT Bar Family Law Practise marriage, divorce, custody and parental rights, including the Vermont statutes behind them. |
| Real Property[1] | VT Bar Property Practise estates, co-ownership, easements, conveyancing and recording rules. |
| Torts[1] | VT Bar Torts Practise negligence elements, strict liability, intentional torts and the defenses to each. |
Prepare for the VT Bar - Vermont 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: Which Vermont statute governs the termination of parental rights in a juvenile proceeding?
Answer: B. 33 V.S.A. § 5113
Explanation:
The correct answer is 33 V.S.A. § 5113. Termination of parental rights in a juvenile proceeding is handled under Vermont's juvenile proceedings statute, and this section is where the process sits. The other options point to real parts of the Vermont Statutes, but they belong elsewhere. 15 V.S.A. § 665 and 15 V.S.A. § 751 sit in the domestic relations title, which deals with matters between spouses and parents such as support and divorce, not state-initiated juvenile cases. 12 V.S.A. § 5001 is in the civil procedure title and is not about parental rights. The rule to remember: when the state is acting to protect a child, look to the juvenile proceedings title. When private parties are resolving family disputes, look to the domestic relations title.
Question: Vermont was the first state to legally recognize same-sex civil unions in which year?
Answer: B. 2000
Explanation:
The correct answer is 2000. Vermont created civil unions that year after the Vermont Supreme Court decided Baker v. State, which held that same-sex couples were entitled to the same benefits and protections as married couples under the state constitution. The Court left the form of the remedy to the legislature, which chose civil unions. 1997 is too early, since that is before the legislature acted. 2003 and 2009 are later dates and do not mark when Vermont first recognized civil unions. The pattern to remember: a state court ruling that identifies a constitutional violation is followed by a legislative remedy, and the date to recall is when the remedy took effect.
Question: What is the purpose of a “client consent” form in legal representation?
Answer: B. To obtain the client’s permission to disclose confidential information or to handle specific aspects of the case
Explanation:
The correct answer is that a client consent form obtains the client's permission to disclose confidential information or to handle specific aspects of the case. Informed consent means the client understands the relevant facts and risks and then agrees, ideally in writing. Confirming that the client reviewed correspondence is a record-keeping step, not consent to an action. Setting fees and payment terms belongs in a fee agreement, which is a separate document. Describing the attorney's qualifications is marketing or background information and does not authorize anything. The general rule: consent is tied to a specific action that the ethics rules would otherwise restrict, such as revealing confidences or proceeding despite a conflict, and it must follow adequate disclosure.
Start with the official Vermont Judiciary admission page. Note which version of the exam you are sitting, the scoring threshold that applies, your filing deadline, and your eligibility requirements. Put those dates on a calendar before you study anything.
Next, take the full practice test to see where you stand, then work through the subject sets, giving extra time to the areas where you missed the most. After each set, read every explanation, including those for questions you answered correctly. For every miss, write a single sentence stating the rule you got wrong, and review that list regularly.
Spend time on the topics that appear in the official outline and are easy to confuse, such as hearsay exceptions, entity liability, and the scrutiny levels in constitutional cases. Re-test weak areas after reviewing the rule, not straight after reading the answer.
Close to test day, shift from learning new rules to timed mixed practice, and rest the day before. Our questions are written by us with AI tools and are not real exam questions, so use them for practice, not prediction.
On the legacy UBE, a passing score in Vermont is 270 or higher. On the NextGen UBE, which begins in July 2027, the passing score is 620 or higher. Check the Vermont Judiciary admission page and the Rules of Admission for the version you are sitting, since the two scales are not interchangeable.
The next legacy UBE listed is February 23-24, 2027, held in South Burlington. Day 2 is the 200-question MBE. The NextGen UBE replaces the legacy exam from July 2027. Confirm dates and the location on the official Vermont Judiciary admission page before you plan travel or book a hotel.
Applications for the February exam must be received by November 15, and applications for the July exam by April 15. Late filing is possible only with Board permission and only where you can show extraordinary circumstances. The Board has discretion to accept or deny a late petition, so do not count on it.
An applicant who has failed the bar exam 4 times, in any UBE jurisdiction, will not be permitted to sit for the UBE in Vermont. A waiver is possible. Eligibility also requires fewer than 4 prior failures, so read the Rules of Admission and contact the Board if your record is close to that limit.
You must satisfy all requirements for admission no later than 2 years from the date of the exam on which you achieved a passing score. If you do not, the application is deemed withdrawn. Track your remaining requirements, such as the MPRE score of 80 or higher, so nothing is left unfinished.
No. We write the questions ourselves with AI tools, and they are not real exam questions. They are meant to help you practise subject areas from the official outline and check your understanding of rules. We make no claim about how closely they match the exam, so use the official materials to confirm format and scope.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.