Northern Mariana Islands
Overview
- Admitting Entity (Supreme Court, Mandatory Bar, etc.)
- Judiciary of the Northern Mariana Islands
- Entity Managing Admissions Process
The Board of Bar Examiners
- [State] Application Materials
- Are law students required to register with jurisdiction while in law school?
- No
- If UBE, is there a Jurisdiction Component?
- N/A
- Multistate Bar Exam?
- Yes
- Multistate Essay Exam?
- Yes
- Is exam jurisdiction-drafted?
- Yes. There are two 30-minute essay questions based on Northern Mariana Islands law.
- Multistate Performance Test?
- Yes
- Does the jurisdiction provide information on day of testing procedures?
Administrative staff indicated on 9.5.2025 that applicants are sent additional information a week before test day.
- What are the restroom use rules of the admitting entity?
Information not available online. Administrative staff indicated on 9.5.2025 that there are separate male and female restrooms twenty feet from the testing room. Administrative staff indicated that they have never faced an issue about bathroom access but that they are willing to accommodate. A request can be made by email in advance or on exam day in person for a restroom to be reserved for a student.
General
- Phone Number
- 670-236-9716
- Email Address
- Diploma Privilege
No
- Prelegal education requirements
No
- Legal education requirements
Must have graduated with a JD from an ABA-accredited law school within the United States. See Rule 71-2.
- Registration requirements, if applicable.
N/A
- Registration fee, if applicable.
- N/A
- Limit on attempts?
- No limit
- Fee(s)
Regular applicant: $500; Late application: $1,000; MBE fee $73; MPRE fee: $150
- Are laptops allowed/required?
- No
- Laptop fee?
- N/A
- Is courtesy seating allowed?
- No
- Transfer fee?
- N/A
- Day-of Testing Procedures
An applicant testing at a Pearson VUE testing center must present a government-issued primary ID and a secondary ID. The primary ID must include a first and last name, recent recognizable photo, and signature. The secondary ID must include at least a first and last name and signature or first and last name and recent recognizable photo. The first and last name used to register must match exactly both IDs presented on test day. Any name corrections must be submitted through the NCBE Account Dashboard at least 48 hours before the first day of the test administration. Before entering the test room, Pearson VUE will collect a digital photograph and digital signature to verify identity. The applicant must consent to the NCBE Candidate Rules Agreement, which in part requires that if the applicant uses the restroom during testing, they must use “the restroom that is closest to the testing room” and pat themselves down (arms, legs, waistline) when leaving and re-entering the testing room. Applicants must also pat themselves down before entering the test room for the first time.
- What security measures can applicants expect? Metal detectors? Bag search?
Information not available online. Administrative staff indicated on 9.5.2025 that applicants are given a list of items that are not allowed a week before test day.
Eligibility
- Admission by Exam
- Yes
- Admission by Transfer
- Not for UBE; Accepts transferred MBE scores
- Admission by Motion
- No
- UBE Exam?
- No; however, Northern Mariana Islands intends to administer the NextGen bar exam in July 2026.
- Minimum passing score?
- 260 + 65% on Local Content Essay section
- Can exam score be transferred?
- MBE only
- Can only UBE scores be transferred?
- MBE only
- Is there a time limit for accepting transferred scores?
- 3 years with a MBE score of 130 or higher.
- Is MPRE required?
- Yes
- Minimum passing score
- 80
- Is there a time period in which the MPRE score must be earned?
- Within 3 years before the bar examination or obtain the results within 6 months after taking the bar examination
- MPRE fee
- $160
Requirements
- Application Name and Gender Identification
The MPRE application requires the first and last name to match exactly as listed on valid government-issued photo identification. If the applicant indicates they have been known by a different name, they must list the first name and last name or surname and does not have the option to explain the reason for the name change. The demographic information section asks, “[w]which of the following questions best represents your gender identity?” and provides the following options: “man,” “woman,” “non-binary,” “gender not listed here (please specify),” and “I prefer not to have my response used for research purposes.”
- What identifying documents do applicants need on test days and what name is required to be on that ID (as related to the name on the application for admission)?
Information not available online. Administrative staff indicated on 9.5.2025 that applicants are instructed to bring a passport or driver license on exam day. If the applicant has a different name on the ID, the applicant should bring a court order or other certified documentation of the name change upon submitting the bar application.
- Is there assigned seating? If so, how do applicants identify their seat (i.e. name, application number, etc.) If it is by name, which name will be listed?
Administrative staff indicated on 9.5.2025 that seating is not assigned given the small number of applicants. Students choose a table and chair. Applicants are identified by applicant number.