Texas
Overview
- Admitting Entity (Supreme Court, Mandatory Bar, etc.)
- Texas Supreme Court
- Entity Managing Admissions Process
- [State] Application Materials
- Are law students required to register with jurisdiction while in law school?
- Yes
- If UBE, is there a Jurisdiction Component?
- Yes. The Texas Law Component must be completed online up to one year before taking or up to two years after passing the bar exam.
- Multistate Bar Exam?
- Yes
- Multistate Essay Exam?
- Yes
- Is exam jurisdiction-drafted?
- No
- Multistate Performance Test?
- Yes
- Does the jurisdiction provide information on day of testing procedures?
Yes
- What are the restroom use rules of the admitting entity?
Use the restrooms located within the Secure Area. Keep Photo ID with you as you use the restroom. The no talking rule extends to casual comments in the restroom. Do not take exam materials into the restroom.
General
- Phone Number
- 512-463-1621
- Email Address
- Diploma Privilege
No
- Prelegal education requirements
No
- Legal education requirements
Must hold a JD from an ABA-approved law school, or if engaged in the lawful practice of law in another state for at least 3 out of the last 5 years immediately preceding the filing of the most recent application, must hold either (i) the equivalent of a J.D. degree from a non-ABA accredited program, which is substantially similar to an ABA-approved JD program, or (ii) a J.D. degree from an unapproved law school that is accredited in the State where it is located. (Rule 13)
- Registration requirements, if applicable.
Must file a Declaration of Intention to Study Law within certain deadlines based on when students start law school
- Registration fee, if applicable.
- $190
- Limit on attempts?
- 5; may be waived for good cause shown
- Fee(s)
$300 for Texas Law Students; $490 for out-of-state law students (these students do not pay the $190 registration fee); $1,040 for attorneys licensed in another state; $1,140 for foreign-trained applicants
- Are laptops allowed/required?
- Allowed
- Laptop fee?
- $90 to the software provider; $50 to the Texas Board of Law Examiners
- Is courtesy seating allowed?
- Yes
- Transfer fee?
- $300 for In-State Law Students; $490 for Out-of-State Law Students; $1,040 Attorneys; $1,140 for Foreign-Trained Applicants
- 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?
Applicants must present (1) an admission ticket; and (2) a valid, unexpired government-issued photo identification to enter the Secure Area. Any items that are not required or allowed are prohibited and will be confiscated. Phones are prohibited but may be allowed if placed in Yondr pouches which may be available at the exam site.
Eligibility
- Admission by Exam
- Yes
- Admission by Transfer
- Yes
- Admission by Motion
- Yes
- UBE Exam?
- Yes. Texas intends to administer the NextGen bar exam in July 2028.
- Minimum passing score?
- 270
- Can exam score be transferred?
- Yes
- Can only UBE scores be transferred?
- Yes
- Is there a time limit for accepting transferred scores?
- 5 years
- Is MPRE required?
- Yes
- Minimum passing score
- 85
- Is there a time period in which the MPRE score must be earned?
- Within 5 years of passing bar exam. The requirement may be waived in some circumstances.
- 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)?
Applicants must present (1) an admission ticket; and (2) a valid, unexpired government-issued photo identification.
There is no information about specific name requirements.
- 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?
Seats are marked with the 5-digit examinee number printed on the Admissions Ticket.