Format & Overview of the MEE

What You’ll Learn:

• The MEE Format – number of questions; time per essay question
• Purpose of the MEE – what skills are tested
• The MEE’s Scope of Coverage – what subjects and topics are tested
• A breakdown of the 10 Subjects Tested on the MEE
• The Total Weight of an MEE Score – the percentage it counts toward your total bar exam score

The MEE consists of six 30-minute essay questions. For most jurisdictions, the 6 essays are given in one 3-hour session.

We say 30-minutes per essay because that’s the maximum amount of time you can spend on each essay question in order to complete all questions within each session (although the individual questions are not timed).  You MUST practice answering each question within the 30-minute period.  Otherwise, you will not have time to finish all the essays.

The MEE is given on the written test day of the bar exam (usually the first day of the exam).

According to the NCBE (the drafters of the exam), the MEE tests the following skills:

• Identify legal issues raised by a hypothetical factual situation;
• Separate material which is relevant from that which is not;
• Present a reasoned analysis of the relevant issues in a clear, concise, and well-organized composition; and
• Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental legal principles relevant to the probable solution of the issues raised by the factual situation.

Take the time to familiarize yourself with this document. It outlines the scope of topics tested for each Subject Area.

1. Agency
2. Partnerships
3. Corporations & Limited Liability Companies
4. Civil Procedure
5. Constitutional Law
6. Contracts (including UCC Article 2)
7. Criminal Law & Procedure
8. Evidence
9. Real Property
10. Torts

Any combination of the subjects above may be tested on the MEE (it varies from exam to exam). Some questions may contain more than one area of law.

*Important Subject Area Note – For July 2026 Exam*

Effective with the July 2026 bar exam, the following Subject Areas will no longer be tested on the MEE:

• Conflict of Laws,
• Family Law,
• Secured Transactions,
• Trusts & Future Interests, and
• Wills & Estates.

As such, you do not need to study these Subject areas for the MEE section, and you should ignore these questions in older MEE Questions & Analyses released by the bar examiners.

Other Items of Note:

• From July 2026 through February 2028, Family Law and Trusts & Estates will be regularly tested on the Multistate Performance Test (MPT).  However, memorization of the law for these subjects is not required starting in July 2026, as the examiners will provide the relevant case law and/or statutes in the MPT materials.
• Negotiable Instruments/Commercial Paper (UCC Articles 3 & 4) was removed from the MEE as of the February 2015 exam. Thus, ignore these questions in older MEE Questions & Analyses released by the bar examiners.
• Agency, Partnerships, and Corporations & LLC’s are listed as one subject in the MEE Subject Matter Outline as Business Associations. We have listed them separately since examinees usually study these subjects individually.

In other jurisdictions, the MEE/essays is normally worth between 30% and 45%. Some jurisdictions have additional state essays and/or have a minimum passing score for the MEE/essay portion.

In Chapter 8 of this guide on Grading & Scoring, we have included a chart showing how much the MEE is worth in each jurisdiction.