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The Smart Guide to the South Dakota Bar Exam

A Guide to Mastering the South Dakota Bar Exam

South Dakota Bar Exam Format

The South Dakota Bar Exam contains 4 sections:

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Multistate Bar Exam (MBE)

200 multiple choice
^

Multistate Essay Exam (MEE)

5 essays
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Multistate Performance Test (MPT)

2 writing assignments
^

South Dakota Essay

1 essay

South Dakota requires the following for a passing score:

  • Scaled score of 135 or greater on the MBE; and
  • Average score of 75% or greater on the written component of the exam (which includes 2 MPT’s, 5 MEE essays, and 1 South Dakota essay question).

South Dakota Bar Exam Dates

July 2026 exam: July 28-29, 2026

Feb. 2027 exam: Feb. 23-24, 2027

*The South Dakota Bar Exam takes place on the last Tuesday & Wednesday of February and July.

How to Prepare for
the South Dakota Bar Exam

(FREE Study Guides)

Part 1: Smart Guide to MBE

Part 2: Smart Guide to MEE

Part 3: Smart Guide to MPT

Click the links above for FREE study guides for the South Dakota bar exam.

Contact Info

South Dakota Board of Bar Examiners
500 E. Capitol Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501

Website:      https://ujs.sd.gov/
Phone:         (605) 773-4898
Fax:              (605) 773-8479

Frequency Charts

(FREE Charts & Statistics)

MBE Frequency Analysis

MEE Frequency Analysis

MPT Frequency Analysis

Click the links above for FREE Frequency Charts for the South Dakota bar exam.