The bar exam is an extensive government-issued test that every law student in the US must pass before going on to practice law. The tests vary state by state, geared towards the issuing state’s laws, and tests typically last two to three days. Before one can practice law in a particular state, he or she must pass that state’s bar exam.

Though exams differ, in general, the bar exam consists of a series of essay questions regarding state law and general legal principles. This portion of the bar may consume one to two days. A separate day is reserved for taking the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) in participating states. This 200-question test covers common law. Since this portion of the bar exam is standardized, the MBE is issued on the same day throughout the United States.

States differ as to what constitutes the bar exam. Louisiana and Puerto Rico do not use the MBE, for example, as they are civil jurisdictions not beholden to common law. Performance tests might also be part of the bar exam. California boasts one of the most difficult bar exams of the nation, which includes the California Performance Test (CPT). Each student has three hours to digest a fictional case then write a memorandum, issue an opinion, or deliver some other finding. Outside California, the equivalent is the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), a less taxing 90-minute version of the CPT.

Adjunct to the bar exam, some states require an ethics test called the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), though it is issued separate from the bar exam. The MPRE is administered and graded by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, and is available to take three times a year.

To prepare for the bar exam, most students take classes from private companies. Some of these companies include the Preliminary Multistate Bar Review (PMBR) to prepare for the MBE. BarBri is another company that offers a six-week course on torts, real property and criminal law, among other subjects. The Practicing Law Institute of New York also offers classes for bar review.

To find out what your state requirements are for the bar exam, you can visit your state's bar association's website. Once the bar exam is passed, the lawyer becomes a member of the bar association.