Board Rule 6 for applicants not passing a Maryland Bar Exam administered before March 1, 2019. (Word) (PDF)
Individuals who will take the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) in Maryland in July 2019 and beyond, as well those seeking to transfer a qualifying UBE score to Maryland and experienced out-of-state attorneys seeking admission in Maryland without examination, are required to report a qualifying Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) score to the State Board of Law Examiners (SBLE), pursuant to Maryland Rules 19-201(a)(4), 19-213, and 19-216(h). The MPRE is prepared and administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE).
Qualifying MPRE Score
For applicants not currently admitted in good standing to the Bar of any U.S. State or territory, Board Rule 6 establishes the qualifying MPRE score as a scaled score of 85 or greater achieved at an administration of the MPRE occurring not more than 3 years prior to the date when the applicant files a Notice of Intent to Take the UBE in Maryland.
For applicants currently admitted in good standing to the Bar of another U.S. State or territory, Board Rule 6 establishes the qualifying MPRE score as a scaled score of 85 or greater earned at any time, so long as the score can be officially reported to SBLE by NCBE or, if the score is too old to be reported by NCBE, by bar admissions officials in another U.S. state.
When and How to Report your MPRE Score
While there is no specific deadline to report a qualifying MPRE score, NO APPLICANT CAN BE RECOMMENDED FOR ADMISSION PRIOR TO SBLE’s RECEIPT OF A QUALIFYING MPRE SCORE. The qualifying MPRE score may be reported before or after filing the Notice of Intent or Petition. Failure to report a qualifying MPRE score is not grounds for an extension of the 2-year deadline under Maryland Rule 19-214. As such, for applicants taking the UBE in Maryland, a qualifying MPRE score must be reported not later than 2 years after the date of the notice that the applicant has passed the UBE, whenever that might be. For applicants proceeding by UBE Transfer and Petitioners proceeding by Admission Without Examination, a qualifying MPRE score must be reported not later than 2 years after the date of filing the Notice or Petition, whenever that might be. SBLE strongly encourages prospective applicants to create and activate their eBar account prior to requesting their MPRE score report, so that SBLE may accurately record your MPRE score. This recommendation includes applicants selecting Maryland to receive a score report during the MPRE registration process.
Further Information
Further information on the MPRE, including a description of the test, registration, test accommodations, repeat testing, test preparation, exam day policies, and score reporting may be found at www.ncbex.org.