Texas bar exam requirements
Texas gives the legacy Uniform Bar Exam through February 2028, with a passing score of 270, and switches to the NextGen UBE in July 2028 with a Texas Law Component. For February exams the timely deadline is September 1, then November 1 with a $150 late fee and a final December 1 deadline with a $300 late fee. Application fees rose by $150 from the July 2026 exam.
Sources: Texas Board of Law Examiners (deadlines, exam dates, fee announcement) and NCBE’s Comprehensive Guide, checked October 11, 2026. Base fees as reported before the 2026 increase. Confirm current fees in the Board’s rulebook.
Deadlines and fees
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| February exam | Timely: September 1; late: November 1 (+$150); final: December 1 (+$300); nothing accepted after |
| July exam | Timely: February 1; late: April 1; final: May 1 |
| Exam dates | February 23-24, 2027; July 27-28, 2027 |
| Exam fee | Reported $300 (Texas law students) to $1,140 (foreign-trained) before a $150 increase from July 2026; check the Board’s rulebook |
| Laptop | About $90 to the vendor plus $50 to the Board (reported) |
Source: Texas Board of Law Examiners; NCBE. Base fees as reported before the July 2026 increase.
Requirements
- Texas Law Component: an online course on Texas law, completed up to 1 year before the exam or 2 years after passing; required for transfer applicants too.
- Declaration of Intention to Study Law: Texas law students must file this within set deadlines, or pay a late fee.
- MPRE: 85 or higher.
- Score transfers: legacy UBE 270+ up to 5 years old; NextGen transfers at 620 from July 2026.
- Admission on motion: after 5 of the past 7 years in practice.
Official source & community discussion
Texas Board of Law Examiners: exam dates (official) →
See related questions on Quora →