How Do You Get Admitted to the Arkansas Bar?
The Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners admits lawyers in Arkansas.
Exam applicants take the Uniform Bar Examination, which Arkansas has given since February 2020, and need a total score of 270 plus a scaled MPRE score of 85.
Experienced out-of-state lawyers can qualify through UBE score transfer or admission on motion, which requires 3 of the past 5 years of practice.
Arkansas had not adopted the NextGen exam as of NCBE's September 25, 2026 table; a July 2028 start is pending before the Arkansas Supreme Court.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
The Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners (Little Rock), part of the Arkansas Supreme Court's Office of Professional Programs.
The Uniform Bar Examination, which Arkansas has administered since February 2020.
270 on the UBE.
A scaled score of 85.
Not adopted as of September 25, 2026; a July 2028 start has been recommended and is pending before the Arkansas Supreme Court.
Yes, for 3 of the past 5 years of practice, with a $1,500 fee.
$1,000, non-refundable, the same for first-time takers, attorneys and repeaters.
Ways to get admitted in Arkansas
- Admission by examinationBy examination
Sit for the Uniform Bar Examination and score 270 or higher, plus a scaled MPRE score of 85; first-time applicants also complete the NCBE character and fitness application.
- Admission on motionOn motion
For experienced lawyers: NCBE's chart for Arkansas lists 3 of the past 5 years of practice and a $1,500 admission-on-motion fee.
- UBE score transferScore transfer
Arkansas accepts transferred legacy UBE scores of 270 or higher, up to 36 months old; it does not accept transferred NextGen UBE scores.
Who admits lawyers in Arkansas?
The Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners handles bar admission in Arkansas.
The board is based in Little Rock and is part of the Arkansas Supreme Court's Office of Professional Programs.
NCBE develops the exams and scores their multiple-choice portions, while the individual jurisdiction administers the exam and grades the written portions, so the admission decisions in Arkansas belong to the board, not to NCBE.
Which bar exam does Arkansas give?
Arkansas gives the Uniform Bar Examination and has administered it since February 2020.
The minimum passing total score is 270.
The UBE is NCBE's exam, made up of the Multistate Essay Examination, two Multistate Performance Test tasks and the Multistate Bar Examination.
On the legacy UBE, the MBE is weighted 50 percent, the MEE 30 percent and the MPT 20 percent, and total scores are reported on a 400-point scale.
NCBE lists no jurisdiction-specific requirement for Arkansas, so there is no Arkansas-law component to complete on top of the exam.
“Arkansas began administering the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) in February 2020.”
Who is eligible to sit for the Arkansas bar?
All applicants must hold a J.D. or LL.B. degree from a law school that was approved by the American Bar Association at the time the degree was conferred.
Because the degree requirement applies to every applicant, there is no law-office-study route into the Arkansas bar.
Our research did not establish the board's other eligibility conditions, such as documentation and application mechanics, so read the Board of Law Examiners' requirements page before you apply.
What MPRE score does Arkansas require?
Arkansas requires a scaled MPRE score of 85.
The MPRE is NCBE's two-hour, 60-question multiple-choice exam; it measures knowledge of established standards of lawyer conduct, not personal ethical values.
NCBE offers it three times a year and charges a $185 test fee for all 2026 and 2027 administrations.
Confirm current test windows and registration deadlines with NCBE.
How does character and fitness work in Arkansas?
First-time applicants sitting for the Arkansas exam complete the NCBE character and fitness application.
Applicants who take the Arkansas UBE solely to obtain a transferable score, rather than to be admitted in Arkansas, do not complete the NCBE character and fitness application.
Character and fitness review is part of the admission process in every jurisdiction; NCBE runs investigations for many jurisdictions, but it makes no character and fitness decisions.
The board decides who is fit to practice in Arkansas, and questions about a specific history belong with the Board of Law Examiners.
Can out-of-state lawyers waive into Arkansas?
Yes, in two ways.
Admission on motion is open to experienced lawyers: NCBE's chart for Arkansas lists 3 of the past 5 years of practice as the requirement and a $1,500 admission-on-motion fee.
Our research captured the years-of-practice requirement and the fee; confirm the rule's other conditions with the board before you apply.
Arkansas also accepts transferred legacy UBE scores of 270 or higher, up to 36 months old, and NCBE charges $30 for the official score transcript used to transfer a score.
It does not accept transferred NextGen UBE scores.
A transferred score does not skip character and fitness, because each receiving jurisdiction runs its own review.
Arkansas bar pass rates, fees and results timing
The Arkansas bar exam fee is $1,000, and it is non-refundable.
It is the same for first-time takers, attorneys and repeaters, and NCBE's fee chart lists the laptop fee at $0.
Filing deadlines are November 15 for the February exam and April 1 for the July exam.
Our research did not establish current Arkansas pass rates or a results release date; the Board of Law Examiners is the admitting authority, so its pages are the place to check for recent figures.
When will Arkansas switch to the NextGen bar exam?
As of NCBE's adoption table updated September 25, 2026, Arkansas has not adopted the NextGen UBE: the Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners has recommended that the Arkansas Supreme Court adopt the NextGen Bar Examination beginning with the July 2028 examinations, and the Supreme Court is still considering it.
NCBE's map listed only four jurisdictions without NextGen adoption as of October 2026: Arkansas, Louisiana, Nevada and Puerto Rico.
Until the court acts, Arkansas keeps giving the legacy UBE, which NCBE has scheduled through February 2028, and the state does not accept transferred NextGen scores.
“The Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners has recommended that the Arkansas Supreme Court adopt the NextGen Bar Examination, which is prepared by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, beginning with the July 2028 examinations”
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the Arkansas court rules, board and bar pages and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state bar admission rules series, current as of October 2026.
It is not a substitute for the instructions the Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners publishes.
For the rest of the picture in Arkansas, see CLE requirements in Arkansas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Arkansas a UBE state?
Yes.
Arkansas has administered the Uniform Bar Examination since February 2020 and requires a minimum total score of 270, with no Arkansas-specific law component on top.
Arkansas accepts transferred legacy UBE scores of 270 or higher up to 36 months old.
As of NCBE's September 25, 2026 adoption table, it had not adopted the NextGen UBE and does not accept transferred NextGen scores, pending the Arkansas Supreme Court's decision on a recommended July 2028 start.
How hard is it to pass the Arkansas bar exam?
Our research did not establish current pass rates for the Arkansas exam.
The passing standard is a total score of 270 on the UBE's 400-point scale, which combines the MBE multiple-choice test, the MEE essays and the MPT tasks.
For recent figures, check the Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners' pages.
How much does the Arkansas bar exam cost?
The exam fee is $1,000, non-refundable, and first-time takers, attorneys and repeaters all pay the same amount.
The admission-on-motion fee for experienced lawyers is $1,500.
Transferring a UBE score into Arkansas means ordering NCBE's official score transcript, which costs $30, and the MPRE is a separate exam with a $185 test fee for all 2026 and 2027 administrations.
Can I transfer my UBE score to Arkansas?
Yes, with limits.
Arkansas accepts transferred legacy UBE scores of 270 or higher that are no more than 36 months old; you order an official score transcript from NCBE, which charges $30.
Arkansas does not accept transferred NextGen UBE scores.
A transferred score does not bypass character and fitness, because each receiving jurisdiction runs its own review.
Do I have to join the Arkansas Bar Association?
Admission in Arkansas runs through the Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners, not through the Arkansas Bar Association.
On membership itself, our research could not confirm from a primary source whether joining the association is required or voluntary, so ask the association directly before relying on either answer.
More Arkansas Resources
Sources
- Arkansas Judiciary: Board of Law Examiners — bar exam requirements and information (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: Arkansas jurisdiction page (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: Arkansas bar exam fee chart (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: Arkansas admission on motion chart (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: NextGen UBE adoption by jurisdiction (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: NextGen UBE (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: about the UBE (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: UBE scores (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: UBE score portability (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: official bar exam score transcripts (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: MBE (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: about the MPRE (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: MPRE registration (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: character and fitness (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: about the NextGen UBE (retrieved 2026-10-02)
Sourced from the documents listed above.
Verified October 2026.
This is career information, not legal advice.
Confirm current rules with the Arkansas State Board of Law Examiners.