How Do You Get Admitted to the West Virginia Bar?
West Virginia admits lawyers through the West Virginia Board of Law Examiners, under the Supreme Court of Appeals' Rules for Admission to the Practice of Law.
Applicants sit for the Uniform Bar Exam, which the state has administered since July 2017, and need a combined scaled score of 270.
West Virginia also requires an MPRE score of at least 80, has no state-specific law component, and lets out-of-state lawyers in through UBE score transfer or admission on motion.
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At a glance
The West Virginia Board of Law Examiners, under the Supreme Court of Appeals' Rules for Admission to the Practice of Law.
The Uniform Bar Exam, which West Virginia has administered since July 2017.
A combined scaled score of 270.
At least 80, earned within 25 months of passing the bar exam.
NCBE's adoption table lists July 2028; NCBE's own West Virginia page header says July 2027, so confirm the date with the Board.
Active practice for 5 of the 7 years before applying, with a $2,000 application fee.
$500 for applicants never admitted anywhere and attorneys admitted elsewhere under a year; $800 for a year or more.
Ways to get admitted in West Virginia
- Admission by examinationBy examination
Pass the Uniform Bar Exam with a combined scaled score of 270 and earn an MPRE scaled score of 80 within 25 months of passing the exam.
- Admission on motionOn motion
For experienced lawyers: active practice for 5 of the 7 years before applying, under a valid licence throughout, with a $2,000 application fee.
- UBE score transferScore transfer
A transferred combined scaled UBE score of 270 or higher from an exam taken within the 3 years before applying; the application fee is $750.
Who admits lawyers in West Virginia?
The West Virginia Board of Law Examiners runs bar admission under the Supreme Court of Appeals' Rules for Admission to the Practice of Law.
NCBE's jurisdiction page for West Virginia names the board as the administering body.
The sections below cover the exam the board gives, the MPRE score, character and fitness, and the two routes open to out-of-state lawyers.
Which bar exam does West Virginia give?
West Virginia gives the Uniform Bar Exam, a test coordinated by NCBE that combines the Multistate Essay Examination, two Multistate Performance Test tasks and the Multistate Bar Examination.
The state has administered the UBE since July 2017, and applicants who earn a combined scaled score of 270 pass.
There is no West Virginia-specific law component to complete before admission.
“Applicants who earn a combined scaled score of 270 shall pass the examination”
Who is eligible to sit for the West Virginia bar?
On legal education, NCBE's Compilation Guide lists West Virginia's requirement as an ABA-approved law degree or its equivalent, so an ABA-approved J.D. is not the only route the state names.
Our research did not establish the board's remaining eligibility rules — filing windows, documentation and the like — so read the Board of Law Examiners' application materials before you apply.
“Must be ABA-approved or its equivalent.”
What MPRE score does West Virginia require?
West Virginia requires a scaled MPRE score of at least 80.
Applicants for admission by examination must reach that score within 25 months of successfully completing the West Virginia bar exam, and the requirement allows no exceptions to the window.
Nationally the bar differs by jurisdiction: per NCBE, 21 use 85 and 20 use 80, which puts West Virginia in the 80 group.
“applicants for admission by examination must achieve a passing MPRE score of 80 within 25 months of successful completion of the West Virginia bar examination”
How does character and fitness work in West Virginia?
West Virginia uses NCBE's character and fitness investigations and may hold an in-person, jurisdiction-specific character interview.
NCBE runs the investigation but makes no decisions: background investigations are part of the admission process in every jurisdiction, and each jurisdiction decides who is fit to practice.
Questions about how your own history will be weighed belong with the Board of Law Examiners.
Can out-of-state lawyers waive into West Virginia (admission on motion or UBE transfer)?
Yes, in two ways.
West Virginia accepts transferred UBE scores of 270 or higher from exams taken within the 3 years before you apply, and the transfer application fee is $750.
Admission on motion is the route for experienced lawyers: it requires active practice for 5 of the 7 years before applying, under a valid licence throughout, and the application fee is $2,000 plus NCBE investigation costs.
“practice of law for five (5) of the seven (7) years next preceding his or her application”
West Virginia bar pass rates, fees and results timing
The exam application fee is $500 for applicants who have never been admitted in any jurisdiction and for attorneys admitted elsewhere for less than a year, and $800 for attorneys admitted in another jurisdiction for a year or more; filing late adds $200, and the NCBE report fee is extra, typically from $395.
Using a laptop on the essay portion costs approximately $140, paid directly to the software provider.
On results: 117 examinees sat the July 2026 exam and 62% passed overall, per unofficial results released August 28, 2026; the July 2025 exam had a 77% overall pass rate and an 82% first-time pass rate.
When does West Virginia switch to the NextGen bar exam?
NCBE's adoption table lists West Virginia's first NextGen UBE as July 2028, with the legacy UBE running through February 2028, and it shows West Virginia accepting transferred NextGen scores of 620 or higher from July 2026.
The date is not settled: NCBE's West Virginia page header says July 2027 while its data fields and adoption table say July 2028, so confirm the switch date with the Board of Law Examiners before you plan around it.
Can foreign-trained lawyers sit for the West Virginia bar?
NCBE's Compilation Guide lists West Virginia's legal education requirement as an ABA-approved law degree or its equivalent, and NCBE lists West Virginia as allowing foreign-educated applicants.
The board's specific rules for evaluating a foreign legal education were not established in our research, so foreign-trained applicants should ask the Board of Law Examiners what it requires of them.
What happens after you're admitted to the West Virginia bar?
Admission is not the end of the obligations.
West Virginia's active lawyers must complete CLE hours every two fiscal years, a program the West Virginia State Bar's MCLE Commission administers.
Our research did not verify from a primary source whether membership in the West Virginia State Bar is mandatory, or what its annual dues are, so confirm both with the State Bar.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the West Virginia 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 West Virginia Board of Law Examiners publishes.
For the rest of the picture in West Virginia, see CLE requirements in West Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is West Virginia a UBE state?
Yes.
West Virginia has administered the Uniform Bar Exam since July 2017, and a combined scaled score of 270 passes.
There is no West Virginia-specific law component, and the state accepts transferred UBE scores of 270 or higher from exams taken within the 3 years before you apply.
NCBE's adoption table lists West Virginia's first NextGen UBE as July 2028, though NCBE's own pages conflict on 2027 versus 2028.
What MPRE score do you need for the West Virginia bar?
A scaled score of at least 80.
Applicants for admission by examination must achieve it within 25 months of successfully completing the West Virginia bar exam, and the window has no exceptions.
Nationally, per NCBE, 21 jurisdictions use 85 and 20 use 80, so West Virginia is one of the jurisdictions in the 80 group.
How much does the West Virginia bar exam cost?
The application fee is $500 for applicants who have never been admitted anywhere and for attorneys admitted elsewhere for less than a year, and $800 for attorneys admitted in another jurisdiction for a year or more.
Filing late adds $200, the NCBE report fee is extra (typically from $395), and laptop use on the essay portion costs approximately $140 paid to the software provider.
Can I transfer my UBE score to West Virginia?
Yes.
West Virginia accepts a transferred combined scaled UBE score of 270 or higher from an administration of the exam taken within the 3 years immediately preceding the application date, and the transfer application fee is $750.
Confirm the current requirements with the West Virginia Board of Law Examiners before you apply.
What is the pass rate on the West Virginia bar exam?
117 examinees sat the July 2026 West Virginia exam and 62% passed overall, according to unofficial results released August 28, 2026.
The July 2025 exam produced a 77% overall pass rate and an 82% pass rate for first-time examinees.
NCBE's bar-pass-rate table publishes results per administration, so check it or the board for the most recent figures.
More West Virginia Resources
Sources
- NCBE: West Virginia jurisdiction page (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- West Virginia Judiciary: Rules for Admission to the Practice of Law (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- West Virginia Judiciary: bar application information (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: NextGen UBE adoption by jurisdiction (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: UBE local components (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE Compilation Guide: Chart 15 (legal education) (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: bar pass rates by jurisdiction (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: About the Uniform Bar Exam (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE jurisdiction page: MPRE score requirements (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NCBE: Character and Fitness (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- West Virginia State Bar: Rule 6 (MCLE governance revisions) (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 West Virginia Board of Law Examiners.