Frequently Asked Questions
"When is the bar exam given and when do I apply?""How do I apply online?"
"Where is the bar exam held?"
"When will I receive information regarding my seat assignment?"
"Can I change the test center I was assigned to?"
"How do I withdraw from an exam? Will I lose the application fee?"
"When will I receive my results from the bar exam?"
"How do I transfer my MBE scores to or from New York?"
"How do I change the Department I was assigned to?"
"How do I change my address with the Board?"
"What happens after I have taken and passed the bar exam?"
"Can I take the exam using my laptop computer?"
"Can I take the bar exam with testing accommodations under the ADA?"
"How do I apply for test accommodations?"
"How do I become a proctor for the bar exam?"
"Which foreign educated students need to request an evaluation?"
"What are the fees collected by the Board?"
"How do I request a duplicate Notice/Letter of Certification?"
"How do I find out about the LSAT?"
"Where do I find out more about attorney registration?"
"Where do I find out more about CLE requirements?"
"Do I need to register with the Board before or while still at law school?"
"Can the Board provide a list of those schools which are ABA approved?"
Exam Dates and Deadlines
"When is the bar exam given and when do I apply?"
The bar exam is held twice a year, on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July.
| Dates of Examination | Application Filing Period |
| February 26-27, 2013 | November 1 – November 30, 2012 |
| July 30-31, 2013 | April 1 - April 30, 2013 |
There is no provision for late filing.
REPEATED WITHDRAWAL FROM THE EXAM/ FAILURE TO APPEAR : Pursuant to Board Rule 6000.6(i), any applicant who has withdrawn from or failed to appear for two or more bar examinations must apply to the Board for permission to re-apply before taking another bar examination. Applications to re-apply must be received in the Board's office two weeks before the filing deadline of the exam you wish to take. The filing deadlines cannot be waived or extended (see Board Rule 6000.10[b]).
Creating an Online Account
"How do I apply online?"
In order to apply online, you first create a user account by
clicking on "Online Application" on the Board’s homepage. You must
have a valid email account, which will be used for all email
correspondence by the Board. You will then be assigned a BOLE ID #,
which you should have available whenever contacting the Board either
by phone or by mail.
Exam Sites
"Where is the bar exam held?"
The bar examination is always held in Albany, New York City and
Buffalo and may also be given at other locations based on a variety
of factors including the availability of test sites. As test sites
are confirmed, the locations will be posted on the Board’s website.
The Board suggests that you contact your travel agent or visit the
Visitors and Convention Bureau of the location where you will be
taking the examination for information concerning hotel and travel
arrangements.
Seat Assignments
"When will I receive information regarding my seat assignment?"
Seating Tickets will generally become available by email to
qualified applicants approximately two weeks before the date of the
scheduled examination. At that time, Seating Tickets are also made
available to view and print from the home page of the Board’s
website. Applicants will need their BOLE ID Number to access their
Seating Ticket online. Applicants must present their Seating Ticket
to security in order to enter the examination. Therefore, it is
important to print and bring a copy of the Seating Ticket to the
exam. The seat number assigned in the Seating Ticket is the only
means of identification throughout the grading process. Each seat at
the examination has a number prominently displayed on a sticker. It
is critical that applicants sit in the correct seat, and include the
seat number on all examination materials.
Changing Test Center Location
"Can I change the test center I was assigned to?"
There are no waiting lists for test centers and changes to test
center assignments are only made in rare instances and only upon a
showing of good cause. Such requests must be mailed to the Board’s
office and must be in the form of an affidavit showing the location
requested, the reason for the request, and supporting documentation
if applicable (i.e., medical necessity verified by a doctor's
certificate). Mere convenience or geographical proximity is not
considered good cause. Requests will be decided based on good cause
shown and the availability of seats and decisions are completely within the
discretion of the Board.
Withdrawing from an Exam
"How do I withdraw from an exam? Will I lose the application fee?"
Should you decide to withdraw from the examination, notify the Board, in writing, by fax or by mail as soon as possible. The application fee is non-refundable except in extremely limited circumstances. If there are extenuating circumstances causing you to withdraw, you may request a credit. All such requests must be received in the Board’s office within 30 days of the exam from which you withdrew. All such requests must be in writing and accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. The reason for the withdrawal and the supporting documentation will be reviewed by the Board to determine if there is a valid basis to credit the fee. If you applied on-line and paid your fee by credit card, you may be held responsible for any penalties incurred by the Board should you cancel the credit card charge for any reason.
REPEATED WITHDRAWAL FROM THE EXAM/ FAILURE TO APPEAR -
Pursuant to Board Rule 6000.6(i), any applicant who has withdrawn
from or failed to appear for two or more bar examinations must apply
to the Board for permission to re-apply before taking another bar
examination. Applications to re-apply should be received in the
Board's office two weeks before the filing deadline of the exam you
wish to take. The filing deadlines cannot be waived or extended (see
Board Rule 6000.10[b]).
Applications must be in the form of an affidavit which means that
you must swear under oath and under penalty of perjury that its
contents are truthful and accurate, and your statement must be
witnessed by a notary. Applications must include:
(1) Your name, age, residence address, email address and phone
number;
(2) The facts which caused you to withdraw from or to fail to appear
for each and every bar examination, not just the most recent bar
exam; and
(3) The facts which support your request to re-apply including a
discussion of what steps you have taken - or what has changed in
your circumstances - to make it possible for you to appear for a
future exam.
Applications should include supporting documentation, wherever
possible, which confirms the reasons why you withdrew or failed to
appear for each and every exam. Examples include medical
documentation, police reports, death notices, employment letters and
the like. Please note that waiver petitions under Rule 6000.6(i)
will generally only be granted once absent extremely compelling
circumstances.
Release of Results
"When will I receive my results from the bar exam?"
While the Board does not set a specific date for the release of bar
exam results, historically results from the July examination are
released by mid-November, and the results of the February
examination are released by mid-May.
MBE Score Transfers
"How do I transfer my MBE scores to or from New York?"
Please see section on MBE score transfers
Changing Judicial Departments
"How do I change the Department I was assigned to?"
Upon successful completion of the bar examination, applicants are
certified to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the
Judicial Department where the last residence address the Board has
on file for the applicant is located. The applicant is mailed a
letter of certification which must be filed with the Appellate
Division as a part of the application for admission to the Bar. Once
an applicant has been certified by the Board, a change in Department
can only be made by application to the Presiding Justice of the
Department to which the applicant was certified.
Change of Address
"How do I change my address with the Board?"
Applicants have a continuing obligation until the release of
examination results to notify the Board of any change in their
residence, correspondence and/or email addresses. In addition, any
candidate who lives outside the state and works full-time in the
state must notify the Board of their New York employment address.
Seat assignments for the examination are based on the
address given at the time of application. Change of address requests
which affect seating for the bar examination may not be processed
until after the bar examination has been administered.
Candidates who pass the examination are certified to one of
the four Departments of the Appellate Division based on the address
on file with the Board on October 15 for a July exam and April 15
for a February exam. Once you are certified for admission, any
change of address MUST be made through the Appellate Division to
which you were certified and not through the Board. Applicants
may request a Change of Address by accessing their online account
HERE.
Admission Information
"What happens after I have taken and passed the bar exam?"
Admissions, Swearing In, and Character and Fitness:
Any questions regarding admission to the Bar, swearing in or the
character and fitness application materials should be directed to
the appropriate Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Each
applicant for admission should visit the website of the appropriate
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court by clicking on the link in
the box below to learn of their individual requirements or forms.
The telephone numbers and website links are as follows:
| First Department | (646) 386-5893 |
| Second Department | (718) 923-6360 |
| Third Department | (518) 471-4778 |
| Fourth Department | (585) 530-3100 |
Laptop Information
"Can I take the exam using my laptop?"
Please see section on the
Laptop Program
Test Accommodations (ADA)
"Can I take the bar exam with testing accommodations under the ADA?"
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (as
amended) it is the policy of the New York State Board of Law Examiners
to provide accommodations in testing conditions to applicants with
disabilities who are qualified candidates for the bar examination
to the extent such accommodations are timely requested, reasonable,
not unduly burdensome, consistent with the nature and purpose of the
examination and necessitated by the applicant's disability. Each applicant's request for test
accommodations is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Applicants
should carefully read Board Rule 6000.4 and the Boards test
accommodations hand book which covers the
requirements and procedures for requesting test accommodations and
the Board's review process.
"How do I apply for test accommodations?"
Please refer to the section on Test Accommodations
Proctoring the Bar Exam
"How do I become a proctor for the bar exam?"
See section on
Proctor Information on this website.
Foreign Legal Education Evaluations
"Who needs to request an evaluation by the Board?"
All applicants applying to sit for the bar examination under Section
520.6 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals (Study of Law in Foreign
County) must complete the Online Foreign Evaluation Form before they
may submit an application to sit for the New York bar examination.
Applicants should request an evaluation of their eligibility at
least one year in advance of the application filing period for the
examination which the applicant intends to sit.
For more information please visit the Foreign Legal Education section on this website.
Fees
"What are the fees collected by the Board?"
The fee for an on-line examination application must be paid with a
credit card (Visa or Master Card only). Debit cards are not
accepted. An on-line examination application is not complete until
successful credit card authorization. All other fees payable to the
Board must be in the form of a certified check or money order
payable to: "NYS Board of Law Examiners." (credit and debit cards
are not allowed for fees other than the online application). Fees
are as follows:
Examination Fee (by method of qualifying – see Judiciary Law section
465)
Section 520.3 (ABA approved law
schools).................................. $250
Section 520.4 (law office
study)................................................ $250
Section 520.5 (unapproved law)
................................................ $250
Section 520.6 (study of law in foreign
country)............................ $750
Duplicate Notice of
Certification................................................. $10
MBE score
transfer..................................................................
$50
Certificate of Legal Education (Admission on Motion
ONLY)............. $400
The following are available for 30 days following the release of the
results of the exam:
Copies of essay
questions.........................................................
$15
Copies of above average sample candidate
answers....................... $15
Copies of failed applicant’s own essay
answers.............................. $40
Note: Copies of the essay questions and above average sample
candidate answers are made available on our website approximately
one to two months after the results are released.
Duplicate Notices of Certifications
"How do I request a duplicate Notice/Letter of Certification?"
Requests for a duplicate Notice of Certification must be in writing,
and must include the applicant's name, address, Social Security
Number, and the month and year of the bar examination taken and
passed. The fee for a duplicate Notice of Certification is $10.00,
in the form of a certified check or money order payable to "NYS
Board of Law Examiners".
NOTE: The sole purpose for a Notice of Certification is for
presentation to the Supreme Court, Appellate Division in the
appropriate Judicial Department when applying for admission to the
Bar in New York State. Anyone who requires information for another
jurisdiction, such as confirmation of having taken and passed the
bar examination, need only make a written request including the
identifying information stated above, and we will prepare an
appropriate letter. There is no fee. The Board of Law Examiners
cannot confirm admission to the Bar or issue Certificates of Good
Standing. Such requests should be directed to the Supreme Court,
Appellate Division, in the Judicial Department in which the
applicant was admitted.
Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
For information on this examination, please visit
www.lsac.org
Attorney Registration
For information on New York State attorney registration and the
required fee, please call the Office of Court Administration at
(212) 428-2800 or visit them online at
http://www.courts.state.ny.us/attorneys/registration/index.shtml
Continuing Legal Education
For information on New York’s continuing legal education
requirements, please call the Office of Court Administration at (212)
428-2105, or visit them online at
http://www.courts.state.ny.us/attorneys/cle
Law Student Registration
"Do I need to register with the Board before or while still at law
school?"
New York does not require law students to pre-register with the Board.
The online application for the NYS Bar exam is available on this
website during the appropriate filing period of each exam.
American Bar Association Information
"Can the Board provide a list of those schools which are ABA
approved?"
For information on ABA accredited law schools, please contact the
American Bar Association at 750 North Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL
60611, or visit them online at
http://www.abanet.org/legaled
