South Dakota Bar Exam Information

Board of Bar Examiners
500 East Capitol
Pierre, SD 57501-5070
605.773.4898
http://www.sdjudicial.com

South Dakota Bar Exam Format

The South Dakota Bar Exam is a two-day exam. Day 1 consists of two 90-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) questions, five 30-minute Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) questions, and one Indian Law question. Day 2 is the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), a 200-question, multiple-choice exam.

Multistate Edge prepares you for the MBE portion of the South Dakota Bar Exam.

South Dakota Bar Exam Subjects: South Dakota/MEE Subjects (MBE Subjects are in bold)

Agency, Commercial Paper, Conflict of Laws, Corporations, Family Law, Federal Civil Procedure, Partnerships, Sales, Secured Transactions, Trusts & Future Interests, Wills & Estates, Indian Law (basic principles of Federal Indian Law, including, but not limited to, Civil & Criminal Jurisdiction, the Indian Civil Rights Act, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act; tribal laws or customary laws are not tested), Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Constitutional Law, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts

MPRE

A scaled score of 75 on the MPRE is required for admission. Previous scores achieved within 25 months of the date of application are accepted.

South Dakota Bar Exam Scoring and Results

The MBE and written scores are scaled, combined, and averaged to determine if a passing score was achieved. Results are released eight weeks after the bar exam.

Click here to see passage results for past South Dakota Bar Exams.

South Dakota Bar Exam MBE Reciprocity

South Dakota may, in its discretion, accept an MBE scaled score of 130 or higher, if taken within 25 months prior to the next bar exam, and the applicant passed the exam in the other jurisdiction.