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Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) Syllabus
200-question multiple-choice component of the bar exam testing core subjects, administered by NCBE.. The complete Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) outline — 7 subjects, 38 chapters and 136 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
4 chapters · 18 topics · 51 sub-topics
Contracts6 chapters · 21 topics · 54 sub-topics
Criminal Law and Procedure6 chapters · 19 topics · 54 sub-topics
Evidence5 chapters · 20 topics · 56 sub-topics
Real Property6 chapters · 19 topics · 49 sub-topics
Torts5 chapters · 20 topics · 51 sub-topics
Civil Procedure6 chapters · 19 topics · 48 sub-topics
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) flashcard decks
429 question-and-answer cards across 7 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
How to work through the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Contracts carries 21 topics while Constitutional Law carries 18. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Multistate Bar Examination (MBE).
The ~175 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) syllabus?
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) covers 7 subjects: Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, Torts and Civil Procedure. Together they contain 38 chapters and 136 named topics.
How many topics does the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) syllabus contain?
The full Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) outline breaks down into 38 chapters, 136 topics and 363 sub-topics. Contracts is the largest single subject with 21 topics across 6 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) syllabus?
Roughly 175 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 8 weeks.
Are there Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) flashcards?
Yes — 429 question-and-answer flashcards across 7 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United States and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
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