WA · rules
Wash. Admission & Prac. R. 4
Examinations for Admission; Notification of Results
(a) Examinations. Examinations for admission to practice law shall be conducted by and
under the direction of the Bar. Examinations shall be held at such times and places as the Bar
may designate.
(b) Notification of Results. As soon as practicable after the completion of an examination,
applicants will be notified of the results. The Bar may disclose publicly the names of those
applicants who have passed an examination, but not the names of those who failed an
examination unless authorized by the applicant or these rules. There shall be no appeal or review
of examination results.
(c) Repeating Examinations. There is no limitation on the number of times an
unsuccessful lawyer or LPO applicant may apply for and take subsequent administrations of an
examination for admission. An LLLT applicant may repeat the examination for admission
without limitation on the number of times until the final administration of the LLLT examination
after which no examination will be administered.
(d) Lawyer Bar Examination. Unless otherwise provided by these rules, applicants for
admission to practice as a lawyer must take and pass the National Conference of Bar Examiners’
(NCBE) Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) and Multistate Professional Responsibility
Examination (MPRE).
(1) Washington’s minimum passing score for the legacy UBE is 260; the minimum passing
score for the NextGen UBE is 610.
(2) Washington’s MPRE minimum passing score is 85, which must be earned no earlier
than three years prior to and no later than 40 months after the date of the administration of the
UBE in which the applicant received the minimum passing score.
(3) The Bar may disclose the results of the lawyer bar examination to an applicant's law
school and the NCBE.
(e) LLLT Examination. Unless otherwise stated in these rules, all applicants for
admission to practice law in Washington as an LLLT must take and pass an LLLT practice area
examination and the LLLT professional responsibility examination.
(1) The practice area examination will test applicants on one specific practice area and
knowledge of LLLT scope of practice specific to that practice area.
(A) Each practice area examination shall be comprised of three parts: a multiple choice
section, an essay section, and a performance section.
(B) The duration, form, and manner of the exam shall be as prescribed by the LLLT Board.
(C) The minimum passing standard for the practice area examination is a score of 75
percent for each section of the examination. A failing grade in one section shall result in failure
of the examination, in which case grading of any remaining sections shall not be required.
(D) An applicant who fails the practice area examination may request a copy of their essay
and performance sections if graded. An applicant who passes the practice area examination will
not receive a copy of the examination.
(2) The LLLT professional responsibility examination will test applicants on their
knowledge of the LLLT Rules of Professional Conduct.
(A) The professional responsibility examination shall be comprised of one multiple choice
section.
(B) The minimum passing standard for the professional responsibility examination is a
score of 75 percent.
(C) The professional responsibility examination must be passed no earlier than 18 months
and no later than 40 months from the date of the administration of the practice area examination
in which the applicant receives a passing score.
(f) LPO Examination. All applicants for admission to practice law in Washington as an
LPO must take and pass the LPO examination, which shall test applicants on the legal
knowledge and skills required for LPO practice, as well as the permissible scope of practice for
an LPO and the LPO RPCs. There is not a separate professional responsibility examination.
(1) The LPO examination consists of three parts: a multiple choice examination, an essay
examination, and a performance examination.
(2) The minimum passing standard for the examination is 75 percent for each section, and
applicants must pass all three sections. A failing grade in one section shall result in failure of the
examination, in which case grading of any remaining sections shall not be required.
(3) Those applicants who fail the examination will be informed of their score on each
graded section of the examination.
(4) Copies of the examination shall not be available to any applicant.
History
[Adopted effective February 12, 1965; Amended effective July 1, 1974; September 1, 1984; December 24, 2002; January 13, 2009; January 1, 2014; September 1, 2017; September 1, 2021; April 2, 2024; September 1, 2025; December 17, 2025.]
Provenance
- Source
- www.courts.wa.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-16
- Edition
- 2026-09-16
- Content hash
599eeb3848c70f07bbe4a1fd8bcd7da7eb23e3545b46d2fcebb1e21b5c215463
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