MBE Test Day Policies

person taking test with pencil

What to Bring and What Not to Bring 

Allowed Items

 Each jurisdiction will provide specific information regarding materials, including appropriate identification, that examinees are allowed to bring with them to the test center. 

Prohibited Items 

Examinees are not allowed to bring the following to a test room: 

  • Any electronic devices, including but not limited to
    • cell or mobile phones 
    • digital watches or timers 
    • fitness trackers 
    • media players 
    • headphones 
    • language translators 
    • picture-taking devices 
    • e-cigarettes 
  • firearms or other weapons 
  • written materials (including books and notes) 
  • scratch paper or paper of any kind 
  • mechanical pencils, mechanical erasers, pens, or highlighters 
  • rulers 
  • briefcases, handbags, or backpacks of any kind 
  • non-electronic watches or timers of any kind 
  • earplugs or earmuffs of any kind 
  • hats and/or hoods (except religious apparel) worn on the head 
  • food or beverages (unless pre-authorized by the testing jurisdiction) 

Examinees found in possession of prohibited items may be dismissed from the test, and their scores may be cancelled, as determined by the testing jurisdiction. 

Notice to Examinees: Prohibited Behaviors 

NCBE holds the copyright to the MBE and its content, and exam content may be considered for reuse in future exams or in copyrighted educational materials. Both disclosure of exam content and cheating on a test are prohibited, as such practices undermine the integrity and fairness of the examination process. 

The following conduct is prohibited and may result in immediate dismissal from the test center and/or cancellation of the examinee’s score: 

  • bringing unauthorized electronic devices (whether turned on or off) or unauthorized materials into the testing room 
  • taking test materials out of the testing room 
  • causing a disruption or disturbance 
  • copying answers from another examinee or sharing answers with another examinee 
  • continuing to work after a supervisor has instructed examinees to stop writing 

Examinees may not retain any test materials. All test materials must be returned intact to the test supervisor after testing. The following conduct is prohibited at all times, including after the examination: 

  • sharing the substance or details of any test question, including the question’s fact pattern, option choices, or answer, in whole or in part, with anyone via electronic (including email, blogs, and online social and professional networking sites), telephonic, written, oral, or other means 
  • reproducing, paraphrasing, summarizing, or describing to any other person any test content from memory 
  • forwarding, re-posting, hosting, or otherwise advancing, on the Internet or by other means, the distribution of exam content that others have disclosed 

NOTE: Jurisdictions may prohibit additional items and behavior, and examinees must follow the rules and policies of the jurisdiction in which they test. 

Unauthorized disclosure of exam content or engaging in prohibited conduct before, during, or after the examination could result in some or all of the following penalties: 

  • civil liability 
  • criminal penalties 
  • cancellation of the examinee’s test scores 
  • denial of the examinee’s application to sit for future exams 
  • denial of the examinee’s bar application on character and fitness grounds 
  • disciplinary action by a bar authority if the examinee is already admitted to practice law