Attorney Admission by Examination (Connecticut)
To practice law in Connecticut, applicants pass the bar exam given by the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee, satisfy a professional responsibility requirement, and pass a character and fitness review. Connecticut was one of the first jurisdictions to switch to the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination, starting with the July 2026 exam.
Regulator: Connecticut Bar Examining Committee (Connecticut Judicial Branch) · Last verified: October 18, 2026
Who can apply
- J.D. from an approved law school received at least seven days before the exam (or an approved LL.M. for applicants with approved foreign legal education)
- Professional responsibility requirement within four years before or one year after filing: MPRE scaled score of at least 80 reported directly by NCBE, or a grade of C or better in a professional responsibility course at an approved law school
- Character and fitness review; passing the exam does not by itself entitle a person to practice
- U.S. citizenship or lawful residence, including authorization to work in the U.S. (CT Practice Book Sec. 2-8(1))
- After four unsuccessful attempts on the CT exam, applicants may apply only for February administrations
Exam
- Exam
- NextGen Uniform Bar Examination (from July 2026)
- Format
- Fully computer based on the applicant's own laptop using NCBE's secure browser. Weighting: standalone multiple choice 49%, integrated question sets 21%, performance tasks 30%. Given the last consecutive Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July at the Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford.
- Questions
- Data unavailable
- Time
- Two days (1.5 days of testing per NCBE)
Passing score 616 on the 500 to 750 NextGen scale. Legacy UBE passing score was 266 on a 400 point scale. Upcoming dates: Feb. 23 to 24, 2027 and July 27 to 28, 2027. CT accepts transferred NextGen UBE scores from July 2026 with a minimum of 616; transferred MBE scores are not accepted. The July 2026 exam was capped at 600 applications.
Official fees
| Fee | Amount | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam application fee, first filing deadline | $900 | Filed March 1 to 31 (July exam) or Oct. 1 to 31 (February exam). Nonrefundable. | Official page |
| Exam application fee, final filing deadline | $1,000 | Filed April 1 to 30 (July exam) or Nov. 1 to 30 (February exam). Nonrefundable. | Official page |
| Application for admission by UBE score transfer | $850 | Regulations Art. X-1(B) | Official page |
| Application for admission without examination | $1,800 | Regulations Art. X-1(C) | Official page |
| MPRE test fee (paid to NCBE) | $185 | 2026 and 2027 administrations | Official page |
Only fees published by the issuer or regulator are listed. Blank amounts mean no official figure was available to verify.
Renewal and continuing education
Data unavailable
Timeline
July exam: applications open March 1, first deadline March 31, final deadline April 30. February exam: opens Oct. 1, first deadline Oct. 31, final deadline Nov. 30. Technology readiness steps must be completed at least seven days before the exam.
State rules
Connecticut administered the NextGen UBE in its first national administration (July 28 to 29, 2026). Its passing score is 616 and there is no separate Connecticut law component.
Related careers
| Occupation | National median wage |
|---|---|
| Lawyers | $159,670 |
Sources
- CT Bar Examining Committee: Bar Exam Page, accessed October 18, 2026
- CT Bar Examining Committee: Rules and Regulations, accessed October 18, 2026
- CT Bar Examining Committee: July 2026 NextGen UBE Application Limitation, accessed October 18, 2026
- NCBE NextGen UBE Decisions by Jurisdiction, accessed October 18, 2026
Verification notes
Attorney registration renewal and CLE requirements were not researched on official Judicial Branch pages, so renewal fields are null. The fee for the required exam software is mentioned as nonrefundable but no amount is published. The July 2026 notice said the fee was $900 for all applicants for that one administration; the general schedule is $900 or $1,000 by deadline.
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