South Dakota Bar Exam Information
South Dakota Board of Bar Examiners
500 E. Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-4898
Subjects and Topics Tested
The South Dakota bar exam may test the following MBE and South Dakota Essay subjects:
July 2017 Exam
Filing Deadline: April 1
February 2018 Exam
Filing Deadline: November 1
Application Fees
Non-attorneys: $300
Attorneys: $300
Repeaters: $175
Laptop Fee: $100
Scoring and Grading
South Dakota requires exam takers to pass each portion of the exam separately to pass the overall exam. Passing requires a minimum score of 135 on the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), and an average of 75% or higher on the written portion. The written portion includes 5 Multistate Essay Exam questions, 1 Indian Law question, and 2 Multistate Performance Tests (MPT).
Bar Exam Dates
The South Dakota bar exam is administered twice per year – once in February and once in July.
Upcoming Exams
2017: July 25-26
2018: February 27-28 and July 24-25
Bar Exam Results
South Dakota bar exam results are typically released 12 weeks after the exam.
Bar Exam Format
The South Dakota bar exam is 2 days long and consists of the MBE, 5 MEE questions, 1 Indian Law questions, and 2 Multistate Performance Tests (MPT).
Tuesday
During the 3-hour morning session, 5 MEE questions, and 1 Indian Law question are administered. During the 3-hour afternoon session, 2 MPTs are administered.
Wednesday
100 MBE questions are administered in the 3-hour morning session, and 100 MBE questions are administered in the 3-hour afternoon session.
Reciprocity
The South Dakota Bar allows admission on motion if the applicant meets all requirements for admission, including: (1) admitted to practice law in another jurisdiction; (2) practicing law for the last 5 years; and (3) graduated from an ABA approved law school.
