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Reviewed by:
Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 01/18/23
If you’re preparing to write the MPRE and don’t know where to start, read on to learn more about how to create the best MPRE study schedule.
Like most exams, when studying for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), you should prioritize both knowledge and application.
Since the MPRE exam tests aspiring law students' understanding of established standards relating to the professional conduct of lawyers, there is a large element of memorization required for this exam.
Students must memorize the professional rules and regulations lawyers are bound by, and know how to apply these rules to different scenarios.
Balancing both these components of memorization and application can be challenging. You might be wondering how long to study for the MPRE to make sure you’re well-prepared for it.
Rest assured, this guide will answer all of your MPRE study concerns. We’ll give you a sample MPRE study schedule to follow or adapt, depending on your timeline and study resources!
There isn’t a perfect timeline you can follow to ensure you’re prepared for the MPRE. While some students claim one week of studying was more than enough for them to pass, others say they studied for over a month and still failed on their first attempt.
Regardless, the sweet spot is generally three to four weeks. This gives you enough time to go through all of the necessary material at a moderate pace and put your knowledge to practice.
Many students also opt to take a professional responsibility course before the MPRE, which can help reduce the amount of time required for them to prepare for the exam.
Compared to other law exams, such as the LSAT, the MPRE is generally considered to be relatively easy in the sense that the material itself isn’t difficult to understand. For most students, the difficulty lies in knowing how to properly apply the rules to scenarios, which is why practice is key!
Luckily, the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), the administrators of the MPRE, have created a comprehensive list of the major subject matter you can expect to find on the exam.
The majority of the questions you’ll be asked will be based on the American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct and Model Code of Judicial Conduct.
You’ll have to not only understand these rules, but also how they work in order to pass the MPRE. This is why we recommend you follow a two-step study process that involves first memorizing the rules and then practicing applying them.
While this may seem overwhelming, the majority of students find it unnecessary to spend too much time memorizing the Model Code of Judicial Conduct; these rules tend to be more logical and easier to follow.
As such, you should focus the majority of your studies on thoroughly grasping the Rules of Professional Conduct. Once you feel comfortable with all of these rules, you should move on to completing several practice questions and exams.
NCBE offers free practice questions that can be a good starting point in your practice. Once you’ve completed these questions, NCBE also has full simulated MPRE exams and an official study aid with 210 past MPRE questions that you can purchase through their website.
Alternatively, if you feel you want more one-on-one help, Juris’ 99th percentile tutors offer targeted help and practice questions to make studying for and passing the MPRE as hassle-free as possible!
Keeping track of all of the materials and practice sessions you should include in your study schedule may seem daunting. So, here is a visual example of what your two-step study schedule might look like.
Since the majority of law students dedicate two to four weeks to studying for the MPRE, this schedule will follow a three-week study period of studying 8-10 hours per week:
This study schedule follows the most logical sequence of studying: first fully reading the rules and keywords, then memorizing and deconstructing them, and finally putting them to practice.
Depending on the time you’ve allotted to study for the MPRE, you can adjust this schedule accordingly. During your practice sessions, you will gain a better understanding of whether or not you know how to properly deconstruct the rules.
If you find you are consistently answering questions wrong, don’t worry, it’s an easy fix! You’ll have to just go over the rules again to find what you’re missing or seek external help to get you on the right track! It’s also suggested that all students read the comments of each rule to get a better understanding of how they’re applied in real life!
Download your MPRE study schedule below!
For any remaining questions about creating the most efficient MPRE study schedule, read on to find your answers.
There isn’t really a set amount of time that students study for the MPRE. As we stated, many students study for less than a week, while others spend more than a month preparing for the exam.
However, it’s generally advised that students spend three to four weeks preparing for this exam to maximize their chances of passing on the first try.
Technically, you can. Based solely on past students' track records, there have been test takers who studied for one week and aced the MPRE. That being said, only studying for one week will limit your potential and increase your risk of having to retake the exam.
By giving yourself enough time to study you can reduce your stress and feel more confident going into the exam!
To pass the MPRE on the first try you should first set aside enough time to go through all of the rules and practice them, following our two-step study suggestion. You should also use the right resources to get to your target score easier!
Yes, considering the highest MPRE passing score required is an 86, a 97 is a good score.
The MPRE is not like the LSAT; a higher score will not result in more opportunity. You just need to pass the MPRE to meet your state’s standards, so any score at or above passing is good.
A month is typically more than enough time to prepare for the MPRE. If you set your schedule for longer than this you risk procrastinating or studying ineffectively by covering little material over a long time period, inhibiting your memorization skills.
When studying for the MPRE, your main goal should be to do so as easily and effectively as possible! You’ll already be stressed about completing your JD and the stress of passing the bar exam.
Considering your MPRE will likely be the easiest milestone in your legal journey, ensure you create an effective study schedule, like the one illustrated here, to avoid procrastination and make the experience as stress-free as possible!
