From LSAT to MPRE to Bar Exam: Carrying Your Accommodations Forward
Do LSAT accommodations carry over to the MPRE or the bar exam?
No. Each exam has its own decision-maker: LSAC for the LSAT, NCBE for the MPRE, and each jurisdiction's board of bar examiners for the bar exam. Each requires its own application. Your LSAT approval becomes evidence in those applications, not an automatic approval.
Many students assume one approval follows them through law school. It doesn't, and the gap usually surfaces when a deadline is close. The best time to plan for the MPRE and the bar is while your LSAT and law school records are fresh.
The MPRE: four parts to a complete request
NCBE asks for four kinds of material through your NCBE Account:
Applicant information: the history of your impairment, your current limitations, and what you use to manage them. A personal narrative is optional.
Medical documentation: current, relevant documentation from a qualified professional that establishes your disability and the need for each accommodation.
Proof of past accommodations: documentation from every testing agency and school that accommodated you, including your law school and LSAC.
Standardized test score reports: required if you request extended time. NCBE asks for reports from all standardized tests you have taken, with or without accommodations.
Timing matters. NCBE recommends submitting by its Recommended Submission Date for your administration. Accommodations must be approved before you schedule your appointment with Pearson, and they cannot be added to an appointment that already exists.
The bar exam: one jurisdiction at a time
Bar exam accommodations are decided by the board of law examiners in the jurisdiction where you will sit, and each sets its own forms, documentation standards, and deadlines. Some deadlines fall months before the exam. Start with your jurisdiction's test accommodations page as soon as you know where you will apply.
Keep a record as you go
Save every approval letter, from college testing offices through LSAC and your law school's disability services office. Each later application asks for this history, and gathering it years later is much harder.
FAQ
Does my law school's approval count toward the bar? It is important evidence, but the bar examiners in your jurisdiction make their own decision.
When should I apply for MPRE accommodations? As early as possible, and by NCBE's Recommended Submission Date for your chosen administration.
Do I need new documentation for the bar exam? Often. Many jurisdictions require recent evaluations, so check your jurisdiction's requirements early.
Shana Ginsburg, Esq. is the founder of Ginsburg Legal Services and Ginsburg Advanced. She prepares accommodations requests for the LSAT, the MPRE, and bar exams.
This post is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
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