Ky. Sup. Ct. R. 2.080 (2026)

(1) The Board of Bar Examiners shall examine such applicants as are certified to it as provided in SCR 2.040. The examination shall cover a period of two (2) days and may cover the subjects and skills tested on the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), as published on the website of the National Conference of Bar Examiners at www.ncbex.org.

(2) Beginning with the February 2021 Bar examination and continuing through the February 2027 Bar examination, the Board shall administer the UBE (also referenced and what will henceforth be referred to as the Legacy UBE) as prepared by the National Conference of Bar Examiners. Beginning with the July 2027 Bar examination, the Board shall administer what will henceforth be referred to as the NextGen UBE, as will be prepared by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

(3) The Board of Bar Examiners shall, thirty (30) days before each examination, report to the Supreme Court information regarding the examination, including, but not limited to, its location, number of applicants, special accommodations, and any other relevant information as determined by the Board.

(4) To pass the bar examination in Kentucky, an applicant must achieve a total score equal to or greater than 266 for the Legacy UBE and equal to or greater than 616 for the NextGen UBE. The National Conference of Bar Examiners will calculate scaled scores by the methodology NCBE uses for all UBE jurisdictions. Applicants must sit for all portions of the bar examination in the same administration in order to qualify for admission in Kentucky and earn a portable Legacy UBE score or NextGen UBE score that may be transferred to other UBE jurisdictions. Applicants who fail to earn the score required by the Board in five (5) or fewer attempts on the Kentucky Bar Examination, including attempts on the Legacy UBE or NextGen UBE taken in Kentucky or any other jurisdiction in February 2021 or after, shall not be permitted to sit for the Kentucky Bar Examination.

(5) For any applicant who completes the examination in written form, the papers containing the questions and answers given by the applicants to the written portion of the examination will be preserved by OBA Staff for a period of one (1) year from the time that the application for admission has been passed upon by the Supreme Court, and longer if so ordered by the Court.

(6) Upon recommendation of the Board, the Supreme Court may appoint qualified members of the Kentucky Bar, to be known as Bar Examination Graders, to assist the Board in the grading of examination papers. Persons so appointed shall hold those positions for terms of one (1) year and until the appointment of their successors.

Credits

HISTORY: Amended Order 2025-6, eff. 10-31-25; prior amendments eff. 1-5-25 (Order 2025-6), 9-1-20 (Order 2020-60); 1-1-21 (Order 2019-10), 1-1-20 (Order 2018-18), 1-1-19 (Order 2017-18), 7-29-19 (Order 2016-11), 1-1-10 (Order 2009-12), 1-1-02 (Order 2001-2); adopted by Order 88-2, eff. 1-1-89

Note: Former Rules of Appellate Procedure (RAP) were amended and redesignated as Rules of the Supreme Court (SCR) by Order of the Supreme Court effective January 1, 1978. Prior Rules of the Court of Appeals (RCA) had been redesignated as Rules of Appellate Procedure effective March 12, 1976.