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200+ Free IA Bar Practice Questions

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A homeowner hires a contractor to remodel a kitchen for $50,000. After completing 90% of the work, the contractor abandons the project without justification. The homeowner hires another contractor to finish the work for $10,000. What can the original contractor recover?

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: IA Bar Exam

260

Passing UBE Score (July 2026+)

Iowa Board of Law Examiners / NCBE

200

MBE Questions (Day 2)

NCBE Uniform Bar Examination

6 MEE + 2 MPT

Written Components (Day 1)

NCBE Uniform Bar Examination

50% / 30% / 20%

MBE / MEE / MPT Weight

NCBE Uniform Bar Examination

$550-$800

Application Fee (2026)

Iowa Board of Law Examiners

100+

Practice Questions Here

OpenExamPrep question bank

The Iowa Bar Exam is the Uniform Bar Examination with a passing score of 260 (effective July 2026; previously 266). It is given over two days: Day 1 is the written portion (six MEE essays weighted 30% and two MPT tasks weighted 20%), and Day 2 is the 200-question MBE weighted 50%. The MBE tests the seven core subjects (Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, Torts), while the MEE adds Business Associations, Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Trusts & Estates, and Secured Transactions. Iowa-specific law is most relevant on essays - notably modified comparative fault with the 51% bar (Iowa Code ch. 668), the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, no-fault dissolution (ch. 598), and the race-notice recording act. Iowa moves to the NextGen Bar Exam in July 2027.

Sample IA Bar Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your IA Bar exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 200+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Iowa adopted the Uniform Bar Examination. Which three components make up the Iowa UBE, and what is their respective weighting toward the total scaled score?
A.MBE (50%), MEE (30%), MPT (20%)
B.MBE (40%), MEE (40%), MPT (20%)
C.MBE (60%), MEE (25%), MPT (15%)
D.MBE (50%), MEE (25%), MPT (25%)
Explanation: The UBE administered in Iowa consists of the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), weighted 50%; the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), weighted 30%; and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), weighted 20%. The three component scores are combined into a single portable UBE score on a 400-point scale.
2What is the minimum passing UBE score required for admission to the Iowa bar for the July 2026 and later administrations?
A.266
B.260
C.270
D.280
Explanation: Iowa lowered its UBE passing score to 260 effective with the July 2026 administration (it was 266 for exams prior to July 2026). The UBE score is portable, so an applicant scoring 260 or above may transfer the score to other jurisdictions that accept a 260 cut score.
3A plaintiff files a negligence petition in Iowa District Court but, due to an oversight, fails to serve the original notice on the defendant within 90 days of filing the petition. The defendant moves to dismiss. Under the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, what is the most likely outcome if the plaintiff cannot show good cause?
A.The action is dismissed with prejudice, barring refiling
B.Service is deemed effective by operation of law after 90 days
C.The action is dismissed without prejudice, or the court directs an alternate time or manner of service
D.The court must grant a mandatory 60-day extension regardless of cause
Explanation: Under Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 1.302(5), if the original notice is not served within 90 days after the petition is filed, the court shall dismiss the action without prejudice as to that defendant or direct an alternate time or manner of service, unless the plaintiff shows good cause for the failure. This mirrors but is distinct from federal Rule 4(m).
4A citizen of Iowa sues a citizen of Nebraska in federal court in the Southern District of Iowa, alleging $90,000 in damages from a car accident that occurred in Iowa. Which basis of subject-matter jurisdiction, if any, supports the federal suit?
A.Federal-question jurisdiction, because car accidents implicate interstate commerce
B.Supplemental jurisdiction, because the claim is related to a federal claim
C.No federal subject-matter jurisdiction, because the amount in controversy does not exceed $75,000
D.Diversity jurisdiction, because the parties are completely diverse
Explanation: Under 28 U.S.C. Section 1332, diversity jurisdiction requires complete diversity of citizenship and an amount in controversy exceeding $75,000. Here the parties are diverse (Iowa vs. Nebraska) and $90,000 exceeds the threshold, so diversity jurisdiction exists. State tort claims like negligence are routinely heard in diversity.
5Under International Shoe Co. v. Washington and its progeny, a state court may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant only if the defendant has which of the following?
A.Minimum contacts with the forum such that exercising jurisdiction does not offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice
B.Physical presence in the forum state at the time of service
C.Consent that is express and in writing
D.Property located within the forum state
Explanation: International Shoe Co. v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310 (1945), established that due process permits personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant who has 'minimum contacts' with the forum such that maintaining the suit does not offend 'traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice.' This replaced the rigid territorial rule of Pennoyer v. Neff.
6A federal court sitting in diversity in Iowa must decide whether to apply Iowa's substantive comparative-fault statute or a different rule. Under the Erie doctrine, which law governs?
A.Federal common law of torts
B.The substantive law of Iowa, including its comparative-fault statute
C.The law of the state where the federal court is located only for procedural matters
D.The Restatement (Second) of Torts as adopted by federal courts
Explanation: Under Erie R.R. v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64 (1938), a federal court sitting in diversity must apply the substantive law of the forum state, including its conflict-of-laws rules. Iowa's modified comparative-fault statute (Iowa Code ch. 668) is substantive and therefore governs the diversity tort claim.
7An Iowa plaintiff amends her petition after the statute of limitations has run to add a new negligence theory arising from the same car accident already pleaded. The defendant argues the amendment is time-barred. Under the relation-back doctrine, when will the amendment be deemed timely?
A.Never, because any amendment after limitations is automatically barred
B.Only if the defendant consents in writing to the amendment
C.When the amended claim arose out of the same conduct, transaction, or occurrence set forth in the original pleading
D.Only if the amendment adds a new defendant who had notice
Explanation: Under Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 1.402(5), an amendment relates back to the date of the original pleading when the claim asserted arose out of the conduct, transaction, or occurrence set forth or attempted to be set forth in the original pleading. Because the new theory stems from the same accident, it relates back and is timely.
8Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, a court should grant summary judgment when which of the following is true?
A.The moving party is more likely than not to prevail at trial
B.The pleadings alone, without affidavits, favor the movant
C.The non-moving party has failed to request a jury trial
D.There is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law
Explanation: Under FRCP 56(a), summary judgment is proper if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The court views the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-movant (Celotex; Anderson v. Liberty Lobby).
9A state statute prohibits all door-to-door solicitation, including non-commercial political and religious advocacy. A canvasser challenges the statute under the First Amendment. Which level of scrutiny applies to the content-neutral restriction, and what must the state show?
A.Intermediate scrutiny; the regulation must be narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest and leave open ample alternative channels
B.Rational basis; the state need only show a legitimate interest
C.Strict scrutiny automatically, because all speech regulations are presumptively invalid
D.No scrutiny; door-to-door solicitation is unprotected conduct
Explanation: A content-neutral time, place, and manner restriction on speech in a public or quasi-public forum is reviewed under intermediate scrutiny: it must be narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest and leave open ample alternative channels of communication (Ward v. Rock Against Racism). Door-to-door canvassing is protected expression (Watchtower Bible v. Stratton).
10Congress enacts a statute regulating the sale of homegrown wheat consumed entirely on the grower's own farm, finding that such activity in the aggregate affects the national wheat market. A farmer challenges the law as exceeding Congress's commerce power. How should a court most likely rule under the Commerce Clause?
A.The law is unconstitutional because purely local activity cannot be regulated
B.The law is constitutional because, in the aggregate, the activity substantially affects interstate commerce
C.The law is unconstitutional unless the wheat actually crossed state lines
D.The law is constitutional only if Congress also imposes a tax
Explanation: Under Wickard v. Filburn, 317 U.S. 111 (1942), Congress may regulate even purely local, non-commercial activity if, viewed in the aggregate, it substantially affects interstate commerce. Homegrown wheat consumed on the farm reduces market demand, so its aggregate effect supports federal regulation.

About the IA Bar Exam

The Iowa Bar Examination is the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), administered over two days by the Iowa Board of Law Examiners under the Iowa Supreme Court. It consists of the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE, 200 multiple-choice questions, weighted 50%), the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE, six 30-minute essays, weighted 30%), and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT, two 90-minute tasks, weighted 20%). Iowa lowered its passing score to 260 for the July 2026 and later administrations. The UBE score is portable to other UBE jurisdictions. Iowa plans to begin administering the NCBE's NextGen Bar Exam in July 2027.

Questions

200 scored questions

Time Limit

2 days (Day 1: 6 MEE essays + 2 MPTs; Day 2: 200 MBE)

Passing Score

260 (July 2026 and later; 266 for exams before July 2026)

Exam Fee

$800 (attorneys) / $550 (unlicensed first-time or repeat applicants) (Iowa Board of Law Examiners, Iowa Supreme Court)

IA Bar Exam Content Outline

50%

MBE Core Subjects

Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts tested through 200 multiple-choice questions across two 3-hour sessions

30%

MEE Essay Subjects

Six 30-minute essays drawing on MBE subjects plus Business Associations (agency, partnership, corporations, LLCs), Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Trusts & Estates, and Secured Transactions (UCC Article 9)

20%

MPT Performance Tasks

Two 90-minute closed-universe tasks simulating real legal work - drafting persuasive briefs, memoranda, demand letters, or contract provisions from a provided file and library

Tested

Iowa Comparative Fault (ch. 668)

Iowa's modified comparative-fault rule bars recovery when the plaintiff's fault exceeds the defendants' combined fault (the 51% bar); a defendant under 50% fault is severally (proportionally) liable under Iowa Code 668.4

Tested

Iowa Civil Procedure & Property

Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure (90-day service, relation-back, long-arm under Iowa Code 617.3), statute of limitations (Iowa Code 614.1), race-notice recording act (ch. 558), abolition of dower/curtesy, and elective share (Iowa Code 633.238)

Tested

Iowa Family Law (ch. 598)

Pure no-fault dissolution of marriage, equitable distribution of property, statutory joint-custody preference (Iowa Code 598.41), and the 90-day waiting period before a decree

How to Pass the IA Bar Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 260 (July 2026 and later; 266 for exams before July 2026)
  • Exam length: 200 questions
  • Time limit: 2 days (Day 1: 6 MEE essays + 2 MPTs; Day 2: 200 MBE)
  • Exam fee: $800 (attorneys) / $550 (unlicensed first-time or repeat applicants)

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

IA Bar Study Tips from Top Performers

1Prioritize the MBE - it is 50% of the UBE score. Complete at least 1,500-2,000 timed practice questions across all seven subjects, and review every wrong answer to learn the underlying rule (Erie, International Shoe, FRE 403/801/803, UCC 2-207)
2Drill Iowa's modified comparative fault: a plaintiff whose fault is greater than the combined fault of the defendants recovers nothing (the 51% bar under Iowa Code 668.3), and damages are otherwise reduced in proportion to the plaintiff's own fault
3Memorize the MEE-only subjects cold - Business Associations, Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Trusts & Estates, and Secured Transactions appear on essays but not the MBE, so they are easy to underprepare
4For Iowa civil procedure, know the 90-day service deadline (dismissal without prejudice or alternate service), relation-back of amendments, the long-arm statute (Iowa Code 617.3), and the two-year personal-injury statute of limitations (Iowa Code 614.1)
5Practice MPT tasks under strict 90-minute timing - the MPT tests skills, not memorized law, so use the provided file and library to organize, follow the task memo exactly, and manage your time
6Write practice essays in IRAC format and self-grade against released NCBE point sheets; the MEE rewards issue spotting and clear rule statements over exhaustive but disorganized analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the passing score for the Iowa Bar Exam?

Iowa requires a passing UBE score of 260 for the July 2026 and later administrations (it was 266 for exams before July 2026). Because Iowa administers the Uniform Bar Examination, the score is portable - applicants who meet or exceed 260 may transfer their UBE score to other jurisdictions that accept that cut score.

How is the Iowa Bar Exam structured?

The Iowa Bar Exam is the Uniform Bar Examination given over two days. Day 1 consists of the written portion: six 30-minute Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) questions and two 90-minute Multistate Performance Test (MPT) tasks. Day 2 is the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE): 200 multiple-choice questions in two 3-hour sessions. The MBE is weighted 50%, the MEE 30%, and the MPT 20%.

How much does the Iowa Bar Exam cost?

The standard application fee is $800 for attorney applicants. Applicants who have previously applied for the Iowa bar exam and have never been licensed to practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction pay a reduced fee of $550. An additional laptop fee of about $122 applies if you use a laptop. The application deadline is generally April 1 for the July administration.

What subjects are tested on the Iowa Bar Exam?

The MBE tests seven subjects: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts. The MEE essays add Business Associations (agency, partnership, corporations, LLCs), Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Trusts & Estates, and Secured Transactions (UCC Article 9). Iowa-specific distinctions - such as modified comparative fault, the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, and no-fault dissolution - are most likely to surface on the essays.

What Iowa-specific law should I know for the bar exam?

Key Iowa distinctions include modified comparative fault under Iowa Code chapter 668 (the 51% bar, where a plaintiff whose fault exceeds the defendants' combined fault recovers nothing) and several liability for defendants under 50% fault. Also important are the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure (90-day service deadline, long-arm statute Iowa Code 617.3, two-year personal-injury limitations under 614.1), pure no-fault dissolution and equitable distribution (chapter 598), the race-notice recording act (chapter 558), and the abolition of dower and curtesy in favor of the surviving spouse's elective share (Iowa Code 633.238).

Is Iowa switching to the NextGen Bar Exam?

Yes. Iowa plans to begin administering the NCBE's NextGen Bar Exam in July 2027. The NextGen exam is broadly similar to the current UBE but integrates the testing of legal knowledge with foundational lawyering skills - such as legal research and writing, issue spotting, and client counseling - rather than separating them into distinct MBE, MEE, and MPT components. The current UBE format remains in effect for the February and July 2026 administrations.