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200+ Free SC Bar Practice Questions

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: SC Bar Exam

266/400

Minimum Passing UBE Score

SC Supreme Court Board of Law Examiners

200

MBE Questions (50% of score)

NCBE / SC Board of Law Examiners

6 MEE + 2 MPT

Written Components (Day 1)

SC Board of Law Examiners

$1,000

Regular Application Fee

SC Office of Bar Admissions (2026)

Feb & July

Administrations Per Year

SC Board of Law Examiners

100+

Practice Questions Here

OpenExamPrep question bank

The South Carolina Bar Exam is the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) with a passing score of 266 out of 400. Day 1 (written): six MEE essays (30%) and two MPTs (20%). Day 2 (MBE, 50%): 200 multiple-choice questions in two 3-hour sessions. The MEE and MPT use standardized NCBE materials rather than South Carolina-specific essays, so SC law is tested separately through the mandatory Course of Study on South Carolina Law — an 11-module video course covering SC distinctions such as modified comparative negligence (51% bar), fact pleading, the SC Probate Code, and SC family law. The application fee is $1,000, the MPRE requires a 77, and the exam is offered the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July.

Sample SC Bar Practice Questions

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

1Unlike the federal courts, which use notice pleading under FRCP 8, what pleading standard governs civil complaints filed in the South Carolina Court of Common Pleas?
A.Fact pleading, requiring a short and plain statement of the facts showing entitlement to relief
B.Notice pleading identical to the Federal Rules
C.Code pleading requiring election of a single legal theory before trial
D.Verified pleading requiring all complaints to be signed under oath
Explanation: South Carolina is a fact-pleading jurisdiction. SCRCP Rule 8(a) requires a pleading to contain a short and plain statement of the facts showing that the pleader is entitled to relief — more demanding than the federal notice-pleading standard. Because facts must be pleaded, the SCRCP 12(c) motion for judgment on the pleadings carries greater significance than its federal counterpart.
2A defendant is personally served with a summons and complaint in a South Carolina Court of Common Pleas action. Under the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, how long does the defendant generally have to serve an answer?
A.20 days after service of the complaint
B.30 days after service of the complaint
C.21 days after service of the complaint
D.60 days after service of the complaint
Explanation: SCRCP Rule 12(a) provides that a defendant shall serve an answer within 30 days after service of the complaint, unless the court directs otherwise. This differs from FRCP 12(a)'s 21-day default. Knowing South Carolina's 30-day response time is a recurring point of distinction from federal practice tested in the Course of Study on South Carolina Law.
3A plaintiff wishes to sue for breach of a service contract seeking $6,800 in damages. Which South Carolina trial court has subject-matter jurisdiction to hear this purely money claim at the lowest level?
A.The Court of Common Pleas, which has exclusive jurisdiction over all contract actions
B.The probate court, because it involves a written instrument
C.The magistrate's court, because the amount in controversy does not exceed $7,500
D.The Court of Appeals, as a court of original jurisdiction
Explanation: Under S.C. Code Ann. § 22-3-10, magistrate's courts have civil jurisdiction over contract and tort claims where the amount in controversy does not exceed $7,500. A $6,800 contract claim falls within that limit, so it may be brought in magistrate's court. The Court of Common Pleas has concurrent jurisdiction but is not the lowest-level court for the claim.
4In a federal diversity action filed in the District of South Carolina, the court must decide whether to apply state or federal law to a question of the burden of proof. Under the Erie doctrine, which law governs?
A.Federal law, because burden of proof is procedural
B.Whichever law the parties stipulate to in the pretrial order
C.Federal common law developed for diversity cases
D.South Carolina substantive law, because allocation of the burden of proof is outcome-determinative
Explanation: Under Erie R.R. v. Tompkins and its progeny, a federal court sitting in diversity applies state substantive law and federal procedural law. The allocation of the burden of proof is treated as substantive because it is outcome-determinative, so the federal court applies South Carolina's burden-of-proof rule. This is classic MBE Civil Procedure analysis.
5A California corporation with its principal place of business in California is sued in federal court in South Carolina by a South Carolina citizen seeking $90,000. The corporation has no contacts with South Carolina. What is the most accurate statement about jurisdiction?
A.Subject-matter jurisdiction exists, but the court lacks personal jurisdiction absent minimum contacts with South Carolina
B.Subject-matter jurisdiction is proper because the parties are diverse and the amount exceeds $75,000
C.The court has both subject-matter jurisdiction and personal jurisdiction over the corporation
D.Neither subject-matter nor personal jurisdiction exists
Explanation: Diversity subject-matter jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1332 is satisfied: complete diversity exists and the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000. However, personal jurisdiction requires the defendant to have minimum contacts with the forum under International Shoe v. Washington. With no contacts in South Carolina, the court cannot exercise personal jurisdiction over the California corporation.
6Which South Carolina trial court is the court of general jurisdiction for major civil actions, sitting as the "Court of Common Pleas" on its civil docket?
A.The magistrate's court
B.The circuit court
C.The family court
D.The master-in-equity court
Explanation: South Carolina's circuit court is the state's court of general jurisdiction. On its civil side it is called the Court of Common Pleas, and on its criminal side the Court of General Sessions. It has original jurisdiction over civil cases unless a lower court has been given exclusive jurisdiction.
7A plaintiff sues two defendants jointly. Under SCRCP Rule 15, a party may amend a pleading once as a matter of course before a responsive pleading is served. Which statement best reflects amendment practice after that point?
A.No further amendments are ever permitted once an answer is filed
B.Amendments are automatically allowed up to the day of trial without court involvement
C.Further amendments require leave of court, which shall be freely given when justice so requires
D.Only the court may amend the pleadings after an answer is filed
Explanation: SCRCP Rule 15(a), like FRCP 15(a), allows one amendment as a matter of course before a responsive pleading is served; thereafter a party may amend only by leave of court or written consent of the adverse party, and leave shall be freely given when justice so requires. The liberal-amendment policy promotes resolution on the merits.
8A federal plaintiff moves for summary judgment under FRCP 56. When is summary judgment appropriate?
A.Whenever the judge believes the moving party is more likely than not to win
B.Only after a full trial on the merits has concluded
C.Whenever the nonmoving party fails to request a jury trial
D.When 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) and Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, summary judgment is granted when 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 nonmoving party and does not weigh credibility. South Carolina's SCRCP Rule 56 mirrors this standard.
9Under SCRCP Rule 12(b), which of the following defenses is NOT waived if omitted from a pre-answer motion or the responsive pleading?
A.Lack of subject-matter jurisdiction
B.Lack of personal jurisdiction
C.Improper venue
D.Insufficiency of service of process
Explanation: Like FRCP 12(h), SCRCP Rule 12(h) provides that lack of subject-matter jurisdiction can be raised at any time, even on appeal, and is never waived. By contrast, the disfavored defenses of personal jurisdiction, venue, process, and service of process are waived if not timely asserted in a Rule 12 motion or responsive pleading.
10A South Carolina circuit court enters a final judgment on the merits in favor of the defendant. The plaintiff later sues the same defendant on the same cause of action. Which doctrine bars the second suit?
A.Issue preclusion (collateral estoppel)
B.Claim preclusion (res judicata)
C.The law-of-the-case doctrine
D.The doctrine of laches
Explanation: Claim preclusion (res judicata) bars relitigation of the same cause of action between the same parties after a valid, final judgment on the merits. It precludes not only claims actually litigated but those that could have been raised in the first action. Issue preclusion is narrower, barring only relitigation of specific issues actually decided.

About the SC Bar Exam

The South Carolina Bar Examination is the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), administered over two days by the Supreme Court Board of Law Examiners. Day 1 consists of six Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) essays and two Multistate Performance Tests (MPTs); Day 2 is the 200-question Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). The MBE is 50% of the score, the MEE 30%, and the MPT 20%, with a passing UBE score of 266. South Carolina is not a NextGen jurisdiction in 2026 (it plans to adopt the NextGen exam in July 2028). Separately, every applicant must complete the Board's Course of Study on South Carolina Law — an 11-module video series on how SC law differs from federal and national practice — before being sworn in.

Questions

200 scored questions

Time Limit

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

Passing Score

266/400 (UBE)

Exam Fee

$1,000 (South Carolina Supreme Court Board of Law Examiners)

SC Bar Exam Content Outline

50%

Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)

200 multiple-choice questions across the seven MBE subjects: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts & Sales (UCC Art. 2), Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts. The MBE is scored and scaled by NCBE and is half of the UBE total.

30%

Multistate Essay Examination (MEE)

Six 30-minute essays. Beyond the MBE subjects, the MEE may test Business Associations (agency, partnerships, corporations, LLCs), Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Trusts & Estates, and Secured Transactions (UCC Art. 9).

20%

Multistate Performance Test (MPT)

Two 90-minute closed-universe lawyering tasks. Each provides a File and a Library and requires the applicant to complete a realistic legal task (memo, brief, letter) without outside law.

Separate requirement

Course of Study on South Carolina Law

An 11-module video series required for admission (not graded on the UBE). It covers how SC law differs from national practice: SC civil procedure, modified comparative negligence, real property and recording, wills and probate (Title 62), family law, and criminal law.

Tested via SC Law Course

South Carolina Civil Procedure Distinctions

Fact pleading (not notice pleading), 30-day answer deadline, Court of Common Pleas vs. Court of General Sessions, exclusive family-court jurisdiction, magistrate's court $7,500 civil limit, and judicial-foreclosure practice.

Tested via SC Law Course

South Carolina Substantive Distinctions

Modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar (Nelson v. Concrete Supply), § 15-38-15 several liability below 50% fault, race-notice recording (§ 30-7-10), 10-year adverse possession, SC Probate Code 1/3 elective share, no holographic wills, and one-year no-fault divorce.

How to Pass the SC Bar Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 266/400 (UBE)
  • Exam length: 200 questions
  • Time limit: 2 days (Day 1: 6 MEE essays + 2 MPTs; Day 2: 200 MBE)
  • Exam fee: $1,000

Keys to Passing

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

SC Bar Study Tips from Top Performers

1Treat the MBE as the highest-leverage component — it is 50% of the UBE score; aim to complete 1,500+ timed multiple-choice questions and review every wrong answer's rule and distractors
2For South Carolina law, memorize the headline distinctions: modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar (Nelson v. Concrete Supply), fact pleading, a 30-day answer deadline, and the race-notice recording act (§ 30-7-10)
3Learn the South Carolina court structure cold: circuit court sits as the Court of Common Pleas (civil) and the Court of General Sessions (criminal); the family court has exclusive domestic jurisdiction; magistrate's court handles civil claims up to $7,500
4Master the SC Probate Code (Title 62) numbers — intestate spouse takes one-half if there are descendants (all if none), the elective share is a flat one-third, and South Carolina does not recognize holographic wills
5Know SC family law: the only no-fault divorce ground is one year of separation in separate residences, common-law marriage was abolished July 24, 2019 (Stone v. Thompson), and property is divided by equitable apportionment, not community property
6Complete the Course of Study on South Carolina Law early — it is an 11-module video series required before admission, and its content overlaps the SC distinctions you will want to know for practice

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the passing score for the South Carolina Bar Exam?

South Carolina requires a Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) scaled score of 266 out of 400. The MBE is weighted 50%, the MEE 30%, and the MPT 20%. Because South Carolina is a UBE jurisdiction, a qualifying score may be transferable to other UBE states, and applicants may transfer in an eligible UBE score earned elsewhere.

How is the South Carolina Bar Exam structured?

The exam is administered over two days. Day 1 consists of six 30-minute Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) essays and two 90-minute Multistate Performance Tests (MPTs). Day 2 is the 200-question Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) given in two three-hour sessions. The exam is offered on the last consecutive Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July.

Does the South Carolina Bar Exam test South Carolina-specific law?

The UBE itself uses standardized NCBE materials, so the MEE essays and MPT tasks are not South Carolina-specific. Instead, South Carolina tests its own law through a separate mandatory requirement: the Course of Study on South Carolina Law, an 11-module video series that every applicant must complete before being admitted. It covers how SC law differs in civil procedure, torts, property, wills, family law, and criminal law.

What South Carolina distinctions should I know for practice in the state?

Key South Carolina distinctions include modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar (Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co.), fact pleading rather than notice pleading, a 30-day deadline to answer, the race-notice recording act (§ 30-7-10), a 10-year adverse-possession period, judicial foreclosure of mortgages, a flat one-third spousal elective share under the Probate Code, no holographic wills, and a single one-year-separation no-fault divorce ground.

Is South Carolina adopting the NextGen bar exam?

Not yet. In 2026 South Carolina still administers the traditional Uniform Bar Examination (MBE, MEE, and MPT). South Carolina has announced plans to adopt the NextGen bar exam, with its first NextGen administration scheduled for July 2028 and a final legacy UBE administration anticipated in February 2028.

How should I prepare for the South Carolina Bar Exam?

Dedicate 8-10 weeks of full-time study (350-500 hours). Prioritize the MBE — it is half the score — and complete at least 1,500+ practice questions. Drill the MEE subjects (including Business Associations, Family Law, and Trusts & Estates) using IRAC, and time two MPTs per week. Separately complete the Course of Study on South Carolina Law and learn the SC distinctions, which prepare you for practice and the admissions requirement.