Your application will be withdrawn, and you will not be eligible to sit for the exam. There is no grace period or extension of time.

Your MPRE score expires after 2 years.

Your Character & Fitness interview is valid for 2 years. If your interview occurred more than 2 years ago, a new interview is required.

No. Tennessee does not accept MBE scores transferred from previous Tennessee exams or from another jurisdiction, whether or not concurrent. All applicants sit for the entire examination and only scores earned in a single administration will be considered.

Yes. If you have failed the Tennessee bar exam or the UBE 5 or more times (in any UBE jurisdiction), you cannot sit again or transfer a UBE score to Tennessee unless you submit a petition under Rule 7, §13.02.

The petition must show:

• Good cause explaining why you should be allowed another attempt or score transfer.
• For re‑examination: a detailed study plan and proof of enrollment in a bar review course that tracks and can certify participation.
• For UBE score transfers: proof you used a review course for the successful score—or an explanation of what changed in your preparation.

Before the exam, re‑examination applicants must submit:

• Proof of review‑course participation.
• A law school form if the course was at an ABA‑accredited or TN‑approved school.
• An explanation if participation was below 90%.

Important: Approval for one exam does not guarantee approval for another—you must file a new petition each time.

You may request a change of testing location by emailing BLE.Administrator@tncourts.gov

Your foreign education must be equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree and a U.S. J.D. degree. A single foreign degree may satisfy both components, but the same coursework cannot count for both degrees.

If you earned your law degree outside the U.S., you may qualify for admission by examination or transferred UBE score if you meet the requirements for eligibility in Rule 7. There are 3 paths for eligibility: (1) Substantially Equivalent Edication under § 7.01(a); (2) Foreign law degree + Practice under § 7.01(b)(1); and (3) Foreign Law Degree + U.S. LL.M under § 7.01(b)(2).

Complete the TLC registration in Synergy and pay the $15 fee. You will receive login credentials within 5 business days of payment.

Exam applicants will get access to the TLC within 10 days after the bar exam. Applicants for admission by transferred UBE score, comity, and spouse of military servicemember will get access to the TLC within 5 business days of the Board’s receipt of the background investigation report from the NCBE.

The Tennessee Law Course (TLC) is a mandatory 7.5-hour online course covering Tennessee-specific law. It must be completed before licensing and admission.

You must achieve a score of 270 or higher on the Uniform Bar Exam to pass the exam or transfer a UBE score to Tennessee.

You must upload a 2×2 color headshot taken facing forward against a light‑colored background, saved in .jpg format. The photo should resemble a passport‑style photo, but do NOT upload a scan or picture of your actual passport. If you scan a printed photo to create a .jpg, make sure it is cropped to a 2×2 headshot. A proper photo must be uploaded for every exam application, including re‑exam applications. You may reuse a previous photo if it is still accurate, but you must upload it again to the new application. Note that if you fail to upload a compliant photo—or upload it in a format other than .jpg—you will be found ineligible to sit for the bar exam.

To withdraw, you must send an email clearly stating that you are withdrawing from the exam. Emails that only say you are considering withdrawal will not be accepted. To receive a partial refund ($150), your withdrawal email must be received by: July 1 (for the July exam) and February 1 (for the February exam). Withdrawal requests received after these dates are not eligible for a refund. Exam fees cannot be applied to a future exam.

You may submit an Emergency Accommodation Request if the condition arose after filing your application.

Most determinations are sent by January 20 (for the February exam) and June 20 (for the July exam)

No, there is no fee for accommodation requests.

Submit your paid exam application first, then submit a Non‑Standard Testing (NST) or Courtesy Accommodation request in Synergy by the Application Deadline.

No. All bar exam scores are final and will not be regraded.

If your name is missing:

• You did not achieve the minimum passing score, or
• Your score is being held for another reason.

Check your emailed results for details.

Tennessee administers the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) each February and July. Beginning July 2027, Tennessee will administer the NextGen UBE.

If you last applied more than three years ago, you must submit a First-Time Examination Application, as well as a new NCBE application. In your NCBE application, you must provide all previous examination application dates, including prior applications in Tennessee, in response to the NCBE application question regarding “Prior Applications” and the related question in the Tennessee application, as well.

If you previously applied as a First Time applicant but did not sit for the examination, you should submit a First Time Examination Application. If an Undergraduate Transcript and/or finalized Law Degree Verification form was provided for the original application less than 3 years ago, those items do not need to be resubmitted. If your NCBE application is more than 2 years old, you must submit a new NCBE application and request a new investigation.

Yes- you must have a score of 82 or higher earned within 2 years. Scores must be sent directly from the NCBE.

The TN BLE discourages the use of school email accounts (student@school.edu)  in Synergy as many schools disable these accounts after graduation. All correspondence from the BLE, including exam instructions and results, is sent via email to the account you registered in Synergy. If your email is deactivated you will not receive this timely and important information.

Yes, unless you’re already licensed and in good standing in another jurisdiction (at the Board’s discretion). Interviews are typically held in March, August, and September.

Within 10 days after you complete the bar exam. You will receive login information via email after submitting payment.

Exam scores are valid for 3 years from the Tennessee grade‑release date.

Yes- after the Tennessee application fee is paid. You will receive at least one notice of missing items before the deadline if a required document is missing or incorrect. However, if you submit your application and pay the fee within 5 business days of the deadline, you may not receive notice of missing items.

The following documents are required by the Final Deadline for First-Time Applications:

• Current résumé,
• Color photo,
• Real ID,
• Acknowledgment of the General Instruction Manual,
• Undergraduate transcripts (sent directly from the school),
• Law Degree Verification (sent directly from the law school).

Note that additional documents are required if you:

• requested testing accommodations
• have a non‑accredited or foreign undergraduate degree
• attended a non‑ABA‑accredited law school
• are licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction
• are licensed in a foreign jurisdiction
• have failed the UBE 5+ times
• received your legal education outside the U.S. and do not have a J.D. from an ABA-accredited or Tennessee-approved law school.

If you meet the Application Deadline, you have until the Final Deadline (May 20 or December 20) to submit all remaining documents. Applications close at 11:59:59 PM Central Time on the deadline date. If a deadline falls on a weekend or state holiday, it moves to the next business day. To meet the Final Deadline, you must submit all required documents in the correct format.

Your application will be withdrawn, and you will not be eligible to sit for the exam. There is no grace period or extension of time.

• Submitted Tennessee Application in Synergy
• Full filing fee
• PDF of your NCBE Character & Fitness Application
• Request for testing accommodations (if applicable)

Yes. You may pay online through a third‑party processor. If the payment fails as of the deadline, your application is not considered filed. You may also pay by check or money order (no cash).

May 1 for the July exam, December 1 for the February exam. Applications close at 11:59:59 PM Central Time on the deadline date. If a deadline falls on a weekend or state holiday, it moves to the next business day. To meet the Application Deadline, you must submit the Tennessee Application in Synergy, pay the fee, and upload the required documents by the deadline.

Applications are accepted only during posted application periods for the February and July exams. If a deadline falls on a weekend or state holiday, it moves to the next business day.

First‑Time Application: Choose this if you have never taken the Tennessee Bar Exam, even if you previously applied but did not sit for the exam.

Re‑Exam Application: Choose this if you took the Tennessee Bar Exam within the last 3 years.

If it has been more than 3 years since your last application, it has expired and you must apply as a first‑time applicant.

Your Law Degree Verification (LDV) form must be submitted by your law school on or before the Final Deadline, even if your grades are not yet finalized. In that situation, your school should complete the LDV by checking the box indicating that you are on track to graduate. Once grades are finalized, the school must then submit the Late Confirmation of Degree (page 5 of the LDV) no later than the Friday immediately before the exam.

If you attended more than one law school, each school must submit an LDV form, even if you did not earn a degree there. You will not be eligible to sit for the exam if:

• The LDV is not received by the Final Deadline, or
• The Late Confirmation of Degree is not received by the Friday before the exam.

The Board cannot waive or extend these deadlines. Law schools may request a secure upload link by emailing ble.administrator@tncourts.gov.

All documents must be in .pdf format (except your color photo, which must be uploaded in .jpg format). Other formats such as .doc, .heic, and .exe do not upload correctly and are not accepted by the Board.

If you earned your undergraduate degree from an institution outside the U.S., you must submit the following in addition to other required documents:

• A request for waiver of the requirement of a Bachelor’s Degree from a college on the approved list of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, or the equivalent regional accrediting association under Rule 7 § 2.01; and
• Evidence that your undergraduate education is substantially equivalent to an undergraduate degree awarded by a regional accrediting association.

Certified English translation is required for all non‑English documents

In addition to other required documents, all foreign-licensed applicants must provide: • A certified copy of the foreign license record

• Three letters from attorneys or judges confirming good standing
• Certified English translations of all non‑English documents

You can update your address or phone number in Synergy under the My Profile page. To update your email address, contact BLE.administrator@tncourts.gov. If your NCBE application is pending, update your contact information with NCBE as well.

No; the NCBE and the TN BLE are separate entities. You must submit your NCBE appliction to NCBE and upoad a PDF of your NCBE application to Synergy. Submitting documents to only one does not complete your application.

You can download an unofficial copy of your application in Synergy at no cost. To request a certified copy, submit a signed request letter with the required copy fee ($40). Please include your full name; if your name has changed since submitting your application, also include your previous name. Note that the Board retains applications for 10 years; applications older than 10 years have been destroyed and are no longer available. If your application is older than 10 years, you may request a letter from the Board confirming that your application has been destroyed. Please include your full name and the approximate date you sat for the exam or applied for admission.