THE MPT PRACTICE LIBRARY
The Multistate Performance Test rewards a method, not memorized law. This page breaks down every task type, gives you an original structure template for each, and links the official free MPTs and point sheets so you can practice the real thing. Pair it with our full MPT strategy guide.
How the MPT works
The MPT is a closed-universe, skills-based exercise: you are handed a File (the facts — a supervising-attorney memo plus documents, some irrelevant or conflicting) and a Library (the law — cases, statutes, or rules, some of it a red herring). Everything you need is in front of you; nothing outside it counts. You are graded on six lawyering skills: problem solving, legal analysis & reasoning, factual analysis, communication, organizing a legal task, and recognizing & resolving ethical dilemmas — not on knowing the law.
⚙️ Format — and what NextGen changes. The legacy MPT is two 90-minute items (about 20% of the UBE). Under the NextGen bar exam (first given July 2026), the MPT name retires and is replaced by three ~60-minute “performance tasks” per administration — including a new legal-research performance task (LRPT) that mixes multiple-choice, short answer, and a shorter writing assignment. The skills tested are the same; the packaging changes. See our NextGen guide.
MPT task types — what you’ll be asked to draft
NCBE’s own examples, grouped by how often they appear historically. (NCBE does not publish official frequency stats; tiers reflect long-run patterns.)
| Task | Frequency | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Objective memorandum | Very common | An analytical memo to a supervising attorney — neutral, predicts the likely outcome, argues both sides. |
| Persuasive brief / memorandum | Very common | A motion, trial, or appellate brief — one-sided advocacy with point headings and a standard of review. |
| Advice / opinion letter to a client | Very common | Plain-English counseling letter: the answer, why, and what to do next — no legalese. |
| Letter to opposing counsel / third party | Common | Demand letter, settlement letter, or position letter — firm, professional, strategic. |
| Statement of facts | Common | A standalone factual narrative (objective or subtly persuasive) drawn only from the File. |
| Position / settlement / mediation memo | Common | Internal memo weighing options or proposing terms for negotiation or settlement. |
| Contract / will / agreement drafting | Occasional | Drafting specific provisions or transactional language to meet the client’s goals. |
| Discovery plan | Occasional | What to request, from whom, and why — mapped to the elements you must prove. |
| Witness examination plan | Occasional | Direct or cross outline tied to the facts and the law in the Library. |
| Closing argument | Occasional | Persuasive narrative connecting evidence to the legal standard. |
Structure templates (use these verbatim)
Heading (To / From / Date / Re) → Question(s) Presented → Brief Answer (one paragraph, your prediction) → Statement of Facts (only File facts you rely on) → Discussion (one CRAC/IRAC block per issue — state the rule from the Library, apply both sides honestly, weigh them) → Conclusion. Follow the task memo’s format instructions exactly; use the point headings the partner asks for.
Caption / Statement of the Case → Statement of Facts (accurate but framed for your client) → Argument — each section opens with a point heading written as a conclusion (“The court should grant… because…”), then CRAC: conclusion, rule, application, conclusion; lead with your strongest point, address the obvious counter-argument and defeat it → Conclusion / Prayer for Relief. Cite the Library by name; mirror its language.
Date & salutation → Purpose (one line) → Bottom line (your recommendation up front) → Brief background → Analysis in plain English (translate the law — no case citations or jargon) → Recommendation & next steps → Professional closing. Tone: reassuring, clear, client-appropriate.
Open with who you represent and the purpose → State your client’s position and the key facts → Legal basis (cite the Library briefly) → The demand (specific, with a deadline) → Consequences of non-compliance → professional close. Firm, never insulting.
Tell the story chronologically or by topic, include every fact you will rely on later, cite only the File, and — if persuasive — lead with favorable facts and bury the bad ones without omitting them. No legal argument.
Where to practice — official & free
We don’t re-host NCBE’s copyrighted MPTs; we link the real, official sources so you practice the genuine article with the graders’ own point sheets.
- NCBE — Preparing for the MPT (official): free full past MPTs with drafters’ point sheets (recent free range is roughly Feb 2016–July 2020), plus free MPT Summaries describing the most recent administrations through 2026. This is the canonical free source — start here.
- California Past Exams (bonus free practice): the State Bar of California posts Performance Tests + selected (high-scoring) answers back to 2012. Note: the California PT is its own format, not the NCBE MPT — but it drills the same closed-universe lawyering skills and you get real model answers, which NCBE does not provide.
- BarExamNextGen: timed performance-task practice in the NextGen format with AI feedback on your writing — the closest thing to a graded rehearsal.
- Full released MPT sets for 2021–2025 are sold by NCBE (NCBE Store) — optional; the free older MPTs are more than enough to learn the method.
📝 Do this: take one full timed MPT from the NCBE free set, then compare against the point sheet line by line. Three or four of those, plus the templates above, is most of what separates a passing MPT from a failing one. Then drill graded reps at BarExamNextGen.