The Accommodations Process (The MPRE)

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) is a multiple choice examination that is required for admission to practice law in most states, including California.The exam lasts for two-hours and five minutes.Applicants do not use a computer.

Given the difference in length and format, your accommodation needs for the MPRE may be different from those needed for the bar exam.Additionally, accommodations provided may be different from those provided for the bar exam.For example, students may use a screen reading program for the bar exam.For security reasons, this accommodation is not currently available on the MPRE.

Accommodations available for the MPRE include:

• Enlarged print, Braille or audio versions of the exam for students who cannot read the standard exam, which is printed in 9.5-point type.
• Additional time to complete the exam if it is deemed necessary to ameliorate the impact of a student’s disability.
• Ergonomic seating for students with mobility impairments.
• A scribe to complete the scantron, for students with vision impairments or trouble with manual tasks.

If you decide to apply for accommodations, apply early.It may take up to a month to process the application. If an applicant applies early enough, the NCBE can inform a student in time to send supplemental material by the filing deadline.Applicants must request accommodations at the time they apply for the examination. Requests received after the late registration deadline will be rejected.

The petition process differs in some ways from the process for the bar exam. Instead of completing forms, an applicant must submit a written request (preferably a letter) for accommodations.

All petitions for accommodations must be supported by documentation explaining how the applicant’s impairment limits one or more major life activities.To be granted accommodations on the MPRE, the documentation must be highly specific.The NCBE often mandates that applicants requesting certain accommodations meet specific diagnostic criteria.

All materials should be sent together. Materials sent separately run the risk of getting lost, making an applicant’s accommodation request incomplete.

NCBE reserves the right to independently evaluate documentation submitted by examinees who request accommodations and to make the final judgment as to the sufficiency of the documentation.

Include current (within the last five years) documentation by a doctor or other qualified specialist who has experience and training in treating your disability.

Documentation must be submitted by a qualified diagnostician.

A qualified diagnostician is a person with professional training and experience treating the person with the disability.

For physical disabilities, documentation must be completed by a qualified physician.

All documentation should include the following information:

• The name, title, and professional credentials of the diagnostician or physician.
• History of the impairment that requires testing accommodations.
• The specific accommodations requested and the rationale behind the request, including an explanation of how the requested accommodation(s) will ameliorate the impact of the condition.
• If an applicant requests additional time, the documentation must state the precise amount of time requested, and the rationale for the additional time.
• If an applicant received accommodations in law school, on prior standardized tests, the LSAT or any bar exams, the applicant should enclose documentation of prior accommodations.If the documentation is not available, the applicant should write a detailed description of previous accommodations or assistance provided.Accommodations granted on previous occasions do not guarantee similar accommodations for the MPRE.
• If any element of the documentation is not provided, an explanation by the physician or diagnostician as to why it was not included.

Documentation for visual, hearing, psychological, emotional, or physical disorders must be current within one year of the filing deadline.The documentation mustprovide:

• Detailed results from a complete, appropriate diagnostic examination.
• A detailed explanation of the applicant’s diagnosis, the treatment provided, and the date of the most recent treatment and/or consultation.
• An assessment of the functional limitations for which the accommodations are requested and how they relate to the applicant’s ability to take the MPRE.