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Ohio Law Component

Effective June 1, 2020, the Supreme Court of Ohio adopted proposed amendments to Rule I of the Rules Governing the Bar, which included the adoption of the Uniform Bar Examination, beginning with the administration of the July 2020 Bar Examination. Rule I, Section 7, of the Rules Governing the Bar provides that before being admitted to the practice of law in Ohio by examination or by transferred UBE score, an applicant shall take and pass the Ohio Law Component (OLC) prepared and maintained by the Board of Bar Examiners. The purpose of the OLC is to ensure that attorneys who desire to be licensed in Ohio are aware of the unique aspects and rules of the Ohio judicial system, as well as state-specific legal principles. The focus of the outlines is on awareness of, and access to, critical information about being a licensed Ohio Attorney, the Ohio judicial system, and state-law distinctions. It is not intended that any outline include everything an attorney may need to know regarding any topic.

Course Outlines

ExamSoft Ohio Component


Ohio Law Component Frequently Asked Questions

No, the OLC test is a pre-admission requirement.  An applicant must take the OLC test and pass in order to be eligible to take the oath of office.

As an exam applicant, you will be notified by the Office of Bar Admissions the Friday after the exam.  The Office of Bar Admissions will provide details, by way of email, about taking the OLC test and registering with ExamSoft.

As an UBE transfer score applicant, you will be eligible to take the OLC test after your application has been accepted by Ohio Office of Bar Admissions.  Once your application has been accepted, the Office of Bar Admissions will provide details, by way of email, about taking the OLC test and registering with ExamSoft.

Yes, the OLC test is open-book.  In fact, you will have access to the OLC outlines on your device throughout the entire test.  However, you will not be able to access the find function.

The OLC outlines are located on the Office of Bar Admissions website.

The OLC test will consist of 25 multiple choice questions.

You must receive a score of 80% or higher.

There is no time limit to take the OLC test.

No, there is no limit on the number of times you can take the OLC test.

Upon completion of the OLC test, your score will be displayed immediately after you finish the exam. 

If you want to check the status of your score with the Office of Bar Admissions, you may access your portal through Bar Admissions Portal. Please note that your score will be visible in your portal within five business days.

Upon completion of the OLC test, your score will be displayed immediately after you finish the exam.  If you did not receive a score of 80% or higher, you must notify the Office of Bar Admissions and you will need to take the test again.  The Office of Bar Admissions will contact ExamSoft to reset your account to retake the OLC test.  Please note that you cannot re-take the OLC test until the following business day.   If you take the OLC test on a Friday and are unsuccessful, we will not be able to notify ExamSoft until that following Monday, and you will then be able to re-take the OLC test the next business day.

Yes, you may pause your exam and resume at later time.

Yes, there is a fee involved with taking the OLC test. When registering to take the OLC test with ExamSoft, you must pay a fee. This fee is set by ExamSoft and is the only fee associated with the OLC test.

Contact Information

Office of Bar Admissions
Supreme Court of Ohio
65 South Front Street, 5th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Director:
Michel Jendretzky, Esq.

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