The Iowa module, the seventeenth state beyond California, after Florida, Louisiana, New York, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, Alabama, Missouri, and Indiana.

Iowa is the seventeenth concrete state instantiated from the shared UBE template — the same MBE bank, MEE outlines, MPT workspace, and study-guide library California, Florida, Louisiana, New York, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, Alabama, Missouri, and Indiana shipped with, re-tuned for the Iowa Supreme Court Board of Bar Examiners and Iowa Court Rules ch. 31 — Rule 31.1 eligibility (JD from an ABA-approved law school, with NO clerk-reader / law-office-study alternative — distinct from MO Rule 8.04 / AL Rule II / CA Rule 4.15 apprenticeship paths; the JD-from-ABA pathway under Rule 31.1 is the complete academic menu), Rule 31.9 character & fitness investigation under the Character & Fitness Committee + MPRE, the Iowa CLE Rule ch. 41 MCLE framework (15 hours per year — distinct from IN’s 36/3 framework and CA’s 25/3 framework), the 3-year UBE score-transfer window at the 266 DEFAULT floor (NOTABLE contrast with IN’s 264 floor between the 266 default and the AL/WI/MN 260 lower-tier — Iowa is on the 266 default, not the IN 264 notability), and the doctrine the IA MEE graders are reading for (Iowa Code Chapter 490 + § 490.1101 et seq. in Corporations, Iowa Code Chapter 633 + § 633.246 elective-share in Wills/Trusts/Estates — NOT the UPC, Iowa Code Chapter 598 in Domestic Relations, Iowa Code Chapter 558 / § 614.17 / Chapter 654 in Real Property).

The single-state purchase matches California, Florida, Louisiana, New York, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, Alabama, Missouri, and Indiana at $499 one-time — a deliberate parity that keeps the per-state cost obvious while the UBE bundle rolls out one state at a time.

Already enrolled in California? See the California module · or jump to one of the other live pilots: New York · Texas · Illinois · Massachusetts · Pennsylvania · New Jersey · Georgia · Ohio · North Carolina · Virginia · Washington · Colorado · Arizona · Alabama · Missouri · Indiana. From the Barstudyprep blog you can also see every state’s post in one index.

See what’s in the bundle

Module pieces

Four pieces, IA overlay.

The Iowa module mirrors the four-piece shape California, Florida, Louisiana, New York, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, Alabama, Missouri, and Indiana shipped with — an MBE bank, MEE outlines with an Iowa doctrine overlay, an MPT workspace, and the study-guide library. Each piece is reachable inside the dashboard the moment the access pass unlocks.

Practice · MBE

Multistate MBE bank

A calibrated 7-subject MBE question bank, sized for a 90-day run toward the Feb 2027 IA administration (Tue 2027-02-23 / Wed 2027-02-24). Civil Procedure, Contracts, Evidence, Torts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure, Real Property — each tagged by topic and weighted to current NCBE scoring distributions.

7 subjects · ~600+ questions

Included in the $499 access pass.

Outlines · MEE

MEE essay outlines with IA overlay

The 6 MEE fact patterns, each with a substantive IRAC outline. The Business Associations, Wills/Trusts/Estates, Family Law, and Real Property outlines carry an Iowa-specific overlay: Business Associations reads the Iowa Business Corporation Act at Iowa Code Chapter 490 (Iowa Code § 490.1101 et seq. — RMBCA-based — NOT DE BCL / DGCL / Tex. Bus. Org. Code / N.C.G.S. § 55 / Ohio Rev. Code Ch. 1701 / C.R.S. Title 7 / Wash. Rev. Code Title 23B / Mo. Rev. Stat. Chapter 351 / Va. Code Title 13.1 / Title 10A / Ind. Code Title 23 analogues) — the IA overlay flags IA-specific doctrines on director fiduciary duties under Iowa Code § 490.832 (the IA statutory business-judgment-rule framing — distinct from DE’s duty-of-loyalty framing, MO under § 351.310, NC under N.C.G.S. § 55-8-30, WA under RCW 23B.08.300, NJ under N.J.S.A. 14A:6-1, CA under Corp. Code § 309, CO under C.R.S. § 7-108-401, and IN under Ind. Code § 23-1-32-4), close-corporation provisions at Iowa Code § 490.1101 et seq. (the IA close-corporation statutory regime, distinct from TX Tex. Bus. Org. Code Chapter 21, NC under N.C.G.S. § 55-10-01, VA under Va. Code § 13.1-661, OH under R.C. 1701.71, CO under C.R.S. § 7-108-301, AL under Title 10A Chapter 8A, MO under § 351.405, and IN under § 23-1-33 et seq.), and the appraisal / dissenters’ rights regime at Iowa Code § 490.1301 et seq. (the IA statutory appraisal remedy the IA trial court reads in business-court practice — the IA overlay flags this citation); Wills/Trusts/Estates reads the Iowa Probate framework at Iowa Code Chapter 633 — intestate succession under § 633.211 et seq. (the IA-specific intestate framework, distinct from the MA/NJ UPC framings, the CO C.R.S. Title 15 UPC framework, the MO Title XXIX Chapter 474 framework, the AL § 43-2-1 framework, and the IN Title 29 framework), testamentary capacity under § 633.121, wills under Iowa Code Chapter 633 subchapter IV (the IA wills framework, distinct from MA’s M.G.L. c. 190 §§ 1-7 wills framework, NJ’s N.J.S.A. 3B:3-2, and CA’s Cal. Prob. Code § 6100 execution framework), self-proved wills under § 633.494 (the IA self-proved-will affidavit framework), and CRITICALLY the IA elective-share sits at Iowa Code § 633.246 (the IA spousal-election, distinct from the MA M.G.L. c. 191 § 15 elective-share, the NJ N.J.S.A. 3B:8-1 elective-share, the CO UPC elective-share framing, and the IN § 29-1-3-1 et seq. elective-share); Family Law reads the Iowa Domestic Relations framework at Iowa Code Chapter 598 (NOT Title XXIX MO structure or Title 30 AL structure or Title 20 VA structure or Title 750 ILCS 5 IL structure or Title 31 IN structure) — dissolution under no-fault § 598.5 (the IA irretrievable-breakdown framework, distinct from AL § 30-2-40(a)(9), NC § 50-6 six-month-separation, OH R.C. 3105.17 incompatible-ground, VA § 20-91(A), CO § 14-10-106, MO § 452.305, and IN § 31-15-2-3), equitable property division under § 598.21 (the IA property-division framework with the § 598.21 factor list — a separate factor list distinct from NJ’s 13-factor list, MA’s M.G.L. c. 208 § 34 framework, NC’s § 50-20 14-factor, OH’s R.C. 3105.171(B) 14-factor, VA’s § 20-107.3(A) factor list, MO’s § 452.330 just-and-equal framework, IN’s § 31-15-2-7 framework, and the TX/WA/AZ community-property characterization rules the TX/WA/AZ overlays rely on), and parenting/custody under Iowa Code Chapter 598A (the IA best-interest-of-the-child standard the IA District Court reads, parallel in shape to MO § 452.375, AL § 30-3-151, and IN § 31-17-2-8). CRITICALLY: Iowa is a SEPARATE-PROPERTY, common-law equitable-distribution jurisdiction under Chapter 598 (NOT a community-property state like TX/WA/AZ under Tex. Fam. Code § 3.001 / RCW 26.16 / A.R.S. § 25-211) — the IA overlay explicitly flags this because the multistate MEE Family Law fact patterns typically default to common-law equitable-distribution framing and a candidate who transfers the TX/WA/AZ community-property framing into an IA fact pattern will be reading the wrong statute; Real Property reads the Iowa real-property framework at Iowa Code Chapter 558 (recording) + Chapter 654 (foreclosure) + § 614.17 (adverse possession) — recording act under Iowa Code § 558.19 (the IA notice-race jurisdiction framework, distinct from MO under § 442.370, NJ under N.J.S.A. 46:21-1, WA under RCW 65.08, CO under C.R.S. § 38-35-109 notice-only, AL § 35-4-90 race-notice, TX Tex. Property Code § 13.001 race-notice, and IN § 32-21-4-1), adverse possession under Iowa Code § 614.17 et seq. (the IA 10-year statutory period — distinct from GA’s 20-year under O.C.G.A. § 44-5-160 and OH’s 21-year under R.C. 2305.09, and parallel in shape to WA under RCW 7.28.080 / CO under C.R.S. § 38-41-101 / NC under N.C.G.S. § 1-40 / VA under Va. Code § 8.01-236 / AZ under A.R.S. § 12-526 / AL under § 6-5-102 / MO under § 516.030 / IN under § 32-21-7-3), and Iowa JUDICIAL mortgage foreclosure under Iowa Code Chapter 654 (the IA court-supervised judicial-foreclosure procedure — distinct from TX under Tex. Property Code § 51.002 power-of-sale, WA under RCW 61.24 Trust-Deed-Act non-judicial foreclosure, AZ under A.R.S. § 33-725, GA under O.C.G.A. § 44-14-160, MO under § 443.300+ trustee’s sale non-judicial foreclosure, and parallel in shape to NC under § 45-21.16 judicial foreclosure, AL under § 35-10-1 chancery-court judicial foreclosure, OH under R.C. 2329 judicial foreclosure, CO under C.R.S. § 38-38-101 judicial foreclosure, and IN under § 32-30-10 et seq. judicial foreclosure; the IA judicial-foreclosure practice is what the IA graders watch for).

6 MEE outlines · IA-specific overlay

Included in the $499 access pass.

MPT · scaffolding

MPT workspace + IA-tuned libraries

A pair of MPT tasks under a 90-minute budget, with the Iowa-specific file/library combinations surface first — Iowa District Court civil pleadings under the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure framework, with local-rule variance under each county (Polk County/Des Moines under Polk County Loc. R., Linn County/Cedar Rapids, Scott County/Davenport, Story County/Ames, Johnson County/Iowa City, Black Hawk County/Waterloo, Woodbury County/Sioux City — each IA trial court locality has distinctive local rules the IA graders watch for); Iowa Supreme Court briefs under the Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure (Statement of Facts / Argument / Conclusion headings, parallel to the appellate-brief format convention used across UBE pilots); Iowa Court of Appeals briefs under the same Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure; and Iowa Probate Court filings under Iowa Code Chapter 633 (the IA probate-court jurisdiction framework over petitions, accounts, and trust-administration orders at Chapter 633). The workspace shows the task-model skeleton, the time markers, and an exemplar paragraph-by-paragraph scaffold.

2 MPT tasks · 90 min · IA libraries

Included in the $499 access pass.

Guides · strategy

Study guides + 90-day paced calendar

Ten-plus guides covering MBE strategy, IRAC scaffolding, MPT format, the Iowa Supreme Court Board of Bar Examiners Rule 31.9 character & fitness investigation (the Rule 31.9 10-year disclosure framework the Character & Fitness Committee investigates, without a voluntary LAP framework like WA LAP / NJ LARP / GA GLCP / MA LCL / OH OLAP / NC NCLAP / VA LHL / CO COLAP — parallel in practice to AL / TX / MO / IL / IN C&F disclosure and the standard 10-year model most UBE-adopting jurisdictions rely on), eligibility under Iowa Court Rule 31.1 (JD from an ABA-approved law school — Iowa does NOT maintain a clerk-reader / law-office-study alternative like the MO Rule 8.04 / AL Rule II / CA Rule 4.15 pathways, and Iowa does NOT publish an LLM alternative like CO Rule 201(b) / WA APR 3(c) / AZ Rule 34(g) for foreign-trained lawyers; the JD-from-ABA pathway under Rule 31.1 is the complete academic menu), UBE score transfer into Iowa (266+ within 3 years; the 266 floor is the DEFAULT UBE floor shared with NY/TX/MA/IL/PA/NJ/WA/OH/NC/VA/CO/MO — NOTABLE contrast with IN’s 264 floor between the 266 default and the AL/WI/MN 260 lower-tier; a 266 score transfers into Iowa without an upgrade practice), the MPRE (≥ 80) sequencing — NCBE-certified and on file with the Iowa BLE before admission is approved — as a pre-admission prerequisite, MCLE compliance under Iowa CLE Rule ch. 41 (15 hours per year — distinct from IN’s 36/3 framework, CA’s 25/3 framework, and the AK 3/2 framework; the IA 15-hours-per-year MCLE cycle is what the Iowa CLE Commission administers), and the Feb-2027 administration calendar anchored to a Mon 2026-11-23 start → Tue 2027-02-23 exam day. The calendar regenerates against your window.

10+ guides · 90-day calendar

Included in the $499 access pass.

Iowa module · FAQ

The seven questions Iowa candidates ask us.

These are the questions candidates ask before purchase — how the module differs from a generic UBE prep, when the next administration is, the transfer rule, the $499scope, the 266 passing-scaled score floor (the DEFAULT UBE floor shared with most UBE-adopting jurisdictions — NOTABLE contrast with IN’s 264 floor between the 266 default and the AL/WI/MN 260 lower-tier), the Rule 31.1 ABA-accredited-JD requirement (without a clerk-reader / law-office-study alternative like MO Rule 8.04 / AL Rule II / CA Rule 4.15), and the Rule 31.9 Character & Fitness investigation.

How does the Iowa module differ from a generic UBE prep?

The MBE bank, MEE fact patterns, and MPT scaffolds are a single shared UBE catalogue — what the Iowa module adds is the IA-specific overlay: the eligibility pathway (JD from an ABA-approved law school under Iowa Court Rule 31.1 — Iowa does NOT maintain a clerk-reader / law-office-study alternative like the MO Rule 8.04 / AL Rule II / CA Rule 4.15 pathways, and Iowa does NOT publish an LLM alternative like CO Rule 201(b) / WA APR 3(c) / AZ Rule 34(g) for foreign-trained lawyers; the JD-from-ABA pathway under Rule 31.1 is the complete academic menu, distinct from MO/AL/CA which maintain apprenticeship alternatives), the UBE score-transfer pathway within 3 years of the test date under Iowa’s clean UBE score-transfer rule at the 266 default passing-scaled score floor (NOTABLE contrast with IN’s 264 floor — Iowa sits at the 266 default shared with NY/TX/MA/IL/PA/NJ/WA/OH/NC/VA/CO/MO, ABOVE the AL/WI/MN 260 lower-tier and BELOW GA’s 270 high-bracket), MPRE scoring ≥ 80 and the NCBE-on-file requirement (the MPRE must be on file with the Iowa BLE before admission is approved — the IA 80 MPRE floor is the default-MPRE for most UBE-adopting jurisdictions, parallel to MO / NC / VA / IL / IN, ABOVE the 75 lower-bracket (AL / GA), and BELOW the 85 high-bracket (WA / OH / MA / NY / CO / TX / AZ)), the 266 passing-scaled UBE score floor (NOTABLE contrast with IN at 264 — Iowa is on the 266 default, not the IN 264 notability or the AL/WI/MN 260 lower-tier or the GA 270 high-bracket; a 266 transfers into Iowa without an upgrade), and the Iowa doctrine the MEE graders are reading for — Iowa Code Chapter 490 (the Iowa Business Corporation Act, RMBCA-based) + Iowa Code § 490.1101 et seq. in Corporations, with director fiduciary duties under Iowa Code § 490.832 + close-corporation provisions under § 490.1101 et seq. + appraisal / dissenters’ rights under § 490.1301 et seq.; Iowa Code Chapter 633 intestacy + Chapter 633 subchapter IV wills + § 633.494 self-proved wills + § 633.246 elective-share (CRITICAL distinction — Iowa has NOT adopted the UPC elective-share in full, distinct from MA M.G.L. c. 191 § 15 / NJ N.J.S.A. 3B:8-1 / CO C.R.S. §§ 15-11-201 to 15-11-213 / IN § 29-1-3-1 elective-share framings; the IA graders read § 633.246 specifically); Iowa Code Chapter 598 Domestic Relations in Family Law (dissolution under § 598.5 irretrievable-breakdown / equitable-distribution property under § 598.21 factor list / parenting under Chapter 598A — and CRITICALLY Iowa is SEPARATE-PROPERTY under Chapter 598, NOT community property like TX / WA / AZ); Iowa Code Chapter 558 (recording act, § 558.19) + § 614.17 10-year AP + Chapter 654 JUDICIAL mortgage foreclosure in Real Property. The module ships those overlays inline, plus a 10-year Rule 31.9 C&F disclosure guide (without a voluntary LAP path like WA LAP / NJ LARP / GA GLCP / MA LCL / OH OLAP / NC NCLAP / VA LHL / CO COLAP) and the 3-year transfer-window playbook for an out-of-state UBE.

When is the next IA UBE administration?

The Feb 2027 IA UBE is administered on the last Tuesday of February 2027 (Tue 2027-02-23 / Wed 2027-02-24), the same Feb / July last-Tuesday schedule as the rest of the UBE jurisdictions. The Iowa Supreme Court Board of Bar Examiners posts application deadlines and supports the Feb/July UBE cycle shared across most UBE-adopting jurisdictions. The applicant must file the Iowa BLE application with the 10-year Rule 31.9 C&F disclosure and the MPRE on file well ahead of the priority filing deadline — late applications are subject to late-filing fees, and the safe path files well inside the priority window. The July 2027 cycle follows the same pattern on the last Tuesday of July (Tue 2027-07-27 / Wed 2027-07-28).

Can I transfer a UBE score into Iowa?

Yes — under Iowa’s clean UBE score-transfer rule, Iowa accepts a transferred UBE passing-scaled score of 266 or higher (the DEFAULT UBE floor shared with NY/TX/MA/IL/PA/NJ/WA/OH/NC/VA/CO/MO — NOTABLE contrast with IN’s 264 floor between the 266 default and the AL/WI/MN 260 lower-tier) earned in another UBE jurisdiction within the prior 3 years. A transfer candidate must still satisfy every Rule 31.1 / Rule 31.9 requirement, including the 10-year character & fitness disclosure under Rule 31.9 (the Character & Fitness Committee investigation), the ABA-accredited-JD requirement under Rule 31.1 (Iowa does NOT maintain a clerk-reader / law-office-study alternative like MO under Rule 8.04 / AL under Rule II / CA under Rule 4.15), and the MPRE (≥ 80, NCBE-certified, on file before admission). The Iowa BLE receives the transfer application and reviews it in the same eligibility framework as a sitter. There is no Iowa waiver of the MPRE, and there is no Iowa waiver of the 266 score floor — but the 266 floor itself is the UBE default shared with most UBE-adopting jurisdictions, distinct from IN’s 264 notability, GA at 270, and above the lower-tier AL/WI/MN 260 floor; a 266 score transfers into Iowa without an upgrade practice.

What does the $499 access pass include?

The MBE bank, the MEE outlines (with IA overlay across Iowa Code Chapter 490 + § 490.1101 et seq. in Corporations, Iowa Code Chapter 633 intestacy + subchapter IV wills + § 633.494 self-proved wills + § 633.246 elective-share in Wills/Trusts/Estates — NOT the UPC, Iowa Code Chapter 598 Domestic Relations in Family Law including the SEPARATE-PROPERTY § 598.21 overlay, and Iowa Code Chapter 558 recording act + § 614.17 10-year AP + Chapter 654 JUDICIAL mortgage foreclosure in Real Property), the MPT workspace with IA libraries (Iowa District Court civil pleadings under the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure + Polk County / Linn County / Scott County / Story County / Johnson County / Black Hawk County / Woodbury County local rules, Iowa Supreme Court briefs under the Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure, Iowa Court of Appeals briefs under the same Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure, Iowa Probate Court filings under Iowa Code Chapter 633), the full study-guide library, the 90-day paced calendar anchored to a Mon 2026-11-23 start, and AI-graded essay submissions against the MEE rubric. One purchase, no subscription, no second SKU — the $499 access pass unlocks the Iowa bundle end-to-end.

What is the IA passing UBE scaled score?

Iowa uses a UBE passing-scaled score of 266 — the DEFAULT UBE floor shared with NY, TX, MA, IL, PA, NJ, WA, OH, NC, VA, CO, MO, and most other UBE-adopting jurisdictions. NOTABLE contrast with Indiana at 264 — IN sits between the 266 default and the lower-tier AL/WI/MN 260 floor; Iowa does NOT adopt the IN 264 notability or the AL/WI/MN 260 lower-tier or the GA 270 high-bracket. The Iowa BLE administers at the 266 default. The MBE, MEE, and MPT components combine into a single 400-point scaled score; below 266 the candidate must re-sit. The Iowa BLE does not impose a state-specific essay component on top of the MEE/UBE scoring; the 266 default floor is itself a sufficient condition for IA admission under the clean UBE transfer rule, subject to Rule 31.9 C&F and the Rule 31.9 MPRE.

Does Iowa require an ABA-accredited JD?

Yes — under Iowa Court Rule 31.1, the academic route for Iowa bar admission is a juris doctor from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of graduation. Iowa does NOT maintain a clerk-reader / law-office-study / apprenticeship alternative like MO Rule 8.04 / AL Rule II / CA Rule 4.15, and Iowa does NOT publish an LLM alternative like CO Rule 201(b) / WA APR 3(c) / AZ Rule 34(g) for foreign-trained lawyers; the JD-from-ABA pathway under Rule 31.1 is the complete academic menu, distinct from MO/AL/CA which maintain apprenticeship alternatives.

What is the Iowa BLE Character & Fitness (C&F) framework?

The Iowa Supreme Court Board of Bar Examiners Character & Fitness framework is administered under Iowa Court Rule 31.9 (Investigation by the Iowa Board of Bar Examiners Character & Fitness Committee). A candidate must disclose every civil and criminal matter for the ten (10) years preceding the application — including matters that did not result in conviction, academic misconduct at the law-school stage, and any pending matter the applicant reasonably anticipates. The Iowa BLE reads the Rule 31.9 disclosure strictly and expects applicants to volunteer adverse information even where it would not surface in a routine background check. Late disclosure of an undisclosed matter can extend the timeline substantially; early outreach on a borderline matter is the safe path. Iowa does NOT maintain a separate voluntary LAP disclosure framework (the WA LAP / NJ LARP / GA GLCP / MA LCL / OH OLAP / NC NCLAP / VA LHL / CO COLAP pattern does not exist in Iowa); the Rule 31.9 10-year disclosure is the only path — similar in practice to AL/TX/MO/IL/CA/IN C&F and the standard 10-year disclosure model most UBE-adopting jurisdictions rely on. The Iowa Rule 31.9 C&F investigation is administered by the Iowa Board of Bar Examiners’ Character & Fitness Committee acting under the authority of the Iowa Supreme Court and Iowa Court Rules ch. 31.

Pricing · live

$499. One-time.

The block below reads from the Iowa UBE row directly — exam date, price, admission rules, and the buy CTA. Everything updates when the operator pins a new field; no static numbers on this page.

Iowa waitlist

Or join the waitlist for a different state.

Loading IA…