| Colorado Supreme Court announces February 2021 bar exam to be administered remotely |
Friday, November 6, 2020
DENVER – The Colorado Supreme Court has announced that the February 2021 bar examination will be administered remotely rather than in-person in response to increasing COVID-19 infection rates in Colorado, which may continue to rise this winter.
The exam, which will be held in most states February 23 and 24, will be the first time the content of a Uniform Bar Exam has been available for remote testing. February bar applicants will be able to take both days of the exam on-line through a computer with video capability and an internet or wi-fi connection.
Traditionally the two-day exam is administered in-person with nearly all applicants in a single room. The July 2020 Uniform Bar Exam was administered in person by dispersing applicants through many rooms in three different locations and adhering to COVID-19 protocols. The Uniform Bar Exam was not available for remote testing in 2020, but the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) announced on October 19, 2020, that it would make that exam available for remote testing by February 2021. The NCBE develops the Uniform Bar Exam for a twice-year administration and works with participating jurisdictions in scoring the exam.
The Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, including the Office of Attorney Admissions, is consulting with states that administered a shorter bar exam remotely in early October 2020 to learn from their experiences and address any concerns with remote testing. The Office of Attorney Admissions will be issuing specific guidance to February 2021 bar applicants in the coming weeks.