In order to practice law in the United States, a lawyer must have completed a four-year degree and have a law degree from an accredited law school(California is a notable exception, but the non-accredited law school must meet certain requirements). A lawyer must then pass a written bar examination, and in some cases, a written ethics exam. Bar examinations do vary on a state-by-state basis. In most states, a lawyer is required to take the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) in addition to the state bar exam. Some states also require a Multistate Performance Test (MPT).