Barbri vs Themis (2026): Price, MBE Questions and Guarantees

TL;DR

• Price: Themis's 2027 Bar Exam PrepSee price ↗ is $1,895 paid in full (list $2,995, as of October 2026). BARBRI lists 2027 Premium at $2,399 and Elite at $3,399 (lists $2,999 and $3,999).
• Question bank: BARBRI advertises 1,000+ NCBE-licensed MBE questions. Themis advertises 4,000+ MBE questions, 1,350+ of them NCBE-licensed.
• Lectures: Themis breaks lectures into 15–20 minute segments; BARBRI's run 20–30 minutes.
• Guarantee: Both offer a free course repeat rather than a refund, with different conditions.
• Bottom line: Themis covers the same core ground for about $500 less than BARBRI's cheapest 2027 tier. BARBRI's Elite tier is worth the extra cost only if you want AdaptiBar and CriticalPass bundled in.

Barbri vs Themis: the short answer

For most first-time takers, Barbri vs Themis comes down to price: Themis is the cheaper full course and does not give up the essentials. Both include licensed MBE questions, graded essays, a structured daily schedule and a repeat guarantee. BARBRI costs more. It adds a wider product range (Elite bundles, private tutoring and supplements) and has longer lectures.

Why this comparison is hard to find elsewhere

Most pages ranking for "Barbri vs Themis" are published by one of the two companies or by Themis's parent company, UWorld. TestPrepMatch has no affiliate deal with either provider, and neither pays to appear here. Every price below is dated and comes from the provider's own enrollment page or from our directory, where prices were last checked on October 16, 2026.

Side-by-side comparison

BARBRI and Themis prices are list or promotional prices shown in October 2026. Both companies run frequent "lock in" discounts, so check the live price before you pay.

How much does Barbri cost compared with Themis?

Themis costs $504 less than BARBRI's cheapest 2027 tier when you compare paid-in-full prices: $1,895 against $2,399 as of October 2026. Against BARBRI Elite at $3,399 the gap is $1,504.

The extra money at BARBRI buys bundled supplements rather than a different core course. BARBRI's 2027 page lists the same lectures, MBE questions and essay feedback in both Premium and Elite. Elite adds the AdaptiBar MCQ Simulator, the AdaptiBar Writing Guide, CriticalPass flashcards and Quimbee SideBar videos. If you would buy those tools separately anyway, Elite can make sense. If not, Premium is BARBRI's real competitor to Themis.

Themis also sells an Extended Bar Prep (LLM/International)See price ↗ course: a 10-month, part-time schedule at $2,795 as of October 2026. It is aimed at foreign-trained lawyers and anyone studying while working full time.

Which has better MBE practice questions?

Both use real, NCBE-licensed MBE questions, and those are the questions that matter most for predicting your MBE performance. Themis advertises the larger total bank, 4,000+ questions including 1,350+ licensed ones, and it integrates the UWorld Legal QBank. BARBRI advertises 1,000+ licensed questions in both 2027 tiers. For NextGen takers it substitutes NextGen-style question sets.

If you plan to do several thousand practice questions, the size of Themis's bank matters. If you'd rather drill fewer questions in greater depth, both banks have enough.

Lecture style and daily workload

Themis's lectures are shorter than BARBRI's: 15–20 minute segments against 20–30 minutes. Both companies describe their lessons as interactive, with built-in checks, and BARBRI adds animated explainer videos. Neither company publishes total lecture hours on its enrollment page, so be wary of comparison sites that quote exact totals.

Themis's 2027 Bar Exam Prep runs on a roughly 4-month schedule, which assumes full-time study. If you are working through bar prep, compare Themis's 10-month extended option with BARBRI's extended and part-time courses.

Pass guarantees: what you actually get

Neither guarantee gives you your money back. Each one gives you another run at the course:

• Themis: First-time Themis takers who don't pass get a free repeat of the course for the next administration of the same bar exam.
• BARBRI: Students who complete the BARBRI course and don't pass can repeat it without paying tuition again. "Complete" is defined in BARBRI's terms, so read them before you rely on the guarantee.

If a refund-style guarantee matters to you, the cheaper alternatives below are worth comparing.

NextGen bar exam and jurisdiction coverage

Both companies sell prep for the NextGen bar exam as well as the legacy UBE, and BARBRI's 2027 tiers swap in NextGen question sets and written assignments for NextGen takers. NextGen is being rolled out jurisdiction by jurisdiction. Check with your board of bar examiners or NCBE which exam you will sit before you enroll, because the course content differs.

Themis says it offers courses in 49 jurisdictions. BARBRI's site lists its own jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction requirements. Before paying, check that your state has a dedicated course page with your provider, especially if you are sitting in a smaller jurisdiction.

Cheaper alternatives to both

If both full courses cost more than you want to pay, our directory lists several lower-priced options (prices as of October 2026):

• AmeriBar Complete Bar Review CourseSee price ↗: $1,799, with access through your exam and extensions up to 2 years.
• BarMax Bar Exam Course (UBE/State)See price ↗: $1,895, covering 2 exam administrations.
• Crushendo Legacy UBE SuiteSee price ↗: $690, lifetime access, for legacy UBE takers.
• Bar Prep Hero Full Bar CourseSee price ↗: $599, lifetime access. It is practice-heavy and works best as a supplement or for repeat takers.

See the full ranking in our guide to the best bar exam prep courses in 2026.

How to choose between Barbri and Themis

• Pick Themis if price matters, you like short lessons, and you want the largest MBE question bank for the money.
• Pick BARBRI Premium if you prefer BARBRI's longer lectures and course materials and don't mind paying about $500 more.
• Pick BARBRI Elite only if you would otherwise buy AdaptiBar or CriticalPass on top of your course.
• Add BARBRI tutoringSee price ↗ at $350/hour, whichever course you choose, if you're a repeat taker who needs targeted help on essays or one MBE subject.
• Look at AmeriBar or BarMax if you want a full course that costs less than either.