Key Takeaways:
- Launch and Scope: Debuted in July 2026 across initial jurisdictions as the NCBE’s next-generation bar exam.
- Subject Cuts and Skills Focus: Tested subjects drop from 14 to eight (cutting Conflict of Laws and Secured Transactions entirely), while introducing the bar exam’s first formal framework of seven foundational skills.
- Format and Weighting: A nine-hour, one-and-one-half-day exam combining multiple-choice (49%), integrated question sets (21%), and performance tasks (30%).
- Scoring: Scores use a new 500–750 scale (NCBE recommends a 610–620 passing score, but each jurisdiction determines its own cut score).
- Transition Timeline: Rollout expands through 2027 and 2028, after which the Legacy UBE fully retires.
The NextGen Uniform Bar ExaminationTM (NextGen UBE) overhauls the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE®) to better align licensure with actual legal practice. Developed to shift the focus from rote doctrinal memorization to practical litigation and transactional skills, the NextGen bar exam debuted in initial jurisdictions in July 2026, with nationwide adoption continuing through July 2028.
What Is the NextGen Bar Exam?
The NextGen Uniform Bar Examination was developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE®) to replace the current Uniform Bar Examination. The NextGen UBE tests a broad range of skills and knowledge needed for newly licensed lawyers in today's day and age.
The NextGen UBE was first administered in July 2026, in 10 jurisdictions, and expands to 13 more in 2027. By July 2028, it will fully replace the current UBE, also known as the Legacy UBE, and its three components with an integrated exam format over three sessions, spanning one and half days.
NextGen Bar Exam vs. Legacy UBE: Similarities and Differences
The NextGen UBE and the Legacy UBE share the same purpose: Both are developed by the NCBE, administered twice a year in February and July, and used as the basis for score portability between participating jurisdictions. Where they diverge is in what they test and how.
| Legacy UBE | NextGen UBE | |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects Tested | 14 | Eight Foundational Concepts and Principles |
| Skills Tested | Not separately tested | Seven Foundational Skills |
| Exam Components | Three separate tests: Multistate Bar Examination (MBE®) Multistate Essay Examination (MEE®) Multistate Performance Test (MPT®) | Integrated: Standalone multiple-choice questions (MCQs) Integrated question sets (IQs) Performance tasks (PTs) |
| Duration | 12 hours over two days | Nine hours over one and a half days |
| Delivery | Computer-based in most jurisdictions | Computer-based only |
| Scoring Scale | 0-400 | 500-750 |
| Score Portability | Yes, across UBE jurisdictions | Yes, across NextGen and some UBE jurisdictions |
The biggest functional difference is the shift from three standalone tests to one integrated exam. On the Legacy UBE, a candidate’s MBE, MEE, and MPT scores are calculated separately, then combined. On the NextGen UBE, multiple-choice questions, integrated question sets, and performance tasks all appear together within each three-hour session.
What Subjects Does the NextGen UBE Test?
The NCBE conducted extensive survey and research to identify what newly licensed lawyers actually do, and then built the NextGen bar exam around it. That led to change in two things:
- Subjects that show up on the test
- Skills that get tested alongside them
Skills aren't entirely new to the bar exam, as the Legacy UBE's MPT already touches on legal writing, issue-spotting, and some client counselling, but just inside one component. What's new in the NextGen UBE is that the skills have their own defined framework, tested throughout the exam instead of a single section.
Foundational Concepts and Principles
The NextGen UBE tests 8 subjects, known as Foundational Concepts and Principles. The NextGen bar exam subjects are not new, but rather an abbreviated and more relevant version of the 14 subjects tested on the Legacy UBE. They include:
| Business Associations and Relationships | Criminal Law and Procedure |
| Civil Procedure | Evidence |
| Constitutional Law | Real Property |
| Contracts | Torts |
NOTE:
- From July 2026 through February 2028, Family Law and Trusts and Estates will be tested through every administration of the NextGen UBE in a performance task and may also be included in the IQ sets.
- Starting July 2028, Family Law will be tested under foundational concepts and principles on the NextGen UBE.
- Conflict of Laws and Secured Transactions aren't part of the NextGen UBE, and will not be tested through any administration of the Legacy UBE.
Foundational Skills
The seven foundational skills tested by the NextGen UBE are split into four groups, and are the first formally defined skills framework in the bar exam history.
| Group | Skills Tested | What It Actually Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Group A | Issue Spotting and Analysis; Investigation and Evaluation | Your ability to identify the controlling legal issues in an unfamiliar fact pattern and reason through them using sound legal analysis. |
| Group B | Client Counseling and Advising; Negotiation and Dispute Resolution; Client Relationship and Management | Your ability to manage the lawyer-client relationship: selecting a course of action consistent with the client's objectives, interests, and constraints. |
| Group C | Legal Research | Your ability to research an unfamiliar legal question, from spotting the issue to developing and closing out a workable theory of the case. |
| Group D | Legal Writing and Drafting | Your ability to produce a legal writing or drafting work product that meets professional standards and serves the client's objectives. |
These skills aren't tested on their own, though. Each one gets paired with a subject, so you might use Legal Research (Group C) on a Torts problem, or Client Counseling (Group B) on a Contracts scenario. The NextGen UBE wants to see you use the law, not just state it.
NextGen Bar Exam Testing Format
Administered over one and half days, the NextGen UBE format consists of three three-hour sessions, with two on day one, and the last on day two. Along with this, some jurisdictions include their local component on the second day. The computerized exam is taken by candidates at the proctored testing locations using a secure online platform.
The exam replaces the three sections of the Legacy UBE with integrated sections, consisting of three question types, spread across all the three sessions, and their own weightage and duration.
- Standard multiple choice questions (MCQs): 40 questions per section, 49% of the total exam score
- Integrated Question sets (IQs): Two questions per section, 21% of the total exam score
- Performance Tasks (PTs): One performance task per section, 30% of the total exam score
| Question Type | No. per section | Structure | Est. Time/Section | Per-Item Pace | Total Exam Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone MCQs | 40 questions |
|
72 minutes | 1.8 minutes/question | 49% |
| Integrated Question Sets | 2 sets | A shared fact scenario tested through a mix of multiple-choice, short-answer, and medium-answer questions | 48 minutes | 24 minutes/set | 21% |
| Performance Tasks | 1 task | Research-type tasks combining multiple-choice and short-answer questions with a medium-length writing assignment | 60 minutes | 60 minutes | 30% |
Performance tasks + integrated sets = 60% of exam time.
Writing and applied skills now outweigh standalone MCQs.
Get NextGen Practice Questions Instantly
Practice NextGen-style Question Sets with detailed rationales and visual explanations. Build familiarity with the integrated question format while strengthening your legal analysis skills.
How Is the NextGen Bar Exam Scored?
The NextGen UBE is scored on a 500–750 scale, a deliberate break from the Legacy UBE's 0–400 scale, so the two exams can't be confused or directly converted. There's no single passing score, as each jurisdiction sets its own minimum, using a recommended range from NCBE as a guide.
| Legacy UBE Passing Score Range | NextGen UBE Passing Score Range (Recommended) |
|---|---|
| 260 | 610 |
| 261 | 611 |
| 262 | 612 |
| 263 | 613 |
| 264 | 614 |
| 265 | 615 |
| 266 | 616 |
| 267 | 617 |
| 268 | 618 |
| 269 | 619 |
| 270 | 620 |
Source: NCBE
Each jurisdiction makes its own final call using this range as a guide, not a mandate, so actual passing scores vary state to state. For the full jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction passing scores, how your score is calculated, and how score transfer works, see our complete NextGen UBE Scores guide.
When Is Your State Adopting the NextGen Bar Exam?
The NextGen UBE isn't launching everywhere at once. NCBE staggered the rollout across three years, giving jurisdictions time to train graders, update rules, and transition away from the Legacy UBE at their own pace. July 2026 saw 10 jurisdictions implement the NextGen UBE, with 13 more to implement in 2027. By July 2028, all UBE jurisdictions will adopt the NextGen bar exam. Here's a reference as to when your state will adopt the NextGen UBE:
| NextGen UBE Rollout Date | Jurisdictions |
|---|---|
| July 2026 | Connecticut, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau, U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington |
| July 2027 | Arizona, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming |
| February 2028 | Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Montana |
| July 2028 | Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin |
| TBD | Mississippi |
| No Announcement or Custom Exam | Nevada, Arkansas, Louisiana, Puerto Rico |
Starting July 2028, all the UBE jurisdiction will switch to the NextGen UBE, and the Legacy UBE will be fully retired. Is your state switching to the NextGen UBE? Check the timeline.
How Themis + UWorld Can Help You Study for the NextGen UBE
Studying for the NextGen UBE means building your foundation in the eight foundational concepts, shifting to timed practice with integrated question sets and performance tasks, and not just multiple-choice review.
Themis + UWorld adapted its course for the NextGen UBE as soon as NCBE announced it. It's designed for online delivery, with segmented lectures and spaced-repetition technology, and has separate study tracks for different learning styles.
