If your state is adopting the NextGen Uniform Bar ExaminationTM, you’ve probably heard that the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE®) is going away. However, multiple-choice questions are not. They will remain a core part of the new exam.
Instead of a standalone 200-question MBE block, multiple-choice questions now appear throughout the exam. You’ll answer them on their own and within longer scenarios, where several questions are tied to the same set of facts. Those same scenarios may also include short-answer and written tasks.
This guide explains how the NextGen UBE is structured, what replaces the traditional MBE format, and how to adjust your preparation to build the skills the exam now tests.
Why the MBE Is Being Retired
The MBE was designed to test how well you could recognize and apply legal rules across a large number of discrete questions. That approach laid a strong doctrinal foundation, but it didn’t fully reflect how legal problems are handled in daily practice.
Legal issues rarely appear one at a time. A single scenario can involve multiple areas of law, requiring you to sort through facts, identify what matters, and apply several rules at once. That kind of analysis is difficult to measure through standalone questions that reset with each prompt.
The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE®) developed the NextGen bar exam after studying the work new lawyers actually perform. The goal was to create an exam that evaluates how you analyze problems, apply legal knowledge across issues, and make decisions in context. Because the MBE focused on isolated, question-by-question testing, it no longer aligned with that model. The updated exam structure is designed to reflect how legal reasoning works in real scenarios, where issues are connected, and analysis builds from one step to the next.
How the NextGen Bar Exam Is Structured
Instead of moving through separate sections like you would on the legacy UBE, the NextGen bar exam uses a more integrated format.
On the NextGen exam, you’ll be given a scenario, such as a client dispute or legal problem, and then answer multiple questions based on that same set of facts. Each question builds on the same situation, so details from earlier questions still matter as you move through the set.
The exam is built around 3 question types that work together to evaluate how you apply legal knowledge in different contexts:
Standalone Multiple-Choice Questions
Standalone multiple-choice questions remain part of the NextGen exam, but they place more emphasis on applying legal rules within context rather than simply identifying them.
These questions draw from core subjects, including Business Associations and Relationships, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contract Law, Criminal Law and Constitutional Protections of Accused Persons, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts. The focus is on using the rule correctly based on the facts presented.
Integrated Question Sets
Integrated question sets on the NextGen exam present a shared scenario followed by a series of questions tied to the same set of facts. Instead of resetting with each question, you work through a developing situation, applying different areas of law as new issues arise. This requires you to track relevant facts, connect legal concepts, and maintain your analysis across multiple questions.
This format reflects how legal problems are encountered in practice, where issues overlap and your reasoning builds from one step to the next.
Performance-Based Tasks
Performance tasks on the NextGen require you to produce written work similar to what lawyers do in practice, such as memos, client communications, or objective analyses.
These tasks assess how well you organize your thinking, apply the law to a set of facts, and communicate your reasoning clearly. While similar to the Multistate Performance Test (MPT®) in the legacy exam, they are more closely integrated into the overall exam structure.
Practice smarter using questions designed for the new exam.
NextGen UBE Adoption Timeline by Jurisdiction
States and jurisdictions are switching to the NextGen bar exam at different times starting in 2026. Depending on your state, you will take 1 of 3 exams from 2026 to July 2028:
- The legacy UBE (which will still include the MBE)
- The NextGen UBE
- Your state-specific bar exam
Each state or jurisdiction sets its own timeline for switching, so there is no single national date. After July 2028, the legacy UBE will no longer be administered. At that point, states and jurisdictions will use either the NextGen Bar Exam or their own exam.
Before you build your study plan, confirm which exam your state is giving. The format, types of questions, and how you need to practice are different depending on which exam you’re taking.
States and jurisdictions are still finalizing this decision. Check your state bar’s website or the NCBE website for the most up-to-date adoption timeline.
How to Prepare for the NextGen Bar Exam
On the NextGen exam, you’ll work through multiple questions tied to the same scenario rather than resetting with each new prompt. This means details carry across questions. A missed fact, a misunderstood timeline, or an overlooked issue can affect more than 1 answer, so your understanding of the scenario needs to stay consistent as you move through it.
So, how do you train for that? When you practice, read the full scenario once, then outline all the issues on paper before answering any questions. Focus on tracking how the facts connect Civil Procedure rules, Contracts principles, and Professional Responsibility considerations, while keeping the overall context in view as the complexity increases.
Use the following strategies to foster these skills:
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Practice with Standalone Questions
Use standalone multiple-choice questions to reinforce blackletter law and improve accuracy. Focus on why an answer is correct, not just selecting it.
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Work Through Full Scenario Sets
Practice with sets that group multiple questions around the same fact pattern. This builds the ability to carry facts forward and track how issues develop.
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Focus on How Issues Connect
Review answer explanations that reveal how legal issues interact within the same scenario, not just which rule applies.
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Review Mistakes in Context
After each question, go back to the full scenario and identify where your understanding broke down, whether it was a missed fact, timeline, or the client’s objective.
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Practice Across Question Types
Combine standalone multiple-choice questions, scenario-based sets, and written responses in the same study session.
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Track Patterns Across Scenarios
Use performance tracking tools to identify recurring fact patterns, issue types, and mistakes across multiple sets to improve recognition and consistency.
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Use Materials That Match the Exam
Use materials that include scenario-based sets, integrated practice, and written tasks, not just isolated questions.
What This Change Means for You
Rest assured: You’re not walking into a completely different exam.
You’re walking into a test designed to reflect how legal problems actually show up in practice, built on the same foundational subjects you’re already studying. Multiple-choice questions are still there. The same core areas of law are still being tested.
What changes is how long you stay with a set of facts and how well you keep your analysis on track as new issues arise. Once you’ve worked through a few full scenarios with a trusted bar prep course, the patterns become easier to recognize.
You don’t have to navigate this alone. Themis Bar Review® pairs each student with a dedicated director who can answer questions and provide guidance throughout the process and keep you on track as you work through all things NextGen.
“Themis is the best! My director responded to every text and stressed-out call. The videos are friendly and engaging, and most importantly, I feel I got the practice I needed to be successful on the bar exam, and I was.”
— Caitlin W., passed the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE®) with Themis
