How is the NextGen UBE Different from the UBE?

 
After February 2028, the legacy Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) retires and the NextGen UBE steps in as the new standard for most jurisdictions, marking one of the biggest shifts in bar exam testing.  

This change reshapes everything from what’s tested and how questions are framed to scoring and score portability. If you’re preparing for the bar, now’s the time to adjust your study strategy to ensure the transition is seamless. 

BARBRI stands ready to help you prepare effectively with a course and tools aligned to the NextGen UBE. Using proven strategies, smarter technology, and highly personalized guidance, we bridge the gap between where you are now and where you need to be. 

Here’s a look at how BARBRI's NextGen Bar Review positions you to pass the bar exam. 

What Is the Uniform Bar Exam? (For Context) 

The UBE has been the standardized exam used for years by many U.S. jurisdictions. It includes three core components: 

• Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) with multiple-choice questions 

• Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) with written essays 

• Multistate Performance Test (MPT) with practical lawyering tasks 

The UBE focuses on testing your knowledge of legal doctrines and your ability to apply them in structured formats. This format has been predictable, portable, and heavily centered on memorization and issue spotting. 

What Is the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam? 

The NextGen UBE is a redesigned, modernized bar exam that reflects what new lawyers actually do in practice. Starting with its rollout with the July 2026 administration, the exam introduces a skills-based, integrated approach that blends doctrine with real-world lawyering tasks.  

Much like the UBE, the NextGen UBE continues to test the ability to: 

• Apply legal principles to hypothetical facts 

• Perform legal analysis 

• Complete legal writing tasks 

The big shift? The NextGen UBE also evaluates your ability to: 

• Identify appropriate lawyering strategies 

• Assess ethical implications 

• Conduct legal research 

• Engage in client counseling and decision-making  

If you approach problems like a practicing attorney rather than a law student, the NextGen exam should play to your strengths. Did you thrive in clinics or externships? Are you strong at practical legal writing? NextGen emphasizes client counseling, legal research, and real‑world problem solving over memorization of the law. 

Key Differences Between the UBE + NextGen UBE 

1. Memorization vs. Real-World Skills 

• UBE: Emphasizes memorization and doctrinal recall 

• NextGen UBE: Integrates doctrine with skills like research, counseling, and strategy to test practice-ready competencies such as negotiation, investigation, and client advising  

2. Exam Format + Structure 

• UBE: 

• ~12 hours over 2 days 

• Separate sections (MBE, MEE, MPT) 

• NextGen UBE: 

• ~9 hours over 1.5 days (some jurisdictions may introduce an additional half day state-specific portion) 

• Three integrated testing sessions 

• Fully computer-based  

The shorter, integrated structure of NextGen reduces fatigue and better mimics real legal workflows. 

3. Question Types  

Here is where change is really noticeable. Unlike the UBE’s distinct sections, the NextGen UBE blends question formats across each testing session: 

You can expect: 

• Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) 

• 4–6 answer options 

• Sometimes up to 2 correct answers 

• Integrated question sets 

• Combine MCQs + short-answer questions 

• Based on a shared fact scenario 

• May include legal materials such as statutes and case excerpts 

• May involve tasks like:  

• Drafting/editing legal documents 

• Client counseling 

• Dispute resolution 

• Performance test tasks (60 minutes) 

• Realistic lawyering assignments 

This structure creates a holistic, practice-focused evaluation rather than testing skills in isolation. 

4. Subjects Tested 

• UBE: Broad set of doctrinal subjects 

• NextGen UBE: Focus is on core, foundational subjects (e.g., Contracts, Torts, Civil Procedure, Evidence) with an emphasis shift from breadth to depth and application mastery 

Explore NextGen Priority Subject Areas 

5. Scoring + Score Portability 

Good news—a scaled scoring model still exists, although the range is between 500 and 750. Scores also remain portable across jurisdictions (as determined by each state). 

So, while the format evolves, your score still works similarly for bar admissions mobility.  

Better Understand Scoring + Score Portability 

Prepare to Pass with BARBRI NextGen Bar Prep 

BARBRI recognized early that the NextGen UBE isn’t just a format change—it’s a shift in how legal career readiness is evaluated. That’s why BARBRI built its NextGen Bar Review course from the ground up, specifically designed for this new exam.  

There’s no more studying like a student. Instead, BARBRI NextGen bar prep provides study aids that allow you to work through immersive legal situations, such as acting as an associate solving client problems, so you can practice thinking like a lawyer. You build familiarity, sharpen practical skills, and close the gap between practice and performance with a program designed for the NextGen UBE.  

Ready to prepare smarter? Get started with BARBRI NextGen Bar Review or enjoy a free NextGen Prep Preview.    

Learn about NextGen study strategies that work.  

Discover how BARBRI will help you pass the NextGen UBE. [Insert link to new blog: The NextGen UBE is Here: How BARBRI Will Help You Pass]