If you're graduating law school in the next few years, you may be wondering whether you'll take the current Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) or the new NextGen UBE. The answer depends largely on when you plan to take the exam and where you plan to sit for it.
The transition to the NextGen UBE began with the July 2026 bar exam and will continue in phases through July 2028, when jurisdictions must move away from the traditional UBE. For many students, the decision will not simply be which exam they prefer. It will be determined by their jurisdiction’s adoption timeline.
The good news? Whether you take the legacy UBE or the NextGen UBE, BARBRI is fully prepared to help you succeed.
Will I Prepare for the Legacy UBE or NextGen?
The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) is rolling out the NextGen UBE in waves. As of July 2026, most U.S. jurisdictions have announced plans to adopt the new exam in the coming years.
For many students, this means the exam choice will be made for you. It’s increasingly likely that you’ll encounter the NextGen bar exam depending on where you plan to practice.
Jurisdictions Currently Administering the NextGen UBE
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Connecticut
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Guam
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Idaho
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Maryland
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Missouri
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Northern Mariana Islands
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Oregon
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Palau
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U.S. Virgin Islands
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Washington
Jurisdictions Adopting NextGen Beginning in July 2027
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Arizona
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Iowa
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Kentucky
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Minnesota
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Nebraska
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New Mexico
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North Dakota
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Oklahoma
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South Dakota
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Tennessee
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Vermont
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West Virginia
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Wyoming
Jurisdictions Adopting NextGen Beginning in February 2028
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Delaware
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District of Columbia
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Illinois
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Montana
Jurisdictions Adopting NextGen Beginning in July 2028
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Alabama
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Alaska
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California
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Colorado
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Florida
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Georgia
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Hawaii
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Indiana
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Kansas
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Maine
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Massachusetts
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Michigan
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New Hampshire
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New Jersey
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New York
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North Carolina
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Ohio
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Pennsylvania
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Rhode Island
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South Carolina
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Texas
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Utah
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Virginia
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Wisconsin
An adoption date is still to be determined for Mississippi.
According to the NCBE's current adoption schedule, February 2028 is the final administration of the traditional UBE in jurisdictions that have not yet transitioned. By July 2028, the NextGen UBE becomes the standard examination in all adopting jurisdictions.
Because adoption decisions can change, always check the latest jurisdiction information on the NCBE NextGen UBE page. As the rollout continues, it becomes increasingly important to confirm your jurisdiction's timeline early, so you can prepare for the correct exam from the start.
Which Bar Exam is Right for Me?
If you have the opportunity to choose between the two exams, your strengths, prior experience, and study preferences should influence your decision.
Who Should Stick with the Legacy UBE?
Strong Memorizers
The traditional UBE rewards mastery of black letter law and the ability to recall large amounts of information under pressure. If you excel at memorizing outlines, spotting issues quickly, and reproducing legal rules in exams, your law school training has likely prepared you well for the legacy UBE format.
Students who naturally retain large amounts of information often find themselves at an advantage because much of the traditional exam depends on rapid recall and application of memorized rules.
Bar Exam Retakers
If you've already taken the Uniform Bar Exam and are preparing to sit again, staying with the familiar format often makes sense.
You already understand the structure, timing, question styles, and study demands of the exam. You likely have existing outlines, practice materials, and insight into what areas need improvement. Unless there is a compelling reason to switch, building on your prior preparation can be more efficient than learning an entirely new testing format.
BARBRI offers AdaptiBar bar prep supplements to help you pass the bar.
Internationally Trained Attorneys
Foreign-trained lawyers and LL.M. graduates may find the traditional UBE more predictable.
Although the legacy UBE requires substantial memorization, the NextGen exam introduces significant reading, integrated question sets, and practical tasks that demand nuanced legal analysis in English. For candidates whose legal education occurred outside the United States, the familiarity of the traditional format may provide a more comfortable path to licensure.
Who Should Consider the NextGen UBE?
Practical, Skills-Oriented Students
The NextGen bar exam was designed to evaluate how newly licensed lawyers perform in real-world situations. Instead of separating multiple-choice, essay, and performance testing, the exam integrates legal knowledge with practical lawyering skills.
If you have excelled in things like clinics/externships, legal writing, client interactions and/or practical lawyering, the NextGen UBE may align more naturally with how you think and work.
Students Who Excel at Applying the Law
Many law students find that memorizing massive amounts of black letter law is one of the hardest parts of bar preparation. This can be particularly true for career changers, students returning to academics after years in the workforce, and students who learn best through application rather than rote memorization.
While the NextGen UBE still requires a strong knowledge base, it reduces the emphasis on pure recall and places greater emphasis on applying legal concepts to realistic scenarios. If memorization has consistently been your biggest obstacle, the NextGen format may feel more approachable.
Learn what NextGen might mean for you.
BARBRI Supports Both Bar Exam Paths
Whether you're preparing for the current UBE or the NextGen UBE, BARBRI has built exam-specific courses designed to reflect what you'll see on test day.
For students taking the traditional UBE, BARBRI Bar Review continues to provide the proven doctrinal review, practice questions, essay training, and performance test preparation that has helped generations of attorneys pass the bar exam.
For students taking the NextGen UBE, BARBRI NextGen Bar Review is specifically designed to help you develop the legal reasoning, analytical thinking, and practical lawyering skills the new exam measures.
No matter which exam is in your future (even if it’s a state-specific exam), you can prepare with confidence knowing BARBRI has you covered.
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