The answer depends on where and when you plan to take the U.S. bar exam.
If you intend to sit for the bar exam in July 2026 in a jurisdiction that hasn’t adopted the new version of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) — known as “NextGen”, there are no implications for you. You won’t need to acquaint yourself with a different exam or question format, and you won’t have to adjust your preparation for one of the most important exams you’ll take. BARBRI Bar Review will have you covered with the most trusted way to pass the bar — whether it’s the current UBE or the NextGen UBE.
If you do plan to take the bar exam in a NextGen UBE jurisdiction, here is some preliminary information you should know.
Which Jurisdictions Will Administer the NextGen UBE?
According to the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), the following jurisdictions have announced their adoption of the new bar exam beginning with the dates listed. Please check the NCBE website frequently for new information on jurisdictions’ plans to administer the NextGen UBE.
July 2026
Connecticut, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau, Virgin Islands, and Washington.
July 2027
Arizona, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
February 2028
Delaware, District of Columbia, and Illinois.
July 2028
Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
California and Nevada are developing their own exams. All other jurisdictions have until 2028 to decide, as the final legacy UBE exam will be delivered in February 2028.
What Subjects Will be Tested on the New Bar Exam?
The current Uniform Bar Exam tests 14 subjects. The NextGen UBE will test you on fewer subjects, sticking to the current seven subjects tested on the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) plus Business Associations, and assessing a more balanced mix of the skills and foundational knowledge needed in litigation and transactional legal practice.
Here are the Foundational Concepts and Principles you can expect to encounter on the new bar exam:
- Business Associations (including Agency)
- Civil Procedure
- Constitutional Law
- Contract Law
- Criminal Law and Constitutional Protections Impacting Criminal Proceedings
- Evidence
- Professional Responsibility (a limited number of principles will be tested as foundational concepts)
- Real Property
- Torts
Other Areas of Legal Knowledge
From July 2026 through February 2028, Family Law and Trusts and Estates concepts will appear on every NextGen exam in a performance task and may also be included in integrated question sets (more on these question types shortly). These subjects will not be tested as “foundational concepts,” though. In 2028, Family Law will become a Foundational Concept and Principles subject.
Secured Transactions and Conflicts are being removed from the bar exam; however, any subject could be tested on a performance task because the law is provided for you.
Foundational Skills Examined
Be ready to hone your Foundational Skills in these areas for the NextGen UBE:
- Legal Research
- Legal Writing
- Issue Spotting and Analysis
- Investigation and Evaluation
- Client Counseling and Advising
- Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
- Client Relationship and Management
Less Memorization on the Horizon
Good news! For the subjects that remain, the NextGen exam reduces the scope of material you must commit to memory. Many concepts will require general familiarity instead of detailed knowledge.
Different Question Styles to Come
Unlike the legacy UBE, which has three separate exams — the MBE, the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), the NextGen UBE is integrated. Standalone multiple-choice questions, integrated question sets, and performance tasks will all appear together in each three-hour block.
Standalone Multiple-Choice Questions
Many NextGen standalone multiple-choice questions will be patterned after MBE-style questions. You will be instructed to select one answer choice for most questions, while some will have you select two answer choices.
Performance Tasks
This question type is a variation on the MPT, except now you only have 60 minutes to complete this component. You will be expected to draft or revise legal documents such as contracts, memos, or briefs using provided legal resources. The performance tasks may contain multiple-choice and short-answer questions.
Integrated Question Sets
This component is brand new to the NextGen UBE. Integrated question sets feature a combination of multiple-choice and short-answer questions that will test your practical lawyering skills. The examiners provide fact documents, such as notes from a client interview, a police report, or a deposition excerpt, along with legal resources like statutes and cases to test your knowledge and skills across multiple skill domains and subject areas.
Bar Prep Support Every Step of the Way
The NextGen UBE is still under development so continue to check the BARBRI Resource Center for the latest information. We're here to help you navigate the changes coming with the new exam, and to boost your confidence to pass the bar.
Learn more about the next generation of the Uniform Bar Exam.
Interested in reading more? Fill out the form to read the full article.