The legal profession is on the cusp of a significant transformation with the introduction of the NextGen Bar Exam, set to debut in July 2026. The NextGen Bar Exam is the result of a years-long overhaul of the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE®). This overhaul was initiated partly in response to increasing discontent among examinees who felt that the current UBE is more a test of one’s ability to memorize doctrinal law than a measurement of one’s competency to practice it.
The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE®) has been cautious about what bar exam changes it publishes to avoid committing to features that may change. While the NCBE won’t publish its official blueprint until 2024, it has released a draft of its Content Scope Outlines.
The NextGen bar exam will test a broad range of foundational lawyering skills, utilizing a focused set of clearly identified fundamental legal concepts and principles needed in today’s practice of law. The eight NextGen bar exam subjects have been labeled as Foundational Concepts & Principles. These subjects are not new but are an abbreviated version of the 14 subjects that currently appear on the UBE.
The End of the Current Bar Exam
The current bar exam, administered by the NCBE®, is scheduled to officially end in July 2027, a year after the introduction of the NextGen bar exam. The current UBE is administered on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July every year.
The current bar exam has three sections consisting of 200 multiple-choice, essay, and performance test questions. The legal concepts and principles – including civil procedure, contract law, evidence, torts, business associations, constitutional law, criminal law, and real property – will stay largely the same in the NextGen exam.
“The NCBE’s move to sunset the current bar exam components in July 2027 appears to force the hand of jurisdictions into making a rapid and, arguably, poorly informed decision,” said Ashley Heidemann, founder and CEO of JD Advising Inc. “While innovation in bar testing is a commendable pursuit, the stakes here are too high for haste,” added Heidemann.
“There is no hard deadline for these decisions,” said Sophie S. Martin, Director of Communications, Education and Outreach for NCBE.
The introduction of the NextGen Bar Exam represents a significant shift in how future lawyers will be assessed for their readiness to practice law. By emphasizing skills-based knowledge over content memorization, it aims to ensure that law school graduates are competent and ethical professionals capable of serving the public. As we approach 2026, both current law students and legal professionals alike will be keenly watching these developments.
