What's Happening?
The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) is set to launch the NextGen Bar Exam in July 2026, marking the first major redesign of the bar exam in decades. This new format aims to bridge the gap between law school education and legal practice by
focusing on both legal knowledge and practical application. The NextGen Bar Exam will replace the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) by July 2028 and will cover eight core subjects, with a greater emphasis on performance tasks and integrated question sets. The exam will be shorter, lasting nine hours over three sessions, and will be administered on laptops using a secure browser.
Why It's Important?
The introduction of the NextGen Bar Exam represents a significant shift in legal education and testing, impacting law schools, students, and bar exam preparation companies. By focusing on practical skills and application, the exam aims to better prepare law graduates for real-world legal practice. This change requires law schools to adjust their curricula to emphasize skills-based learning, while students must adapt to a new testing format. The transition also poses challenges, such as ensuring the reliability of digital exam administration and addressing potential software issues.
What's Next?
The NextGen Bar Exam will be rolled out in stages, with several jurisdictions adopting it in 2026 and more following in subsequent years. Law schools and bar exam preparation companies will need to develop new strategies to help students succeed under the new format. The NCBE will need to ensure a smooth transition to the digital exam format, addressing any technical challenges that arise. As the new exam is implemented, its effectiveness in improving legal education and practice readiness will be closely monitored by stakeholders.
