The legal profession is on the verge of a monumental shift in licensure evaluation with the introduction of the NextGen bar exam in July 2026. Developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), the NextGen bar exam represents a departure from the current standardized testing model and aims to assess a broad range of foundational lawyering skills essential for today's legal landscape.
The NextGen bar exam will replace the current suite of standardized exams—including the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), and Multistate Performance Test (MPT) in participating jurisdictions.
Maryland has already committed to adopting the NextGen bar exam and will debut the test in July 2026.
Designed to balance litigation and transactional legal skills, the NextGen Bar Exam reflects the evolving landscape of legal education, drawing on the successes of clinical legal education programs, alternative dispute resolution, and legal writing and analysis initiatives. The exam will be administered over one and a half days, with jurisdictions having the option to extend the testing period for local law components.
A crucial component of the exam's development process was the nationwide field test conducted at 80 law schools earlier this year, including the University of Baltimore and the University of Maryland. This field test provided invaluable insights and feedback on new question types, helping to refine the exam's format and content. Additionally, a full-length prototype exam will be administered in various jurisdictions this fall, allowing for further evaluation and adjustment before the official launch in 2026.
The NextGen bar exam takes a comprehensive approach to assessing proficiency. Developed through an extensive multi-year analysis involving over 14,000 attorneys nationwide, the exam covers nine key areas of the law: civil procedure, contract law, evidence, torts, business associations, constitutional law, criminal law, and real property. Family law will be integrated into the exam starting with the July 2028 administration. Complementing these substantive areas are seven foundational lawyering skills: legal research, writing, issue spotting, analysis, investigation, client counseling, negotiation, dispute resolution, and client relationship management. This new format is designed to reflect the realities of legal practice and determine whether new graduates possess the tools essential for success.
Furthermore, the NextGen bar exam is undergoing a rigorous development process guided by best practices in licensure exam development. Diverse teams of legal experts, including law professors, practicing attorneys, and judges from across the country, are contributing to the creation of exam questions that accurately gauge candidates' competencies.
As law school students prepare for the transition to the NextGen bar exam, they can anticipate a more relevant and practical evaluation of their legal acumen, ensuring that they are equipped with the requisite skills and knowledge to excel in an increasingly complex and dynamic profession. For more information and updates on the NextGen bar exam, interested parties can visit the
NCBE website.