Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
A new bar exam will launch across 20 states in the United States beginning in 2026, the National Conference of Bar Examiners announced.
The NextGen bar exam is being developed by the NCBE, who develops bar exam content for 54 of the 56 states and territories in the U.S.
This exam will replace the Multistate Bar Examination, Multistate Essay Examination and Multistate Performance Test, which many jurisdictions combine into one exam.
In Indiana, the bar exam consists of the Uniform Bar Examination, which comprises the three above tests.
However, the Hoosier state has not yet signed on to start using the NextGen exam.
Connecticut, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, Washington and Guam will begin using the NextGen exam in 2026; Arizona, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Wyoming will follow suit in 2027; Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Utah will adopt the exam in 2028.
Law students will begin taking the test in July 2026.
The exam will test nine core areas of legal knowledge and seven foundational lawyering skills.
The NCBE surveyed more than 14,000 attorneys across the country for input on the test. Exam questions are being written by law school professors and deans as well as practicing attorneys and judges throughout the country.
While the current bar exam is usually administered in 12 hours over two days, the NextGen exam will be taken over one and a half days.
Testing will take place over six hours on the first day and three hours on the second day.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.