NCBE Publishes Constructed Response Guide for NextGen UBE

Press Release

Fact sheet and image: https://www.ncbex.org/media-resources

MADISON, WISCONSIN, February 2, 2026—The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) has published the NextGen UBE Constructed Response Guide, the latest addition to its library of free resources to help candidates and legal educators prepare for the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam (NextGen UBE).

The NextGen UBE will be administered by 10 jurisdictions this July: Connecticut, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau, the US Virgin Islands, and Washington. A total of 48 jurisdictions have announced plans to begin administering the NextGen exam between July 2026 and July 2028.

The NextGen UBE Constructed Response Guide explains how written components of the NextGen exam work, how they are graded, and what skills they measure. Using clear examples, sample scoring guides, and screenshots of the digital platform, as well as tips from the exam development team, it walks candidates through the written-response portions of integrated question sets and performance tasks to help them understand what effective responses look like. Ideal for candidates, educators, and bar preparation providers, it provides an essential foundation to help prepare for the NextGen UBE.

The NextGen UBE is being developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), which currently develops bar exam content for 54 of 56 US jurisdictions. In the US, the highest court in each jurisdiction has authority over the admission of attorneys to practice in its courts, aided by its own bar admissions agency. The NextGen UBE will replace the current Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) and, like the current UBE, will serve as the basis for score portability between participating jurisdictions.

Designed to reflect the work performed by newly licensed attorneys, the NextGen UBE will test eight areas of legal doctrine (civil procedure, contract law, evidence, torts, business associations, constitutional law, criminal law, real property) and seven foundational lawyering skills (legal research, legal writing, issue spotting and analysis, investigation and evaluation, client counseling and advising, negotiation and dispute resolution, client relationship and management). Tenets of attorney ethics will also be tested in conjunction with other topics and skills. Family law will be added to the exam in July 2028.

The new exam will balance the skills and knowledge needed in litigation and transactional legal practice and will reflect many of the key changes affecting legal practice. Visit https://www.ncbex.org/exams/nextgen/content-scope for detailed outlines of the legal doctrine and skills that will be tested on the exam.

The subjects and skills to be tested were developed through a multi-year, nationwide legal practice analysis focused on the most important knowledge and skills for newly licensed lawyers (defined as lawyers within their first three years in practice). NCBE recently convened a nationwide standard-setting study; data from that study will help inform jurisdictions’ independent policy decisions surrounding required passing scores.

Like the current bar exam, the NextGen UBE will be administered, and the written portions graded, by the individual US jurisdictions. The exam will be administered over one and a half days, with six hours of testing time on day one and three hours on day two. The current bar exam is typically administered in 12 hours over two full days.

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About the National Conference of Bar Examiners

The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1931. NCBE promotes fairness, integrity, and best practices in bar admissions for the benefit and protection of the public, in pursuit of its vision of a competent, ethical, and diverse legal profession. Best known for developing bar exam content used by 54 US jurisdictions, NCBE serves admission authorities, courts, the legal education community, and candidates by providing high-quality assessment products, services, and research; character investigations; and informational and educational resources and programs. In 2026, NCBE will launch the next generation of the bar examination, ensuring that the exam continues to test the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for competent entry-level legal practice in a changing profession. For more information, visit the NCBE website at https://www.ncbex.org.

About the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam

Set to debut in July 2026, the NextGen UBE will test a broad range of foundational legal doctrine and lawyering skills in the context of the current practice of law. The skills and concepts to be tested were developed through a nationwide legal practice analysis and reflect the most important knowledge and skills for newly licensed lawyers in both litigation and transactional practice. NCBE is committed to ensuring a systematic, transparent, and collaborative implementation process, informed by input from and participation by stakeholders, and guided by best practices and the professional standards for high-stakes testing. For more information, visit https://www.ncbex.org/exams/nextgen.