NCBE Releases Guidance on Recommended Passing Score Range for the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination

Contact: communications@ncbex.org 

MADISON, WISCONSIN, November 11, 2025—The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) today announced the recommended passing score range for the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination (NextGen UBE), providing jurisdictions with an evidence-based framework to guide policy decisions ahead of the exam’s launch in July 2026.

The Guidance Brief on the Recommended NextGen UBE Passing Score Range and accompanying Frequently Asked Questions document detail the research supporting NCBE’s recommendation that jurisdictions consider setting their passing score between 610 and 620 on the NextGen scale of 500–750. This range maps to the legacy UBE passing score range of 260 to 270, ensuring consistency in standards and stability in administration while reflecting the new exam’s design and measurement model.

“The recommended range reflects careful psychometric study and collaboration across the bar admissions community,” said Judith A. Gundersen, President and CEO of NCBE. “It represents a balance between continuity and innovation—grounded in evidence, shaped by expert judgment, and designed to maintain public confidence in the fairness, validity, and equity of bar admissions.” 

Evidence-Based Foundation

The recommended passing score range was developed through a rigorous, multi-method research process conducted by NCBE’s psychometric team in collaboration with external partners. It was reviewed by a Passing Score Advisory Panel composed of judges and bar examiners with extensive experience in the development of the NextGen exam. 

The body of evidence informing this recommendation includes

• psychometric scaling and equating of data obtained from the prototype NextGen UBE to establish the new 500–750 score scale;
• concordance analyses linking performance on the current UBE and the NextGen UBE to ensure stability across exam formats;
• standard-setting studies involving over 80 panelists nominated from 43 jurisdictions who established expectations for “minimally qualified” examinees; and
• outcome modeling examining how different passing score policies might affect jurisdictional pass rates and examinee outcomes.

“The process combined established, robust psychometric methods with broad professional judgment,” said Kara Smith, NCBE’s Chief Product Officer. “Jurisdictions can be confident that the recommendation is both statistically defensible and aligned with the profession’s expectations for entry-level competence.”

Supporting Jurisdiction Policy and Transparency

As with the legacy bar exam, each jurisdiction will continue to determine its own passing score for the NextGen UBE. NCBE’s guidance provides a transparent, research-based foundation to support those decisions and to promote consistency during the transition to the new exam.

“Our goal is to make the transition seamless for jurisdictions, law schools, and examinees alike,” said Smith. “The NextGen UBE represents a thoughtful evolution of bar licensure—one grounded in collaboration, transparency, and evidence.”

Over the course of the exam’s development, NCBE has

• completed multiple pilot and prototype studies involving more than 10,000 examinees to refine question types and timing;
  
• validated exam content through rigorous psychometric analyses to ensure fairness and reliability;
  
• stress-tested the digital platform to confirm stability, security, and redundancy; and
• conducted full mock administrations to evaluate and improve the end-to-end process. 

Next Steps and Ongoing Research

The release of the Guidance Brief marks one of several milestones in NCBE’s multi-year effort to develop, evaluate, and launch the NextGen UBE. Research will continue through the 2026 operational debut and beyond, including studies on fairness, subgroup performance, and outcome validity.

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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.