California and Montana to Administer NextGen UBE in 2028
Media contact: communications@ncbex.org
Fact sheet and image: https://www.ncbex.org/media-resources
MADISON, WISCONSIN, July 17, 2026—California has announced that it will administer the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam (NextGen UBE) beginning in July 2028, and Montana has announced that it will administer the exam beginning in February 2028. Fifty-two US jurisdictions have announced plans to adopt the new exam between now and July 2028; ten will participate in the first NextGen UBE administration later this month.
The NextGen UBE has been developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), which 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 legacy Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) and, like that exam, will serve as the basis for score portability between participating jurisdictions.
Designed to reflect the work performed by newly licensed attorneys, the NextGen UBE tests nine areas of legal doctrine (civil procedure, contract law, evidence, torts, business associations, constitutional law, criminal law, real property, family law) 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 are also tested in conjunction with other topics and skills.
The new exam balances the skills and knowledge needed in litigation and transactional legal practice and reflects many of the key changes that law schools are making to their own curricula, building on the successes of clinical legal education programs, alternative dispute resolution programs, legal research, and legal writing and analysis programs. Visit https://www.ncbex.org/exams/nextgen/content-scope for detailed outlines of the legal doctrine and skills that are 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).
Like the legacy bar exam, the NextGen UBE is administered, and the written portions graded, by the individual US jurisdictions. Grading for the NextGen UBE is enhanced by the use of a centralized grading platform and a structured, criterion-based grading model that includes double grading and reconciliation processes. The exam is administered over one and a half days, with six hours of testing time on day one and three hours on day two. The legacy 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. For more information, visit the NCBE website at https://www.ncbex.org.
About the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam
Designed to reflect the work performed by newly licensed attorneys, the NextGen UBE tests a broad range of foundational legal doctrine and lawyering skills in the context of the current practice of law. The subjects and skills 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. For more information, visit https://www.ncbex.org/exams/nextgen.