New Bar Exam Reflects Demands of Increasingly Complex Legal Industry
NextGen Exam Adds New Practical Skills Requirements to Famously Challenging Test of Legal Knowledge: "Our legal system needs attorneys who have more than just book knowledge – they need to be equipped to effectively advocate for their clients."
MADISON, WISCONSIN, June 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ask almost anyone and they’ll tell you – the bar exam is hard. Starting next year, aspiring lawyers will take a challenging new bar exam that requires more than just reams of legal knowledge: to pass, they’ll also need to show that they have the skills to handle complex legal matters for their clients.
“It’s never been easy to become a lawyer in the US, but as the legal field evolves, both courts and clients expect new attorneys to be fully equipped to serve client needs, and the bar exam needs to evolve too,” said Laurance B. VanMeter, retired Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court. “This new exam will require aspiring attorneys to demonstrate that they both know the law and possess essential skills in legal research, analysis, and writing; negotiation and dispute resolution; and client management and advocacy.”
The NextGen bar exam, which is being developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), will first be given by ten states and territories in July 2026; a total of 41 states and territories have announced plans to begin administering the exam between July 2026 and July 2028. The NextGen bar exam will replace the bar exam currently used by most states to license new attorneys.
Development of the NextGen bar exam is based on empirical data gathered from three years of comprehensive research into the knowledge and skills that a newly licensed lawyer must possess to begin the practice of law. This research kicked off in 2018 and included a nationwide survey of practicing attorneys, justices and judges, and legal scholars and educators from every US state and territory.
“The message came in loud and clear from across the US: the consensus is that the bar exam needs to better reflect the realities of today’s legal practice. Our legal system needs attorneys who have more than just book knowledge – they need to be equipped to effectively advocate for their clients as soon as they receive their licenses,” said Missouri Court of Appeals Judge Cynthia L. Martin, who chaired the task force charged with developing recommendations for the bar examination of the future.
The NextGen bar exam development process has included extensive pretesting of the new exam’s content, format, and digital delivery. By the time the new exam launches in 2026, NextGen will have been stress-tested by over 10,500 law students, recent graduates, and newly licensed attorneys. Every scored question that appears on the exam will have been pretested and statistically validated.
“Our charge from the Courts is to ensure that the exam mirrors the knowledge and skills needed for today’s legal practice,” said Judith A. Gundersen, NCBE President and CEO. “Our extensive research program validates the rigor and relevance of the new exam.”
Designed to reflect the work performed by newly licensed attorneys, the NextGen bar exam will test eight areas of legal doctrine (civil procedure, contract law, evidence, torts, business associations, constitutional law, criminal law, real property) integrated with 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). Aspiring attorneys will be required to exhibit their knowledge of legal doctrine and demonstrate their skills in using that knowledge to address complex legal problems. Key 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.
As with the current bar exam, each state or territory will determine its own passing score for the NextGen exam, establishing the level of performance required for admission to practice in its courts. To assist state supreme courts in setting these scores, NCBE convened a nationwide standard-setting study; data from that study will help inform courts’ independent policy decisions surrounding required passing scores. Jurisdictions are expected to begin announcing required passing scores later this year.
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 states and territories, 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.
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NCBE Media Contact National Conference of Bar Examiners communications@ncbex.org
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