The first NextGen Uniform Bar Examination will be administered on July 28–29, 2026 in ten jurisdictions. Best wishes to those law graduates sitting for the new exam, both for their final preparation and in the inaugural administration!
Although the redesigned exam is 25% shorter than the legacy UBE, the focus appears to be more demanding: integrated legal analysis, research, client counseling, and other foundational lawyering skills, in addition to substantive mastery. Tax, of course, is not a foundational subject covered on the NextGen UBE, though the topic theoretically could appear in connection with a practical skill task. Seems pretty unlikely on the initial run, however.
Last month, the ABA highlighted ongoing concerns about preparation materials, score portability as the NextGen UBE phases in, and the alignment of law school curricula and academic support programs with the new exam. The article, some quotes, and related coverage, below the fold.
American Bar Association, The NextGen UBE Launches Next Month; Are We Ready? (June 18, 2026):
“The academic support and bar prep community literally is operating on vibes right now,” says Marsha Griggs, associate professor at St. Louis University School of Law. “Our train has already left the station.“
Micah Yarbrough, director of bar prep programs at University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, agrees. “We were forced to launch based on good intentions and promises, which is not ideal for the students in terms of figuring out their way forward, giving them a sense of confidence,” he says. . . .
“We could have used them a year ago,” says Carrie Sanford, director of academic success at the University of Washington School of Law[, referring to the eight subject-matter sourcebooks for the NextGen UBE, the last of which was released on June 15, 2026]. “There are less practice materials available for people taking NextGen than there have been for the legacy UBE. That’s a fact. You can’t even argue that.”
Other resources:
- National Conference of Bar Examiners, NextGen Bar Exam
- NCBE, NextGen UBE Content Scope: July 2026–February 2027
- NCBE, Official Examinees’ Guide to the NextGen UBE
- University of Dayton School of Law, NextGen Bar Exam: What LL.M. Students Need to Know
Related TaxProf Blog coverage:
- NextGen Bar Updates (Mar. 11, 2026)
- Darrow-Kleinhaus: Cautionary Notes on the NextGen Bar Exam (Jan. 8, 2026)
- NCBE Releases Blueprint for NextGen Bar Exam, Adopted in 40 U.S. Jurisdictions Beginning in July 2026 (June 1, 2025)
- Breaking the Cycle: Rethinking Bar Exam Scoring and Portability for NextGen Examinees (Nov. 22, 2024)
