Question 1

When does my state go NextGen?

Accepted Answer

Use the table on the page. If your state is in the July 2026 first cohort, your first NextGen administration is July 28, 2026. 2027 adopters launch in July 2027. 2028 adopters launch in 2028 (some on the February administration, most on July). California has opted out of NextGen entirely; Nevada has announced it will not adopt the format. Several states are still finalizing their transition plans.

Question 2

Is the NextGen exam harder?

Accepted Answer

NCBE has stated that the NextGen Bar Exam is designed to be cohort-equivalent in difficulty to the legacy UBE — passing standards are set so a candidate of equivalent ability would pass either format. Individual experience varies: the format change (integrated question sets, performance tasks weighted more heavily, fewer total subjects) means preparation strategy needs to change, even if the underlying knowledge bar is the same. Until July 2026 sittings produce comparable cohort data, any harder/easier claim is speculation.

Question 3

Do I need different prep for NextGen?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in degree if not in kind. NextGen drops a few subjects from direct testing (Conflict of Laws, Secured Transactions), adds Business Associations as a tested subject, and shifts roughly 30% of the score to performance tasks plus 21% to integrated question sets. Standalone multiple-choice still drives the largest share at 49%. The seven Foundational Lawyering Skills NCBE tests — including legal research, legal writing, and Client counseling — are integrated throughout rather than confined to a single section.

Question 4

Which states are taking the first NextGen exam?

Accepted Answer

Six U.S. states sit in the July 2026 first cohort: Connecticut, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington. NCBE has additionally listed four U.S. territories — Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Palau, and the U.S. Virgin Islands — in the first NextGen administration window. Territories are not part of the structured 50-state-plus-DC dataset on this page.