NextGen Bar Exam
Set to debut in July 2026, the NextGen bar exam will test a broad range of foundational lawyering skills, utilizing a focused set of clearly identified fundamental legal concepts and principles needed in today’s practice of law. Maryland will be one of the first jurisdictions to administer the NextGen bar exam in July 2026. Click the link below to read more about the NextGen bar exam and see sample questions.
The District of Columbia is a UBE jurisdiction.
The Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) is coordinated by NCBE and is composed of the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), two Multistate Performance Test (MPT) tasks, and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). It is uniformly administered, graded, and scored by user jurisdictions and results in a portable score that can be transferred to other UBE jurisdictions.
The UBE is administered over two days, with the MBE given on the last Wednesday of February and July and the MEE and MPT given on the Tuesday prior to that. Jurisdictions that use the UBE may require applicants to also complete a jurisdiction-specific educational component and/or pass a test on jurisdiction-specific law in addition to passing the UBE. The District of Columbia has no such requirements.
Day one is comprised of two MPTs and six MEE questions. Day two is comprised of the MBE. The MPRE is administered separately, in March, August, and November.
Maryland is a UBE jurisdiction. In additon to the UBE, Maryland also requires the Maryland Component (see link below for more information).
The Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) is coordinated by NCBE and is composed of the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), two Multistate Performance Test (MPT) tasks, and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). It is uniformly administered, graded, and scored by user jurisdictions and results in a portable score that can be transferred to other UBE jurisdictions.
The UBE is administered over two days, with the MBE given on the last Wednesday of February and July and the MEE and MPT given on the Tuesday prior to that. Jurisdictions that use the UBE may require applicants to also complete a jurisdiction-specific educational component and/or pass a test on jurisdiction-specific law in addition to passing the UBE. The District of Columbia has no such requirements.
Day one is comprised of two MPTs and six MEE questions. Day two is comprised of the MBE. The MPRE is administered separately, in March, August, and November.
Virginia requires:
Day one is the essay part, which is prepared and graded under the supervision of the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners. This part includes essay and short-answer questions. Day two is comprised of the MBE.
See the Rules link below for subjects tested.
MBE scaled score counts for 40% of the combined score and essay/short answer scaled score counts for 60%. See the FAQ link below for more information on scoring.
The MPRE is administered separately, in March, August, and November.