Participant Information

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the NextGen UBE pilot test. The pilot test is a research study that will play a crucial role in the development of NextGen UBE items. As a pilot test participant, you can make an important contribution to the future of the legal profession. 

The pilot test will be conducted in person on April 25, 2026.

Pilot Test Overview

The pilot test is a research study through which NCBE will gather data from recently licensed lawyers to support the development of the next generation of the NextGen UBE.

NCBE and its service providers will use your personal information collected during the pilot test (e.g., name, NCBE Number, email address, and year in law school) in accordance with the NCBE privacy policy and may share anonymized, aggregated data that does not identify you individually with researchers and/or your law school for exam development and improvement purposes.

To be eligible to participate in the pilot test, you must have passed the July 2025 CA bar exam and agree not to take the NextGen UBE in July 2027. Additionally, you must not be a bar prep employee or volunteer (including student representatives and graders), law school faculty, or law school staff. You must have a valid, US government-issued Social Security number and be able to legally complete a W-9 form, which will be used to process your payment.

Taking the pilot test involves responding to a series of test questions on your laptop using a secure testing browser. The browser will only work on PCs and Macs.

The computer-based test will take approximately four hours and include multiple choice, integrated question sets and/or performance tasks. For more information about these types of questions and sample questions you can use to prepare, visit NextGen Bar Exam Sample Questions. You do not need to study for the pilot test.

Your participation in the pilot test is voluntary, separate from any bar exam, and will not affect your bar exam scores. So long as your conduct follows the rules of the Participant Agreement, participation does not affect your eligibility to take a bar exam, obtain bar exam scores, or be admitted to the bar in any jurisdiction.

 

To receive compensation for participating in the pilot test, you must make a good-faith effort to answer all the pilot test questions. You must complete the payment vendor’s (Tipalti) pages when you register in order for NCBE to issue your payment after the pilot test. You must have a valid, US government-issued Social Security number and be able to legally complete a W-9 form, which are required by the vendor and will be used to process your payment. 

You will receive an email about 2 weeks before the pilot test with instructions for how to: 

  • download the secure testing browser  
  • complete a short (about 15 minutes) tutorial on your laptop
  • You must bring the laptop on which you downloaded the secure testing browser and took the tutorial, a power cord, and a valid, government-issued photo ID with a recent, recognizable photo and a signature to the testing location. You will be required to place your other personal items away from your seat during the pilot test as directed by pilot test staff.  
  • The standard pilot test time does not include any breaks. If you need to take an unscheduled break—for example, to stand and stretch or to use the restroom—please raise your hand and wait for the proctor to assist you. If you take an unscheduled break, you may not leave the building or access your stored personal items. Your test time will not stop.  

You may uninstall the secure test browser after your pilot test. Compensation will be provided to participants who make a good-faith effort to answer all the pilot test questions within a few weeks after the exam.

Prior to the pilot test, please review the participant agreement below, which you consented to when you signed up for the pilot test.

General 

The pilot test content is owned by NCBE and is protected by US copyright laws. Conduct undermining the integrity and fairness of the pilot test process is prohibited before, during, and after the pilot test. If you are dismissed from the pilot test for any reason, you will not be eligible to participate in future NCBE research. 

For the data NCBE collects to be meaningful, your participation in the pilot test should simulate a real bar exam as much as possible. You are expected to demonstrate diligence, integrity, honor, and ethical behavior throughout the pilot test process, including taking the tutorial to familiarize yourself with the secure testing browser. 

Prohibited Conduct 

I understand that conduct undermining the integrity and fairness of the pilot test process is prohibited before, during, and after the pilot test, including but not limited to the following conduct: 

    • falsification of my identity 
    • taking test content out of the testing room by any means 
    • disclosing the substance or details of any test question, including the question’s fact pattern, option choices, or answer, in whole or in part, with anyone via electronic (including email, blogs, message boards, and online social and professional networking sites), telephonic, written, oral, or any other means 
    • reproducing, paraphrasing, summarizing, or describing to any other person any test content from memory 
    • forwarding, re-posting, hosting, or otherwise advancing, on the internet or via other means, the distribution of exam content that others have disclosed 
    • accessing unauthorized personal items in the testing room 
    • accessing stored personal items or leaving the building during the test 
    • causing a disruption or disturbance (for example, making noise or moving disruptively) 
    • threatening anyone involved in the administration of the pilot test, or any other participant 

I understand that engaging in prohibited conduct before, during, or after the pilot test could result in some or all of the following penalties: 

    • denial of my request to sign up for this and/or future NCBE research 
    • immediate dismissal from the pilot test 
    • forfeiture of my pilot test compensation 
    • civil liability 
    • criminal penalties 
    • denial of my bar application on character and fitness grounds 
    • disciplinary action by a bar authority if I am already admitted to practice law 

Personal Items 

I understand that no personal items can be brought to my workstation in the testing room except for my laptop, power cord, and ID; water is also permitted if it is in a clear bottle. I also understand that refusing to store personal items or bringing unauthorized/prohibited items to my workstation in the testing room may result in immediate dismissal and/or cancellation of future NCBE research participation, among other penalties. 

Prohibited items include but are not limited to: 

    • cell phones, hand-held computers/personal digital assistants (PDAs), or other electronic devices 
    • e-cigarettes 
    • watches or fitness trackers 
    • headphones or earbuds 
    • larger jewelry or hair accessories 
    • wallets, purses, bags, eyeglass cases 
    • firearms or other weapons 
    • hats (and other nonreligious head coverings), coats, jackets 
    • books, notes, scratch paper or paper of any kind 
    • pens or pencils 

I agree to follow check-in procedures and understand that I may be asked to: 

    • empty my pockets 
    • remove jewelry and hair accessories 
    • show my ears 
    • roll up my sleeves 

Disruptions in Testing  

NCBE takes steps to ensure standardized and secure administration of the pilot test.