NextGen Field Test Participant Information

Review the minimum system requirements and follow the instructions below to install SecureClient on the laptop you will use for the field test (we ask that you use a personal rather than a shared laptop). SecureClient is the application with which you will take the field test. (If you are taking the field test using assistive technology, refer to the list of available field test accommodations to find out whether you will use SecureClient.) If you have any questions about installing SecureClient, please contact NCBE Field Test Services.

Use SecureClient to take the required short mock exam well in advance of the field test. The mock exam will provide an opportunity to make sure your laptop works with SecureClient and to familiarize yourself with SecureClient and with the types of questions you might see on the field test. (You do not need to answer the mock exam questions correctly.) If you do not take the mock exam, you might not be allowed to participate in the field test. The mock exam should take no more than 15 minutes to complete.

You will receive an email from the National Conference of Bar Examiners with the subject “Action Requested: Prepare for the NCBE NextGen Field Test”; refer to this email for your eight-digit keycode and, if applicable, six-digit PIN. Because your computer will be securely locked down during the mock exam, you should write down your keycode and PIN before you open SecureClient.

(If you are taking the field test using assistive technology, refer to the list of available field test accommodations to find out whether you will use SecureClient.)

To take the mock exam, complete the following steps:

1. Open SecureClient.

2. Enter the eight-digit keycode you received by email (Mac users may also need to enter a six-digit PIN) and click OK to download the mock exam content.

Note that the practice test available on this screen is different from the mock exam and contains question types and features that are not included in the field test. To prepare for the field test, continue with the steps below to complete the mock exam.

3. Your name and exam details will be shown. If they are correct, click Confirm; otherwise, click Cancel and contact NCBE Field Test Services for assistance.
4. Review the Terms of Use for the mock exam, then check the box next to “I accept these terms” and click Continue.
5. Review the instructions provided, then click Continue the Test.
6. When you are finished taking the mock exam, click Finish Test in the top right corner of the screen. You will be asked to confirm that you want to finish the test.
7.  You will see confirmation that your mock exam has been successfully uploaded. Click Exit Test to close SecureClient.

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

Field Test Overview

The field test is a research study through which NCBE will gather data from law students and recent law graduates to help determine the content of the next generation of the bar exam. Specifically, the field test allows NCBE to

• obtain responses from a broad sample of students and graduates;
• generate question and test performance data; and
• set reasonable time limits for the new exam based on the types of questions that are tested.

To be eligible to participate in the field test, you must be a current 3L/4L law student, LLM pursuing initial licensure to practice law in the United States, or a recent law school graduate (within the last two years). Additionally, you must not be a bar prep employee or volunteer (including student representatives and graders), law school faculty, or law school staff. To receive compensation for participating in the field test, you must have a valid, US government-issued Social Security number (SSN), which will be used to process your compensation.

You should expect to spend about three hours at your testing location on the day of the test. Taking the field test involves responding to a series of test questions on your laptop using SecureClient, the field test delivery application used by NCBE. You will have two hours to complete the field test. NCBE will provide you with some limited information regarding your performance on the field test. Participants who make a good-faith effort to answer the field test questions will be compensated. Your participation in the field 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.

NCBE and its service providers will use your personal information collected during the field test (e.g., name, NCBE Number, email address, and year in law school) in accordance with the NCBE privacy policy (https://www.ncbex.org/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.

What to Expect Before the Field Test

Follow these steps to ensure that you’re ready for the field test.

1. Provide your payment information to permit your compensation to be issued. Log in to your NCBE Account, select NextGen Field Test Sign-Up, then Payment, then Setup, and follow the prompts to complete the payment setup process. (You will need a valid, US government-issued Social Security number, which will be used to process your payment. If you do not have a Social Security number, please contact NCBE Field Test Services.)
2. Review minimum system requirements for your laptop.
   Visit the Surpass System Requirements page to review minimum system requirements. We ask that you use a laptop that you do not share with others and that is expected to remain in your possession leading up to the day of the field test. If you have questions about your laptop or encounter issues related to the field test software, please contact NCBE Technical Support.
3. Install SecureClient and complete the mock exam.
   You’ll receive an email from NCBE with instructions for installing the SecureClient field test delivery application and using it to take a mock exam. The mock exam should take you about 15 minutes to complete. We recommend that you do this well in advance of the field test.
4. Download files to your laptop. Shortly before the date of the field test, you’ll receive an email from NCBE with more information and instructions.
5. Monitor your email for important information from both NCBE and your testing location (see below for more information). If you have any questions after you sign up for the field test, please contact NCBE Field Test Services.

What to Expect on the Day of the Field Test

You will receive additional instructions directly from your testing location closer to the date of the field test; look for an email with the subject “NCBE NextGen Field Test Location Information.” You must bring the laptop you’ll use for the field test and a government-issued photo ID with a recent, recognizable photo and a signature to the testing location. Please be prepared to place your other personal items away from your seat during the field test.

You should expect to spend up to three hours at the testing location, including two hours for testing. The standard field 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.

What to Expect After the Field Test

Just as bar exam candidates agree not to disclose the content of the exam they take, you may not communicate with other participants or anyone else about the field test contents.

We anticipate providing feedback on your field test performance. However, because the field test is a research study, it could take several months for NCBE to post summary information about your field test performance in your NCBE File Cabinet. You will not receive feedback at your testing location. If you are not signed up for additional field test dates, you may uninstall SecureClient after your field test.

General

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

For the data NCBE collects to be meaningful, your participation in the field test should simulate a real bar exam as much as possible. You are expected to demonstrate diligence, integrity, honor, and ethical behavior throughout the field test process, including during the mock exam.

Prohibited Conduct

I understand that conduct undermining the integrity and fairness of the field test process is prohibited before, during, and after the field 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, eating, drinking, chewing gum, and/or making noise or moving disruptively)
• threatening anyone involved in the administration of the field test, or any other participant

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

• denial of my request to sign up for this and/or future field tests
• immediate dismissal from the field test
• forfeiture of my field 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 and ID; water is also permitted if it is in a clear bottle with no labels. 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 field test 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 and Potential Compromises

NCBE takes steps to ensure standardized and secure administration of the field test. NCBE will make every effort to provide feedback on your field test performance. However, we reserve the right to withhold performance feedback when there is reason to believe that the performance indicators are invalid, such as those that

• cause the field test administration to be canceled or interrupted
• involve a mistiming of the test
• result in a deviation from required testing procedures
• indicate possible advance access to field test content
• demonstrate unusual similarities in answers among participants
• otherwise disrupt or compromise the normal testing process or the validity of the performance indicators

Compensation will be provided to participants who make a good faith attempt to answer the field test questions.

In order to issue your $350 payment, we need your personal payment information. To provide this information, please log in to your NCBE Account, select NextGen Field Test Sign-Up, follow the prompts to register as a payee, and complete the payment setup process. (You will need a valid, US government-issued Social Security number, which will be used to process your payment.) To receive compensation for your participation, you must provide your information no later than January 19, 2024.