Note: In October 2023, NCBE announced that Family Law would be added to the list of foundational concepts and principles starting with the July 2028 NextGen bar exam.
NCBE has published the first sample questions for the NextGen bar exam. The questions provide examples of two new question types that will be featured on the NextGen exam: an “integrated question set” and a type of multiple-choice question not currently used on the bar exam. These new question types will be among those used to test the eight areas of legal knowledge and seven categories of practical skills and abilities required of all newly licensed attorneys under the new exam.
The released sample questions have been pilot tested by over 2,500 law students, bar examinees, and newly licensed attorneys from across the US, with the results analyzed both psychometrically and by members of the NextGen drafting teams. Seventy law schools from across the country, representing both public and private institutions drawn from every tier, have participated in pilot testing.
A third question type, not yet released, is modeled on the current Multistate Performance Test (MPT), which requires examinees to demonstrate their ability to use fundamental lawyering skills in realistic situations, completing legal writing assignments appropriate to the skill of a beginning lawyer.
NCBE will continue to release sample questions throughout 2023 and 2024.
