News  Supreme Judicial Court Justices Adopt the NextGen Bar Examination Effective July 2028

The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court announced today that the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) will administer the NextGen Bar Examination instead of the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), beginning in July 2028.

The NextGen bar exam is being developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and will replace the UBE, which Massachusetts has used since 2018. Like the UBE, scores from the new exam will be portable to other jurisdictions. The Massachusetts exam will continue to require completion of a Massachusetts-specific law component.

The NextGen exam will place greater emphasis on foundational skills, concepts and principles for new attorneys. The test aligns with the BBE’s mission of ensuring “that all persons admitted to the bar are fully qualified by education, knowledge and character and fitness.”

To date, 38 jurisdictions have announced the adoption of the NextGen bar exam.

Click here to learn more about the NextGen Bar Examination from the National Conference of Bar Examiners.