When the Michigan Supreme Court announced in November 2025 that the state would adopt the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam (NextGen UBE) beginning in July 2028, it marked the next step in Michigan’s gradual alignment with national bar examination standards.1
Despite the new name and structure, the NextGen UBE builds on the same foundation as the current UBE. It continues to test core subjects and analytical skills, just in a more integrated, computer-based format.2 Examinees will still need to know black-letter law, think critically, and write clearly under pressure. What is different is the packaging which features questions that blend multiple-choice, short-answer, and writing tasks into a single exercise meant to mimic real-world problem solving.3
For Michigan’s legal community, this transition primarily represents continuity. The state remains aligned with national standards and preserves bar score portability.
WHAT IS THE NEXTGEN UBE?
The NextGen UBE represents the most significant update to the national licensing test in decades.4 Developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), the exam will debut in July 2026 in several early-adopter jurisdictions before expanding nationwide.5 Michigan will begin administering the NextGen UBE in July 2028.6
The new exam replaces the “Legacy” UBE currently used in Michigan.7 While both exams are produced by the NCBE,8 the NextGen UBE reflects a shift in testing rather than a wholesale overhaul. It narrows the range of tested subjects and weaves in practical lawyering skills into each component.9
The NextGen UBE will test nine doctrinal areas: Business Associations and Relationships, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Constitutional Protections of Accused Persons, Evidence, Family Law, Real Property, and Torts.10 The exam will also test several lawyerly skills: legal research, legal writing, issue spotting and analysis, investigation and evaluation, client counseling and advising, negotiation and dispute resolution, and client relationship and management.11 The NextGen UBE will test selected Model Rules of Professional Conduct within these skill groups.12 (The MPRE remains a separate test.13)
STRUCTURE AND FORMAT
The NextGen UBE will span two days and include three three-hour sessions. Each session includes a mix of three components:14
• Multiple-Choice Questions: Examinees will answer 120 total multiple-choice questions across the exam, similar to the Legacy UBE, but some questions will include six answer choices with two correct answers.15
• Integrated Question Sets: These are scenario-based exercises combining short-answer, multiple-choice, and brief writing responses. Each set revolves around a client problem, requiring examinees to interpret statutes, analyze cases, and make recommendations.16
• Performance Tasks: These simulate real-world assignments such as drafting a client memo or persuasive brief. Examinees will complete three 60-minute performance tasks—one per three-hour session—compared to two 90-minute tasks under the Legacy UBE.17
While some questions will provide legal materials, the exam is not open book.18 Examinees will still need to internalize key principles and apply them efficiently.
Despite the modified bar exam format, the overall goals of the NextGen UBE remain consistent: to test the skills and knowledge needed in the practice of law.19 In that sense, the NextGen UBE refines rather than replaces the Legacy UBE model.
MICHIGAN’S PATH TO ADOPTION
Michigan’s transition to the NextGen UBE follows a deliberate progression. Prior to 2023, Michigan administered its own bar exam, which included a full day of state-specific essay questions.20 Beginning in February 2023, the state shifted to the Uniform Bar Exam, aligning with the majority of U.S. jurisdictions.21
Starting in July 2028, the Michigan Board of Law Examiners will begin administering the NextGen UBE, making Michigan one of more than 45 jurisdictions to officially join the new model.22
The adoption of the NextGen UBE carries important implications. First, it reaffirms Michigan’s commitment to national standards for entry-level competence for attorneys. Second, it enhances score portability, that is, the ability of Michigan examinees to transfer their bar exam scores to other participating jurisdictions.23 That portability, in turn, benefits both Michigan examinees seeking out-of-state opportunities, as well as out-of-state examinees hoping to practice in Michigan.
IMPLICATIONS FOR LAW SCHOOLS
The most immediate impact will be felt in law schools, although the change should be more about emphasis than overhaul. Because the NextGen UBE blends doctrinal law and lawyering skills, law schools may need to revisit how and when they teach application of legal knowledge.24
Law schools will need to consider tweaking curriculums and assessment methods to include tasks similar to those that will appear on the NextGen UBE, as well as bar exam support programs that reflect the new exam’s structure.25 Law schools should also consider investing in technology that mimics the digital testing software that the NCBE will use to administer the NextGen UBE.26
IMPLICATIONS FOR EMPLOYERS
For employers, little will change. Law firms, government agencies, and corporate legal departments will continue to evaluate candidates based on licensing and overall readiness, and not bar exam format.
The primary benefit to employers of Michigan’s adoption is the continued portability of bar exam scores.27 Law firms can still recruit confidently across jurisdictions that administer the NextGen UBE, and Michigan examinees will maintain flexibility to practice elsewhere.
IMPLICATIONS FOR LAW STUDENTS AND NEW GRADUATES
For law students and graduates, the NextGen UBE should feel familiar. It tests the same knowledge base and analytical skills as the Legacy UBE, although through question types that require examinees to toggle between issues, statutes, and short writing tasks.28
Successful preparation will combine memorization with application.29 Black-letter law still matters, but so does the ability to use it efficiently in context. Foundational subjects— Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Constitutional Protections of Accused Persons, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts—remain central, with Business Associations playing a larger role than it does on the current UBE.30
Because the NextGen UBE is fully computer-based, examinees should become comfortable drafting, organizing notes, and reading on-screen.31 Success will still depend on mastery of core principles and the ability to apply them efficiently under pressure.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Between now and July 2028, Michigan’s legal community has time to adjust. Law schools can fine-tune curricula. Employers can anticipate continued consistency in licensure standards. And examinees can focus on what has always mattered most: mastering core subjects, writing efficiently, and staying calm under timed conditions.
In the end, the NextGen UBE is not a new test, so much as a refreshed version of an old one. Its format may change, but its purpose to ensure new lawyers can analyze, communicate, and reason through legal problems remains the same.