Notice of Bar Exam to Be Administered Beginning July 2028

The State Bar announced today that, beginning with the July 2028 California Bar Exam, the State Bar will administer the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam (NextGen UBE), produced by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). California joins the 51 other jurisdictions that have announced adoption of the NextGen UBE. The Supreme Court issued an order today adopting the recommendation of the State Bar to transition to the NextGen UBE. In addition, the State Bar will be developing a California component for the examination, to be administered no earlier than July 2029, which may test the areas of California law currently tested on the bar exam and will also test employment law and family law. The California bar exam will not include a California component for the July 2028 and February 2029 administrations.

The NCBE's NextGen UBE is a computer-based exam, using the ITS software platform. The exam will be administered in person at test sites identified by the State Bar of California. As a computer-based exam, there will be no hardcopy materials provided except as a testing accommodation. Please visit the NCBE's NextGen website for information about the exam, including:

• subjects tested
• detailed subject matter outlines for each of those subjects
• skills tested
• descriptions of the types of questions
• free sample questions
• study aids
• a preview of the software

Attorneys licensed in other jurisdictions who are eligible for the one-day Attorneys' Exam and want to be licensed in California before 2029 are encouraged to take the current Attorneys' Exam no later than February 2028. There may be no Attorneys' Exam administered in July 2028 and February 2029. To be admitted to the California Bar, attorneys who have not received a passing score on the Attorneys' Exam before July 2028 will likely be required to take the NextGen UBE and meet the passing score established by California. Beginning July 2029, the California component will serve as the Attorneys' Exam.

Updates will be posted on the Admissions webpage as they become available.

See statement from the Board of Trustees Chair and the Chair of the Committee of Bar Examiners.

This notice is provided pursuant to the requirement set forth in Business and Professions Code section 6046.6.

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The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.