BarPrepPlay built this guide for students who need exact dates, correct vocabulary, and a realistic study shift rather than vague reassurance. It translates the official NCBE materials into study decisions you can act on immediately.
Connecticut, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau, Virgin Islands, Washington administer the first NextGen UBE on July 28-29, 2026.
Students in first-wave jurisdictions need explicit format practice now because the exam structure, terminology, and study priorities are no longer interchangeable with legacy UBE prep.
July 2027 adds Arizona, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming. February 2028 adds Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois.
July 2028 adds Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin. Mississippi is listed by NCBE with a date still to be determined.
NCBE currently lists California as not adopted. The State Bar of California says bar leaders are evaluating 2028 and beyond options, including NextGen UBE paths with or without California-specific treatment and other exam alternatives.
If your target jurisdiction is Connecticut, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau, Virgin Islands, Washington, treat NextGen format practice as current prep, not future prep.
If your jurisdiction appears in NCBE's 2027 or 2028 rollout lists, keep your legacy fundamentals alive while adding digital integrated-task practice before your exam window.
Use California-specific study content for state-law distinctions, but do not assume a NextGen-only route until California publishes its final 2028 exam decision.
These are the concepts and principles you must know without provided legal resources. They are the highest-priority recall subjects for spaced repetition, weak-area drilling, and fast retrieval practice.
These topics appear inside scenarios where the exam provides the legal authorities you need. The study focus is issue recognition, reading supplied materials, and applying them under time pressure.
Use the official vocabulary directly, put your recall energy into Foundational Topics, and spend more of your daily reps on integrated reading and application than a legacy-only plan would.
Use the free baseline when you want the guide to turn into a practical next step instead of staying theoretical.
Use the MBE Study Library and app drills to keep doctrine review moving without needing a full study block every time.
Use essay playbooks, attack outlines, and Florida or California-specific study layers when local-law distinctions matter alongside your national MBE or NextGen work.
Use these state guides if you want the same NextGen overview narrowed to a specific first-wave jurisdiction.
Connecticut is in the first NextGen UBE wave, so applicants need format-specific preparation now rather than a legacy-only plan.
First administration: July 28-29, 2026
Guam is in the first NextGen UBE administration wave, so applicants should build comfort with the new digital format before the July 2026 launch.
First administration: July 28-29, 2026
Idaho is one of the first jurisdictions to administer the NextGen UBE, which makes digital-format familiarity immediately valuable.
First administration: July 28-29, 2026
Maryland joins the July 2026 launch group, so applicants should shift to explicit NextGen format prep immediately.
First administration: July 28-29, 2026
Missouri administers the NextGen UBE beginning in July 2026, so applicants should build comfort with integrated sets and performance tasks now.
First administration: July 28-29, 2026
The Northern Mariana Islands is part of the first NextGen UBE wave, so applicants need early practice with integrated question sets and performance tasks.
First administration: July 28-29, 2026
Oregon is part of the first July 2026 launch wave and has already published a special July 2026 passing score note worth knowing before test day.
First administration: July 28-29, 2026
Palau is in the first NextGen UBE wave, so applicants should pair doctrinal recall with digital-format practice well before exam week.
First administration: July 28-29, 2026
The Virgin Islands is part of the first NextGen UBE wave, so applicants should prepare for the new 500-750 score scale and mixed task format now.
First administration: July 28-29, 2026
Washington is a July 2026 NextGen UBE jurisdiction, so applicants need plain-language guidance on the new structure and study priorities now.
First administration: July 28-29, 2026