MADISON, WISCONSIN, Sept. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) announced today that the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) successfully administered a make-up NextGen Uniform Bar Examination in Tacoma, Washington, on September 1 and 2. The administration provided examinees affected by the cancellation of the July exam in Yakima with an opportunity to complete the NextGen UBE.
“We appreciate the work of the WSBA, the University of Washington Tacoma, and the many people involved in preparing for the September make-up exam,” said Judith A. Gundersen, NCBE President and CEO. “Most of all, we recognize the Washington examinees who returned to complete the examination after already investing so much time and effort in preparing for the bar exam.”
In preparation for the make-up exam, NCBE provided WSBA with expanded technology recommendations and support related to candidate preparation, technology and network readiness, operational procedures, and contingency planning.
September Administration
The September administration proceeded successfully:
- 100% candidate readiness was achieved before exam day.
- 515 examination sessions were successfully administered across two days.
- A total of 172 examinees participated in the make-up exam, with 171 completing all sections required to receive an official, portable NextGen UBE score.
- All 171 examinees who completed the exam successfully launched, progressed through, and submitted each examination session.
- Three backup devices were used for individual device-specific issues.
- No administration-level technical interruptions occurred.
- No cellular hotspot contingencies were needed.
- All examination response data were uploaded on-site and confirmed as received by NCBE’s testing system.
The WSBA and NCBE prepared multiple layers of technical and operational contingency for the administration, including backup devices and independent cellular connectivity. The administration proceeded without the need to activate network contingency measures.
A Psychometrically Comparable NextGen UBE
The September make-up exam was a full, standard NextGen UBE administration. It used the same administration model, examination specifications, security requirements, testing technology, and operational procedures as the July administration.
Examinees completed a different, psychometrically comparable and pre-equated form of the NextGen UBE built to the same content and statistical specifications as the July exam. Their responses will now move through the same grading, quality-control, and score-reporting processes used for the July administration.
“Our priority has been supporting the WSBA in providing examinees with an assessment that meets the same psychometric standards as the July administration and results in an official, portable NextGen UBE score,” said Kara Smith, NCBE Chief Product Officer.
NCBE and the WSBA have structured grading so that scores from the September administration will be available on the same day as scores from the July NextGen UBE. The scores will be reported on the same scale, carry the same meaning as scores earned in July, and may be transferred to other NextGen UBE jurisdictions in accordance with each jurisdiction’s rules and requirements.
Reporting Inaugural NextGen UBE Results
NCBE will report the inaugural NextGen UBE mean in October using results from the complete July and September 2026 administration population. This combined reporting will provide a comprehensive view of performance across the inaugural NextGen UBE administration.
NCBE will also continue updating NextGen UBE statistics on its website as jurisdictions release their results, including jurisdiction-level pass rates and other administration data.
About the National Conference of Bar Examiners
The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1931. NCBE promotes fairness, integrity, and best practices in bar admissions for the benefit and protection of the public, in pursuit of its vision of a competent, ethical, and diverse legal profession. Best known for developing bar exam content used by 54 US jurisdictions, NCBE serves admission authorities, courts, the legal education community, and candidates by providing high-quality assessment products, services, and research; character investigations; and informational and educational resources and programs. For more information, visit the NCBE website at https://www.ncbex.org.
About the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination
Designed to reflect the work performed by newly licensed attorneys, the NextGen UBE tests a broad range of foundational legal doctrine and lawyering skills in the context of the current practice of law. The subjects and skills to be tested were developed through a nationwide legal practice analysis and reflect the most important knowledge and skills for newly licensed lawyers in both litigation and transactional practice. For more information, visit https://www.ncbex.org/exams/nextgen.
NCBE Communications National Conference of Bar Examiners 608-280-8550 communications@ncbex.org
