Tennessee Announces Adoption of NextGen Bar Exam Effective July 2027
Earlier today, the Tennessee Supreme Court announced that it will adopt the NextGen Bar Exam in July 2027 for licensure in the State of Tennessee. Tennessee will continue to administer the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), its current exam, through February 2027. You can read the announcement here: https://www.tncourts.gov/press/2024/04/22/tennessee-supreme-court-adopts-updated-bar-examination.
This email is to alert you to the announcement and to advise you about how the timing will affect your course of study, if at all. In short, if you are planning to take the bar exam in Tennessee any time between now and February 2027, you will take the UBE. If you are planning to take the bar exam in Tennessee in July 2027 or later, you will take the NextGen Bar Exam. Regardless of which exam you will take, there’s nothing you need to do right now except to keep doing what you’re doing: diligently preparing for your final classes of the semester and focusing on your upcoming final exams.
Nevertheless, I know you may have questions, so I have provided answers to a few anticipated questions below.
Dean Wilson
What is the difference between the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) and the NextGen Bar Exam?
The Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) is the current exam in Tennessee through February 2027. The UBE includes multiple-choice questions, traditional essays, and performance tasks.
The NextGen Bar Exam will become Tennessee’s bar exam in July 2027. The exam will consist of multiple-choice questions similar to those on the UBE, performance tasks similar to those on the UBE though shorter, and integrated question sets that include multiple-choice and short-answer questions that are answered primarily based on factual and legal material provided on the exam.
Both the UBE and the NextGen Bar Exam test substantive knowledge as well as lawyering skills. There are variations, however, on the extent to which each exam requires memorization, the scope of the subjects tested, and the way in which each exam tests substantive knowledge and lawyering skills (e.g., traditional multiple-choice questions only vs. traditional multiple-choice questions and integrated questions sets).
This is, of course, a high-level description of the differences. As you continue your studies, you will receive detailed information about the bar exam applicable to you through information sessions, group and individual advising, and, of course, the elective and required bar preparation courses.
What impact does taking the UBE or NextGen Bar Exam have on my course of study?
The law school curriculum already includes the subjects tested on the UBE and the NextGen Bar Exam. Most of those subjects are required courses, and other bar-tested subjects are highlighted for you in the schedule materials as well as the advising materials. You should continue to focus on acquiring and retaining content from your courses and utilizing strong study techniques. The curriculum provides you with a strong foundation for success on both the UBE and the NextGen Bar Exam. Further, as the NextGen Bar Exam draws closer, the law faculty will make any appropriate adjustments to ensure that students taking the NextGen Bar Exam have ample exposure to the new question types employed on that exam.
What if I’m taking the bar exam in another state, will I take the UBE, NextGen Bar Exam, or some other exam?
If you are taking the bar exam in a state other than Tennessee, you should check the website of that state for information related to the bar exam. Some states have state-specific components to their bar exams. You may visit the following website for current information about a jurisdiction’s exam here: https://www.ncbex.org/jurisdictions. Additionally, several states have announced that they will transition to the NextGen Bar Exam and when they will do so. You can find information about that here: https://www.ncbex.org/exams/nextgen. If you determine that the jurisdiction in which you will sit for licensure will either (a) adopt the NextGen Bar Exam before July 2027 or (b) administer something other than the UBE (e.g., a state-specific exam) when you take the bar exam, I encourage you to make an appointment with the Director of Bar Preparation (DeShun Harris, D.Harris@memphis.edu) or me (jlwlson2@memphis.edu) to develop an individualized plan for strengthening the skills and knowledge needed for that particular jurisdiction. And, of course, if you aren’t sure, don’t hesitate to reach out to Professor Harris or me.
Other questions?
Reach out to the Director of Bar Preparation (DeShun Harris, D.Harris@memphis.edu) or me (jlwlson2@memphis.edu) with any additional questions. That said, I want to reiterate that there’s nothing you need to do right now except to keep doing what you’re doing: diligently preparing for your final classes of the semester and focusing on your upcoming final exams.
