The Illinois Supreme Court has approved an order confirming that Illinois will accept transferred scores from the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination (NextGen UBE) beginning with the exam’s July 2026 administration.
This means that, effective July 2026, the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar (IBAB) will accept transfer passing scores attained on the NextGen UBE as well as the current Uniform Bar Exam, known as the Legacy UBE, which will expire in 2028.
IBAB will submit a recommended passing score in Illinois for the NextGen UBE on or before July 31, 2026, which the Court will endeavor to act upon by September 30, 2026. IBAB won’t accept transferred NextGen UBE scores until the Court establishes Illinois’ passing score.
Accepting transferred NextGen scores in Illinois
Illinois will transition from the Legacy UBE to the NextGen UBE in February 2028. However, exam takers in earlier NextGen jurisdictions will likely be interested in transferring their scores for admission to the Illinois bar.
Under the Legacy UBE, passing scores are considered “portable,” meaning that they may be generally transferred to and accepted by another jurisdiction. A similar system is in development for the NextGen UBE.
The Court’s order aims to support the portability of NextGen scores in early jurisdictions and to help inform applicants who will be making decisions on which bar exam – the Legacy UBE or the NextGen UBE – to sit for in July 2026 and in which jurisdiction.
Where will NextGen be administered?
Beginning in July 2026, 10 jurisdictions, including Missouri, will begin administering the NextGen UBE. Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Tennessee are among the states that will begin administering the exam in July 2027, followed by Illinois, Delaware, and the District of Columbia in February 2028.
Illinois’ February 2028 transition allows the state to observe the exam’s rollout in other jurisdictions, and provides ample time for Illinois law schools and students to prepare. Students who began law school in the fall of 2025 will have their full three-year program to prepare for the NextGen UBE.
If jurisdictions choose not to adopt the NextGen UBE when the Legacy UBE expires, they can develop their own bar exam or alternative method of measuring competence for attorney licensure.
Testing practical lawyering skills
In May 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court and IBAB announced the decision to adopt the new exam, citing its increased emphasis on testing foundational lawyering skills rather than the memorization of legal principles and concepts.
Before adopting the NextGen UBE, IBAB vetted it through years of participation in advisory committees, listening sessions, surveys, and conferences with the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), as well as direct meetings between NCBE representatives, the Illinois Supreme Court, and IBAB.
IBAB also gathered feedback from Illinois law schools and other key stakeholders, observed field tests, and reviewed pilot grading to ensure the exam’s readiness and alignment with the state’s needs.
At a recent Illinois State Bar Association symposium focused on the NextGen UBE, justices, regulators, legal educators, and practitioners discussed how the new format aligns with modern legal practice.
Illinois Supreme Court leaders emphasized that licensure must ensure competence, ethical practice, accountability, and access to justice, while also remaining reliable and cost-effective for examinees and the state.
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