Fall 2026 – Week Four

Bar Application Fees and Deadlines

The requirements, deadlines, and fees to apply to the bar can vary widely by state. You should check your jurisdiction’s requirements early and often. For basic information and links to each jurisdiction’s bar examiner website, go to https://www.ncbex.org/jurisdictions.

The bar application deadlines and fees for some local jurisdictions can be found below.

• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• New York
• Delaware

Pennsylvania

Application for Permission to Sit for the Pennsylvania Bar Examination and for Character and Fitness Determination under Pa.B.A.R. 203/205
Application deadlines and filing fees for the bar exam. The following deadlines are POSTMARK deadlines.
Filing Deadline	February Exam	July Exam	Applicant Fee
Timely	October 30	March 31	$800.00
Late	November 30	April 30	$1,125.00
Final	December 15	May 15	$1,450.00

If you wish to type the essay portion of your exam, you must enroll in Computer Based Testing (CBT), which has an additional fee. For more information, go to Pennsylvania Bar Exam Fees and Deadlines and Pennsylvania Bar Exam Computer Based Testing (CBT),

New Jersey

Bar Exam Application Deadlines
Filing Deadline	February Exam	Fees	July Exam	Fees
Timely	October 1 – October 31	$750	March 1 – March 31	$750
First Late	November 1 – November 15	$950	April 1 – April 15	$950
Final Deadline – No Exceptions	November 16 – November 30	$1,200	April 16 – April 30	$1,200

For more information, go to New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners: Fees, Deadlines & More

New York

New York has two separate exams: the UBE – taken after earning your JD, and the New York Law Exam (NYLE), which students may take in their last year of law school.

Upcoming UBE Exam Dates & New York Application Deadlines

The UBE administered on the last Tuesday and Wednesday every February and July. Applications to sit for the exam in New York must be filed during the month of October for a February examination and during the month of March for a July examination. There is no late application period.

The application fee for the UBE for individuals seeking admission under Section 520.3 (JD received from an ABA approved law school) is $250.

Below are the exam dates and application filing periods for upcoming UBE administrations:

Dates of Bar Exam	Application Filing Dates
February 24-25, 2026	October 1 – 31, 2025
July 28-29, 2026	March 1 – 31, 2026
February 23-24, 2027	October 1 – 31, 2026
July 27-28, 2027	March 1 – 31, 2027

If you wish to type your essay answers (rather than handwrite), you must register for the Laptop Program when they complete the online UBE application. There is an additional $100 technology fee to enroll in the program, paid directly to ExamSoft once you register.

Upcoming NYLE Dates & Registration Deadlines

The New York Law Exam (NYLE) is a 50-item, two-hour, open-book, multiple-choice test administered online that tests important New York rules covered in the New York Law Course (NYLC). You must complete the NYLC before registering for the NYLE, and you must register for the NYLE at least 30 days before the scheduled exam. There is no fee to take the NYLC. However, there is a $29 fee payable to ExamSoft to take the NYLE.

Below are the exam dates and registration deadlines for upcoming NYLE administrations:

Dates of NYLE	Registration Deadline
Thursday, April 16, 2026 12:00PM ET	Tuesday, March 17, 2026 11:59PM ET
Thursday, September 24, 2026 12:00PM ET	Tuesday, August 25, 2026 11:59PM ET
Thursday, December 17, 2026 12:00PM ET	Tuesday, November 17, 2026 11:59PM ET

For more information, go to:

• New York Board of Law Examiners Informational Guide for New York Applicants
• NYSBOLE FAQs and General Information for taking the UBE in New York State
• New York Bar Dates of Exams and Deadlines.

Delaware

The Delaware Board of Bar Examiners establishes Early and Final Filing Deadlines for each exam administration. The Early Deadlines are usually the beginning of November (February exam) and the beginning of April (July exam). The Final Deadlines are usually the beginning of December (February exam) and the beginning of May (July exam).

Below are the deadlines and fees for the upcoming administrations:

Delaware Bar Exam Application Deadlines for Law School Graduates
Filing Deadline	February 2027 Exam	July 2027 Exam	Fees
Early	November 3, 2026	TBD	$700
Final	December 1, 2026	TBD	$900

For more information, go to: Delaware Board of Bar Examiners Website.

The Bar Exam & MPRE: Key Information and Upcoming Changes

Over the next several years, the bar exam will change for most US jurisdictions. The current bar exam in most jurisdictions is the Uniform Bar Examination, or the Legacy UBE. The new bar exam is called the NextGen UBE. Additionally, almost every US jurisdiction requires its applications to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE).

Below you will find information about the MPRE and the Legacy-NextGen transition for those intending to sit for the bar exam between July 2026 and February 2028. Regardless of which exam you will take, we encourage you to meet with Noeleen Urmson, Associate Director of Academic and Professional Success, for additional information and guidance.

• About the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination
• Universal Bar Exam Transition: Legacy to NextGen
• About the Legacy Uniform Bar Exam
• About the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam

About the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination

The MPRE is a two-hour, 60-question multiple-choice examination that is administered three times per year. Developed by the NCBE, the MPRE is required for admission to practice in all but two US jurisdictions (Wisconsin and Puerto Rico). Note: Connecticut and New Jersey accept successful completion of a law school course on professional responsibility in lieu of a passing score on the MPRE. Many examinees take the MPRE while they are still in law school, but there is no requirement that you do so.

The purpose of the MPRE is to measure examinees’ knowledge and understanding of established standards related to the professional conduct of lawyers. The MPRE is not a test to determine an individual’s personal ethical values.

MPRE requirements vary from one jurisdiction to another, so examinees are advised to check with the governing body for bar admission in the jurisdiction to which they seek admission before registering for the MPRE. Passing scores and timelines to take the exam are established by each jurisdiction.

The MPRE is administered at dedicated testing centers in all US jurisdictions. Students studying abroad in their last year who wish to take the MPRE before they graduate should plan accordingly.

Testing accommodations requests are made directly to NCBE. Examinees seeking testing accommodations for the MPRE must apply for, and receive their determination, before registering for the exam and scheduling a test appointment. Applications should be submitted well in advance of the desired MPRE testing administration, and no later than the Recommended Submission Date for that administration.

Universal Bar Exam Transition: Legacy to NextGen

Between July 2026 and February 2028, the Legacy UBE will gradually be replaced by the NextGen UBE. The Legacy UBE will sunset after the February 2028 administration; beginning in July 2028, only the NextGen UBE will be offered. Both exams will be offered during this transition period, and each jurisdiction adopting the NextGen UBE determines when they will first administer the exam.

During the UBE transition period, examinees will have a choice: whether to sit for the Legacy UBE or the NextGen UBE. This is determined by where and when the examinee sits for the exam. The transition timeline for local jurisdictions can be found below:

PENNSYLVANIA
Last administration of the Legacy UBE: February 2028
Frist administration of the NextGen UBE: July 2028

NEW JERSEY
Last administration of the Legacy UBE: February 2028
Frist administration of the NextGen UBE: July 2028

DELAWARE*
Last administration of the Delaware Bar Exam: July 2027
Frist administration of the NextGen UBE: February 2028

*Note: Delaware is not a Legacy UBE Jurisdiction, but will adopt the NextGen UBE with a jurisdiction-specific law component

NEW YORK
Last administration of the Legacy UBE: February 2028
Frist administration of the NextGen UBE: July 2028

Both exams provide portable bar exam scores; this means that a qualifying UBE score earned in one UBE jurisdiction may be used to apply for admission to other UBE jurisdictions. To find out if the jurisdiction(s) in which you wish to be licensed administers and/or accepts scores earned through the UBE, visit https://www.ncbex.org/jurisdictions.

As jurisdictions across the country transition from the Legacy UBE to the NextGen UBE, understanding the differences – and the similarities – between the two exams is crucial.

Key Similarities:

• Purpose: Assess examinees’ readiness for legal practice, focusing on the legal knowledge and skills most necessary within the first three years after licensure
• Subject Matter: Test the same general subject areas: business associations, civil procedure, constitutional law, contract law, criminal law, evidence, real property, and torts (see About the Legacy UBE below for information on additional MEE subject areas). Family law will be added to the NextGen UBE in July 2028.
• Source: Developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and administered by individual jurisdictions. You’ll apply to take the exam in your preferred jurisdiction, and the jurisdiction will determine your eligibility to take the exam.
• Testing Accommodations: Examinees seeking testing accommodations apply through their jurisdictions, which makes all accommodations decisions.
• Dates: Administered twice yearly, on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July.
• Portability: Produce portable scores for transfer to participating jurisdictions.

Key Differences:

• Duration: Legacy UBE is 12 hours over two days; NextGen UBE is 9 hours over 1.5 days.
• Delivery: Legacy UBE uses printed materials, Scantrons, and examinees’ laptops; NextGen UBE is administered entirely on examinees’ laptops.
• Content Focus: Both cover core legal knowledge, but the NextGen UBE expands on the legal skills tested on the legacy UBE, emphasizing issue spotting, research, writing, client counseling, and negotiation.
• Question Structure: Legacy UBE includes multiple-choice questions, essays, and performance tests; NextGen UBE includes multiple-choice questions, integrated question sets, and performance tasks.

About the Legacy Uniform Bar Exam

Exam Details:

• Administration: Twice annually (February and July). Final administration is February 2028.
• Format: 12 hours over two days. Administered in person at jurisdiction-managed sites.
• Question Types:
  • Multistate Essay Examination (MEE)
  • Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
  • Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)
• Delivery: Exam is administered using printed exam booklets. Examinees may choose to use their laptops to answer the MEE and MPT. For the MBE, answers are submitted on Scantron forms.
• Subjects Tested: Business Associations, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts. Through February 2026 only, the Legacy UBE will also test Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Trusts and Estates, and Secured Transactions.
• Skills Tested: issue spotting, legal analysis and reasoning, factual analysis, communication, organization and management of a legal task, and recognizing and resolving legal dilemmas.
• Scoring: NCBE grades multiple-choice questions; jurisdictions grade written components.
• Portability: Scores earned on the Legacy UBE are portable to other Legacy UBE jurisdictions.

About the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam

Exam Details:

• Administration: Twice annually (February and July). First administration is July 2026 (in select jurisdictions).
• Format: 9 hours over 1.5 days.
• Delivery: computer-based, using NCBE’s secure testing browser on examinee laptops of jurisdiction-managed sites.
• Subjects Tested: Business Associations, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contract Law, Criminal Law, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.
• Skills Assessed: Legal research, legal writing, issue spotting and analysis, investigation and evaluation, client counseling and advising, negotiation and dispute resolution, and client relationship management.
• Question Formats: Multiple-choice questions, integrated question sets (simulating real-world legal tasks), and performance tasks.
• Scoring: NCBE scores multiple-choice, jurisdictions score written portions.
• Portability: NextGen UBE scores earned in any jurisdiction may be transferred for admission to any other jurisdiction that accepts portable scores.

For guidance as to which exam applies to your jurisdiction (or the jurisdiction in which you’re looking to practice), or for help with bar preparation resources, please contact Noeleen Urmson, Associate Director of Academic and Professional Success, for additional information and guidance.