Research Guides: Faculty Services: Bar Success and Next Gen Bar Transition

Bar Pass Culture at Temple

An essential component of legal education is appreciation for the rigors of the bar exam, which is the gateway to entry into the profession and the culmination of our students’ legal education, and preparation for success on it. As encompassed in our Mission Statement, all stakeholders in the law school commit to this.

Resources on the Next Gen Bar

Beginning in 2026 and culminating in 2028, the National Conference of Bar Examiners is transitioning to a new bar exam format, the Next Gen Bar. The NCBE will no longer administer the current MBE, MEE and MPT after the 2028 Q1 sitting.

Pennsylvania has set an adoption date of July 2028 (see the court order and press release). New Jersey established a committee in February 2025 to take public comment and make a recommendation on adoption.

Helix Next Gen Faculty Guide
A quick introduction to the content and format changes of the Next Gen bar exam, from Helix Bar Review.
Timeline for Next Gen Implementation
This timeline provides a high-level overview of the process that will bring the new exam from concept to reality.
State Adoption Dates for Next Gen
This comprehensive chart from the NCBE tracks adoption dates by state for Next Gen as well as dates they will accept Next Gen scores from other states.
Next Gen Content Scope
Outlines from the NCBE of bar exam content coverage for the initial 2026-2028 Next Gen implementation, which will include testing on: business associations, civil procedure, constitutional law, contract law, criminal law, evidence, real property, torts. Foundational lawyering skills to be tested are: legal research, legal writing, issue spotting and analysis, investigation and evaluation, client counseling and advising, negotiation and dispute resolution, client relationship and management.

Additional content and skills will be added beginning in 2028.

Resources for Teaching

The library will compile teaching resources for incorporating bar preparation content, testing formats, and other aids to student preparedness on an ongoing basis. Some links may direct you to Temple Law's faculty teaching resources Canvas site, which will require your Temple login to access.

Topics Eliminated in Next Gen
From our colleagues at Themis, a list of topics which will no longer be covered on the Next Gen exam (Canvas link)
Sample Next Gen Questions
Sample questions from the NCBE to provide examples of the content and format changes coming to the bar exam with Next Gen.

Temple University

University Libraries

See all library locations

Need help? Email us at asktulibrary@temple.edu