The UBE

This February will mark the final UBE for a small number of states. Specifically, the following:

~Connecticut ~Idaho ~Maryland ~Missouri ~Oregan ~Washington That's interesting in itself as the new test rolls out after multiple years of preparation. But more interesting, to me at least, is how this will affect states that are currently administering the UBE and intend to administer the NextGen exam beginning either in July 2027 or July 2028. The NCBE decided that the UBE beginning in July 2026 (at the time when the above states begin to administer the NextGen exam) and through July 2028 (when the UBE is officially retired) will be a sort of UBE Lite. They're not calling it that, but it seems that way to me. In July 2026 through July 2028 (though not including July 2028) the UBE will no longer test the following subjects on the essay component of the exam: Wills; Trusts, Family Law, Secured Transactions, Conflict of Laws. What it'll test is the MBE subjects + Business Associations. For this relatively short time period, studying for the UBE will require studying for the MBE + studying Business Associations. Not a bad time to take the test, frankly, for those who have had any thought of taking the UBE. This decision, I'd guess, was one the NCBE felt it had to make rather than one it necessarily wanted to make. That makes it good for the test taker.