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Texas Bar Exam News & Format Changes
Bar Exam Project wiki article. Part of the Texas Bar Exam cluster.
A living timeline of changes to the Texas Bar Examination: UBE adoption (February 2021), the upcoming NextGen transition (July 2028), and the cut score history. Updated as the Texas Board of Law Examiners and Supreme Court of Texas issue new rules.
One-line summary
The big upcoming change is NextGen in July 2028. The big stable facts: UBE since February 2021, cut score 270 throughout, MPRE 85 throughout, no pro bono requirement, no Texas-specific second exam.
February 2021: UBE adoption
Texas adopted the UBE effective the February 2021 administration, replacing its prior Texas-specific essay format. The shift introduced score portability across UBE jurisdictions. The Supreme Court of Texas set the cut score at 270 — on the higher end of the UBE distribution.
Cut score stability
Texas’s UBE cut score has been 270 since adoption. Some jurisdictions adjusted cut scores during COVID; Texas did not. Stability of the cut score is a feature of the Texas admission scheme.
No state-specific overlay (unlike NY)
Texas opted not to layer a New York-style state-specific online course (NYLC) or state-specific exam (NYLE) on top of the UBE. Texas considers the UBE plus the MPRE sufficient. The trade-off: out-of-state Texas-bound candidates do not get focused Texas-specific training, but they also avoid the extra hours required in NY.
NextGen Bar Exam (July 2028)
The Supreme Court of Texas has announced its intention to administer the NextGen Bar Exam beginning July 2028. The July 2026, February 2027, and July 2027 administrations continue to use the traditional UBE format.
What this means for your study plan
Bar review courses lag administration changes by one or two cycles. Confirm the current format on the Texas Board of Law Examiners cycle page before you commit to a course or study plan, especially if you are working from older materials. The MBE/MEE/MPT format and 270 cut score have been stable since 2021.
Companion pages
- Texas Bar Exam Hub
- Texas Pass Rate Statistics
- UBE Score Portability in Texas
- New York Bar Exam News & Format Changes (comparison)
- California Bar Exam News & Format Changes (comparison)
Sources
Supreme Court of Texas Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas; Texas Board of Law Examiners news and announcements (ble.texas.gov); National Conference of Bar Examiners, NextGen Bar Exam announcements; Law360 Pulse coverage.