Rules of Court - In the Matter of the NextGen Bar Exam and Reduction to the Passing Score for Uniform Bar Exam - Amended Order No. 25700-B-747

Sep 25, 2026

Uploaded by Adam

Amended Washington State Supreme Court order sets the minimum passing score for the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) at 610, with equivalence to a legacy UBE passing score of 260. It also establishes the minimum passing score for February 2026 legacy UBE administration at 260 and adopts attached Admission and Practice Rule (APR) 4 amendments. The order creates a limited application pathway for legacy UBE takers scoring 260-265 during July 2020 to July 2025, with timing and MPRE submission requirements, and clarifies effects on prior applicants and statistics.

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ORDERED

Minimum passing scores for NextGen UBE and legacy UBE

Adoption of APR 4 amendments

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED

Eligibility pathway for legacy UBE scores 260-265

APR 4 amendments (mark up and clean versions)

Washington State Register WSR 26-02-027 WSR 26-02-027 RULES OF COURT STATE SUPREME COURT [December 17, 2025] IN THE MATTER OF THE NEXTGEN BAR EXAM AND REDUCTION TO THE PASSING SCORE FOR UNIFORM BAR EXAM )) )) AMENDED ORDER NO. 25700-B-747 (superseding order of December 8, 2025) WHEREAS this Court on March 15, 2024 adopted the National Conference of Bar Examiners' (NCBE) new Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) known as the NextGen UBE, which will replace the legacy UBE beginning in July 2026; and WHEREAS the Court has reviewed materials provided by the NCBE which resulted in the NCBE's recommendations regarding a range of passing scores (610-620) for the NextGen UBE and a concordance with the legacy UBE, so that this Court can set a passing score for the NextGen UBE similar to the legacy UBE passing score; and WHEREAS this Court, in consideration of multiple factors including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, had adopted a temporary passing score of 266 for the legacy UBE beginning in July 2020, and subsequently entered Order No . 25700-B-710 adopting that passing score permanently for the legacy UBE; and WHEREAS Washington State is among the group of states that will be the first to administer the NextGen UBE in July 2026; and WHEREAS the Washington State Bar Association's (WSBA's) Board of Governors voted to recommend to this Court a passing score of 616 on the NextGen UBE, using the NCBE concordance showing that score is equivalent to a score of 266 on the legacy UBE, while the Deans of the law schools in Washington State recommend a passing score of 610, equivalent to a legacy UBE score of 260, in part due to the fact that examinees will not have the benefit of preparatory materials for the NextGen UBE that are available for examinees taking the legacy UBE; and WHEREAS the Court seeks parity in setting a minimum passing score between the NextGen UBE and the legacy UBE and recognizes that the NCBE has recommended a minimum passing score of 260 for the legacy UBE, a score used for admission by several states and which is in concordance with a minimum passing score of 610 on the NextGen UBE, Now, therefore, pursuant to the Court's inherent power over admission to practice law, it is hereby ORDERED: That the minimum passing score for the NextGen UBE shall be 610, which is equivalent to the legacy UBE score of 260; and That the minimum passing score for the final administration in Washington State of the legacy UBE in February 2026 shall be 260; and That the amendments to Admission and Practice Rule (APR) 4 as attached hereto are adopted; and That the attached APR 4 amendments will be published expeditiously in the Washington Reports and will become effective upon issuance of this order . IT IS FURTHER ORDERED: That any examinee who sat for the legacy UBE in Washington State between July 2020 and July 2025 and who received a score of 260-265 is now eligible to apply for admission as a lawyer in Washington State based on that score . All such applications must be filed within one year of the date of this order, and no application fee will be re Certified on 1/15/2026 [ 1 ] WSR 26-02-027 Washington State Register WSR 26-02-027 quired . For these applications, all preadmission requirements under APR 5 (a) and (b) must be completed within 12 months from the date of filing the application . For these applications, the WSBA will accept a passing MPRE score of 85 earned no earlier than July 2017 and submitted to the WSBA within 12 months from the date of filing the application . The WSBA will provide detailed application instructions to those who qualify as soon as practicable . This order provides a new pathway to admission that covers only current and future applications by eligible applicants and does not affect prior applications or result in retroactive admission to practice law in Washington State . Nor does this order affect bar passage statistics for any prior bar exams administered i

FAQs

What is the minimum passing score set for the NextGen UBE?

The minimum passing score for the NextGen UBE is set at 610, which is equivalent to a legacy UBE score of 260.

What minimum passing score applies to the legacy UBE in February 2026 in Washington State?

The minimum passing score for the final administration of the legacy UBE in Washington State in February 2026 is set at 260.

Who is eligible to apply for admission based on a legacy UBE score of 260-265?

Any examinee who sat for the legacy UBE in Washington State between July 2020 and July 2025 and received a score of 260-265 may apply for admission, provided applications are filed within one year of the order date and required preadmission and MPRE conditions are met.

Sep 25, 2026

Uploaded by Adam