The bar exam in transition: UBE and NextGen
Most US jurisdictions have tested with the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). It has three parts: the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) with multiple-choice questions, the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT). According to the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), this legacy UBE is administered through February 2028.
Its successor is the NextGen UBE. The first ten jurisdictions switched in July 2026: Connecticut, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau, the US Virgin Islands and Washington. More follow in 2027 and 2028; California has announced the switch for July 2028. Which exam applies to you depends on your jurisdiction and sitting, so check with your board of bar examiners.
What changes with NextGen
- Three question types: multiple-choice questions, integrated question sets built around a client matter, and performance tasks
- It tests foundational lawyering skills and a clearly defined set of core legal concepts
- A single score on a scale from 500 to 750
For your preparation this means memorising rules is even less enough than before. You have to apply rules to facts, work with materials and write.
How to judge a bar prep course
Ask these questions of any provider, including us:
- Does the course fit your exam: legacy UBE, NextGen, or an exam with its own state component?
- Do you practise actively with questions and cases, or mostly watch lectures?
- Do questions and rules come back at growing intervals?
- Are subjects mixed in practice, as they are on the real exam?
- Do you get feedback on written essays and performance tests, and from whom?
- Are the multiple-choice questions licensed from the NCBE or written in-house?
- What does the full scope cost, how long is access, and what is an add-on?
The first points are well researched: self-testing instead of rereading (Roediger and Karpicke 2006), spaced review (Cepeda and colleagues 2006) and mixed practice (Rohrer and Taylor 2007).
The well-known providers at a glance
The details below come from the providers’ own websites, checked on 4 November 2026. Prices change often, and many providers run time-limited discounts, law school pricing and scholarships. Only the provider’s current information is binding.
BARBRI
For the 2027 exam BARBRI offers Premium and Elite. The regular price is $2,999 (Premium) and $3,999 (Elite); on the day we checked, both were on offer for $2,199 and $3,199.
- More than 1,000 NCBE-licensed MBE questions, or NextGen question sets
- Simulated exams, an adaptive study plan, 20 to 30 minute lectures, print and digital materials
- Personal feedback on essays or NextGen written assignments
- Elite adds the AdaptiBar MCQ Simulator, AdaptiBar Writing Guide, CriticalPass cards and Quimbee SideBar Videos
Themis (with UWorld)
Themis lists a price of $2,995. On the day we checked, promotional prices ranged from $1,895 to $2,395 depending on exam year and payment option.
- More than 4,000 multiple-choice questions, over 1,350 of them NCBE-licensed, plus the UWorld question bank
- Unlimited essay grading by the “UGrader” AI and an attorney grader
- Short interactive lectures, flashcards, study planner and progress tracker, printed outlines
- Dedicated NextGen preparation
UWorld MBE QBank
UWorld also sells its question bank on its own: $449 for the February 2027 or July 2027 exam, $549 for an early start towards July 2027. UWorld says it includes more than 1,900 questions, over 1,150 of them from the NCBE, a self-assessment, practice tests, flashcards and the app. A free trial with 50 questions is available.
Kaplan
Kaplan offers a bar review course with study plans, attorney instructors and live classes, in “Complete” and “Ultimate” versions. We could not verify a current list price on Kaplan’s website; ask Kaplan directly.
Quimbee
Quimbee now presents itself as “A BARBRI Company”. For the bar exam it describes its SideBar Videos as a supplement to a review course: more than 200 short videos with over 800 multiple-choice questions, plus NextGen content. For law school there is a subscription with video lessons, practice questions and case briefs. We did not check prices.
AdaptiBar
AdaptiBar is now offered as a supplement through BARBRI. According to the provider, the MCQ Simulator includes more than 1,375 licensed MBE questions and over 2,000 flashcards; there is also a Writing Guide and video lectures. We did not check prices.
What Lexxington offers for the bar exam
The USA course is in preparation. The figures show the current state of the content and are counted from the course files when the page is built.
- 13 subjects with 109 lessons
- 2,495 practice questions with explanations
- 899 flashcards with a review schedule
- 1,068 interactive cases for the case trainer
- 200 definitions
- 80 exam schemes
- 100 leading cases
- 60 timed written tasks
- 55 jurisdictions with their own course part
For the legacy UBE and for NextGen
The course has cases and written tasks in both formats: MEE-style essays, performance-test-style tasks and integrated client matters as on NextGen. An AI grades your own answers in IRAC structure on a scale from 0 to 100. Practice exams run as timed multiple choice.
Methods from research
Flashcards with a review schedule, a case trainer with statements, a daily session of mixed questions from every subject, speed round, fill-in-the-blank and a confidence check before each answer. The science page lists the studies behind them.
Lexxi, the AI tutor
Lexxi sees what is on your screen and explains rules, cases and answers. Lexxi is included in the subscription and is not legal advice.
One price
€9.99 a month per country, the first 7 days free, cancel any month. See pricing.
What Lexxington is and is not
A fair comparison names the limits too. The big bar review courses offer things Lexxington does not:
- Video lecture series and printed outlines
- NCBE-licensed past exam questions. Lexxington’s questions are written in-house.
- Essay grading by attorneys. Lexxington grades with AI.
- Personal coaching and guarantees under each provider’s own terms
Lexxington is built for short, active practice every day: recall, spaced review, mixed practice and targeted work on your mistakes. It works on its own or alongside a full course, for a monthly price instead of a one-off payment.
Combine rather than replace
Many students combine a full course with a question bank or an app. Try Lexxington for seven days and then decide what fits the way you study. For admission, only the rules of your jurisdiction apply.
A note on fairness: BARBRI, Themis, UWorld, Kaplan, Quimbee, AdaptiBar, MBE, MEE, MPT and UBE are trademarks of their owners. Lexxington is not affiliated with these providers or with the NCBE. For other providers’ services and prices, only their own information applies.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lexxington an alternative to BARBRI or Themis?
Lexxington is an independent study app with questions, flashcards, cases and written tasks. It has no lecture series and no NCBE-licensed questions. Many students use it alongside a course. Try it free for seven days.
Does Lexxington prepare for the NextGen bar exam?
The US course includes tasks in the NextGen formats: integrated client matters and performance-test-style tasks, plus MEE-style essays for the legacy UBE.
How much does Lexxington cost in the US?
€9.99 a month for the US course, the first 7 days free. All 13 subjects and Lexxi are included.
Are the questions real past exam questions?
No. All questions and cases are written for Lexxington. Some course providers offer NCBE-licensed questions.
When does my state switch to NextGen?
Each jurisdiction decides for itself. The NCBE publishes an overview; your board of bar examiners has the binding answer.
How current are the prices on this page?
We checked them on the providers’ websites on 4 November 2026. Discounts change often, so the provider’s current information always applies.