ON Friday, Oct. 25, the CNMI Supreme Court announced its intention to adopt the Next Generation Bar Examination in place of the Unified Bar Examination, beginning in July 2026. Both examinations are created by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, with the NextGen Bar Exam replacing the UBE over a two-year period between July 2026–28. The CNMI Supreme Court will continue to administer the local content essays in addition to the NextGen Bar Exam.
The CNMI will be the 26th jurisdiction overall to adopt the NextGen Bar Exam, and one of only seven jurisdictions currently planning to adopt for the first administration in 2026.
Adoption of the NextGen Bar Exam is contingent upon future updates to the Rules of Admission.
