Maryland Bar Exam Info

Overview

Maryland has adopted the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination (“NextGen UBE”). The NextGen UBE is a fully computer-based exam administered over one and a half days, totaling nine hours of testing across three sections.

Exam Structure

The NextGen UBE consists of three 3-hour sections: two on Tuesday (morning and afternoon) and one on Wednesday (morning). Each section contains the following:

• 40 standalone multiple-choice questions (estimated time: 72 minutes)
• 2 integrated question sets (estimated time: 48 minutes)
• 1 performance task (estimated time: 60 minutes)

Question Types

Standalone Multiple-Choice Questions: These include select-one (choose 1 of 4 options) and select-two (choose 2 of 6 options) formats. There are 120 total across the exam, and they make up 49% of the total score.

Integrated Question Sets: These are sets of questions based on a common fact scenario. They come in two formats: drafting sets (medium-answer written responses) and counseling sets (a mix of multiple-choice and short-answer questions). There are 6 total across the exam, making up 21% of the total score.

Performance Tasks: These require you to complete realistic lawyering tasks using provided case files and legal resources. They come in two formats: standard performance tasks (a longer writing assignment) and legal research performance tasks (multiple-choice, short-answer, and medium-answer questions). There are 3 total across the exam, making up 30% of the total score.