Bar-Exam Changes and Alternatives to the Bar Exam
Learn more about the recently approved alternative pathways to lawyer licensure in Washington state.
On March 15, 2024, the Washington Supreme Court filed two orders approving alternative pathways to lawyer licensure: order 25700-B-710 adopting the NextGen Bar Exam starting with the July 2026 examination and reducing the minimum UBE passing score in Washington from 270 to 266 for all bar exams administered from July 2020 through the implementation of the NextGen Bar Exam, and order 25700-B-711 adopting in concept the recommendations from the Washington Bar Licensure Task Force relating to graduate apprenticeship, law school experiential pathway, APR 6 apprenticeship, alternative assessments and interventions, and reciprocity.
The Supreme Court also directed the Executive Director of the WSBA to convene and support an implementation committee to propose rule changes and identify next steps necessary to implement the recommendations.
Timeline for Change
 | UBE passing score: The Court reduced the minimum UBE passing score in Washington from 270 to 266 for all bar exams administered from July 2020 through the implementation of the NextGen Bar Exam, including examinations
already administered in February and July 2023 and February 2024. We have fully implemented the reduced cut score and notified all applicants who benefited from the reduced passing score for the February and July 2023 exam with instructions
on how to proceed with the admission process. |
 | Reciprocity: The Court approved the WBLTF’s recommendation that the practice time required for admission by motion be shortened to one year. At its May 2024 meeting, the WSBA Board of Governors voted unanimously
to recommend the suggested amendments to APR 3 to implement adoption of this recommendation. The suggested amendments were submitted to the Court on May 14, 2024, and on July 11, 2024, the Court issued an order directing that the suggested amendments be published for comment in January 2025. |
| NextGen Bar Exam: The Court adopted the Nextgen Bar Exam starting with the July 2026 examination. We have begun transition to NextGen Bar Exam, and plan on hosting a prototype exam in October 2024. |
Prospective Applicants
The recommended alternative pathways to licensure, adopted in concept by the Court, have not been implemented yet. Therefore, currently there is no application available for these alternative pathways.
Continue to check here for more information as it becomes available. Please email alternativepathways@wsba.org for any other questions.
