Connecticut Bar Exam: The Ultimate Guide (2026)

Bar Exam Project wiki article. Cross-linked to NextGen UBE resources as we build them.

One-line summary

The Connecticut Bar Examination is the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination (NextGen UBE), administered beginning July 2026. The legacy UBE was last administered in February 2026. NextGen replaces the traditional MEE / MPT / MBE structure with an integrated mix of standalone multiple-choice (49%), integrated question sets (21%), and performance tasks (30%). You pass with a scaled score of 616 of 500-750.

At a glance (2026)

• Next administration: July 28-29, 2026 (first NextGen UBE administration) — the first NextGen UBE in Connecticut.
• Application filing window (July 2026): March 1, 2026 (opens). Capped at 600 total applications for July 2026.
• Format: NextGen UBE — standalone MC (49%), integrated MC question sets (21%), performance tasks (30%).
• Cut score: 616 on the 500-750 scale.
• MPRE minimum: 80.
• Most recent reported pass rate: Most recent: February 2025 = 37 percent overall (legacy UBE). Pass rates for the new NextGen UBE will be available after the July 2026 administration..
• Application fees: $800 application + $100 late + $125 laptop fee.
• Application cap: 600 total applications for July 2026 NextGen UBE.
• Reciprocity / admission on motion: reciprocity-limited — Connecticut requires reciprocal admission privileges from the applicant home jurisdiction — under Connecticut Practice Book Section 2-13 (Admission Without Examination), with 10 of the last 15 years.

The NextGen UBE format

The NextGen UBE is a fully computer-based, digitally-delivered examination administered on examinee laptops through the NCBE secure testing browser. The exam runs over two days. Major architectural differences from the legacy UBE:

• No separate MEE / MPT / MBE sections. Question types are mixed across testing days.
• Three question types: standalone multiple-choice (49% of score), integrated question sets that combine multiple subjects in a single fact pattern with mixed item types (21%), and performance tasks (30%).
• Subject scope narrower: NextGen does not test Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Secured Transactions, or Trusts and Estates.
• Lawyering skills emphasized: NextGen adds questions about negotiation, client counseling, and legal research that the legacy UBE did not test.

How it is graded (616 cut score)

NextGen UBE produces one total scaled score on a 500-750 scale. Connecticut’s passing score is 616. Scores are portable to any other NextGen-adopting jurisdiction whose cut score is at or below 616, generally within 3 years.

Fees and deadlines

CBEC fee schedule for 2026: $800 application + $100 late + $125 laptop fee. February 2026 (final legacy UBE) filing window: October 1, 2025 (opens) - November 15, 2025 (closes). July 2026 (first NextGen UBE) filing window: March 1, 2026 (opens). Capped at 600 total applications for July 2026.

Application capacity cap

600 total applications for July 2026 NextGen UBE. CBEC has set this hard cap for the inaugural Connecticut NextGen UBE administration. File early; the cap is enforced on a first-come-first-served basis.

Character & Fitness

Connecticut Character & Fitness review is conducted concurrently with the bar application by the CBEC. Character & Fitness fee: included in application fee. Disclosure asks about residence, employment, criminal and civil litigation, financial responsibility, academic discipline, and prior bar applications. Disclose everything; failure to disclose is treated more harshly than the underlying conduct.

The MPRE requirement (80 minimum)

Connecticut requires a passing MPRE score of 80, on the standard NCBE 50-150 scale. The MPRE is administered three times per year (March, August, November) by computer at Pearson VUE testing centers. Free MPRE practice: MBEmax MPRE.

Pass rates over time

Most recent: February 2025 = 37 percent overall (legacy UBE). Pass rates for the new NextGen UBE will be available after the July 2026 administration. Comparison data across NextGen and legacy formats will not be possible until NCBE publishes the full July 2026 NextGen distribution.

Eligibility paths

To sit for the Connecticut Bar Examination you must hold a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school, or qualify under the foreign-trained path covered below. Connecticut is an in-person two-day jurisdiction.

Admission on motion

Under Connecticut Practice Book Section 2-13 (Admission Without Examination), an attorney admitted in another U.S. jurisdiction with 10 of the last 15 years of qualifying practice may be admitted to the Connecticut Bar without bar exam. The fee is $1,500. Reciprocity-limited — connecticut requires reciprocal admission privileges from the applicant home jurisdiction. The MPRE 80 requirement still applies. See the standalone Connecticut Admission on Motion guide for full requirements.

Foreign-trained applicants

Connecticut admits foreign-educated attorneys from common-law jurisdictions on essentially the same terms as Illinois Rule 715: LLM of 26 credit hours at an ABA-approved school, or substantial equivalence to a U.S. JD. The MPRE 80 requirement and Character & Fitness clearance still apply.

NextGen score portability

A Connecticut passing NextGen UBE score (616+) is portable to any NextGen-adopting jurisdiction whose cut is at or below 616, generally within 3 years. Legacy UBE passing scores are NOT directly transferable to Connecticut NextGen sittings — if you passed legacy UBE in another state and your score-life has not lapsed, contact CBEC for current transfer guidance.

How to prepare for NextGen

NextGen prep is meaningfully different from legacy UBE prep. Key adjustments:

• Skip the four NextGen-removed subjects. Conflict of Laws, Family Law, Secured Transactions, and Trusts & Estates are not tested. Don’t spend prep time there.
• Practice integrated question sets. NCBE has released sample NextGen questions; work through them carefully.
• Build performance task practice. 30% of your score is on PTs — bigger than legacy MPT (20%). Practice 10-15 PTs across an 8-week arc.
• Add lawyering-skills practice. Negotiation, client counseling, and legal research are graded on NextGen. Commercial bar prep courses now include NextGen-specific modules.
• Use commercial NextGen prep. Themis, BARBRI, Kaplan, Quimbee, MBEmax all have NextGen-aligned tracks. Free MBE practice on the doctrinal core: MBEmax Free MBE Quiz; subject-specific drills: MBEmax browse subjects.

For repeat takers

If you sat for the legacy UBE in February 2026 or earlier and missed the cut, your retake will be on NextGen. Be careful: the format is different enough that simply re-doing your legacy prep is not enough. Diagnose your legacy gaps (was it MBE, MEE, or MPT?), then pivot to NextGen-equivalent practice (standalone MC, integrated sets, performance tasks). Get NextGen-format graded feedback on at least 2 PTs and 2 integrated sets before sitting again.

Connecticut Bar Exam Cluster

Companion wiki articles in the Connecticut cluster:

• Connecticut Admission on Motion
• Connecticut Bar Exam News & Format Changes

Sources

• Connecticut Bar Examining Committee (CBEC) — https://ctbaradmissions.jud.ct.gov/.
• NCBE jurisdiction page for Connecticut — ncbex.org/jurisdictions/CT.
• NCBE NextGen UBE published sample items.