Washington Cancels July 2026 NextGen Bar Exam Over Wi‑Fi Failure in Yakima

Key Points

• The July 2026 administration of the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam was cancelled in Washington state after widespread network bandwidth issues at the Yakima Convention & Event Center prevented most test-takers from starting the exam on Tuesday, July 28.
• The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) said it lacked sufficient confidence that the technical problems would be resolved in time to safely resume testing on Wednesday, July 29, and therefore discontinued the July administration entirely.
• The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), which oversees the NextGen exam, reported that similar but less severe connectivity issues caused delayed start times in Missouri and a short delay at one site in Maryland, while most other jurisdictions launched successfully.
• WSBA apologised to candidates and outlined options: a makeup exam in late summer/early fall 2026 (reported by some test-takers as early September in Tacoma), transfer of registration to the February 2027 exam, or a full refund.
• Applicants testing with approved accommodations were able to complete their exams as scheduled and were not affected by the disruption.
• All registered applicants were notified by email and through the online admissions portal, and WSBA said it would work with the Washington Supreme Court on additional next steps.

Washington (Evening Washington News) July 29, 2026 — The July 2026 administration of the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam was cancelled in Washington state after network bandwidth issues at the Yakima Convention & Event Center prevented most applicants from beginning the exam on Tuesday, July 28, and officials concluded they could not safely resume testing on Wednesday, July 29. The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) said it “do[es] not have sufficient confidence that the technology issue has been resolved to safely resume the exam tomorrow, July 29, and have made the decision not to continue” the July administration. In an email seen by test-takers and reported locally, the association apologised and confirmed the cancellation, adding that it would work with the Washington Supreme Court to consider further steps.

What exactly went wrong on Day 1 of the NextGen exam in Yakima?

As reported by multiple test-takers in interviews and emails reviewed by local outlets, the testing day “quickly went off the rails with Wi‑Fi issues that prevented them from starting the exam,” leading to hours of uncertainty before candidates were dismissed.

WSBA spokesperson Sara Niegowski confirmed in a statement that the problem was a “technology issue,” while directing specific technical questions to the venue, which issued its own statement about the cause of the disruption.

The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), which administers the NextGen exam across participating jurisdictions, described the problem as a “site-specific network bandwidth issue” affecting Washington and Missouri, with a short delay also reported at one Maryland site.

NCBE added that

“where on-site internet connectivity has been available, the NextGen testing platform has functioned as expected.”

How did officials respond and what options are affected candidates being offered?

WSBA said it “sincerely apologize[d] to the candidates who worked so hard to prepare, and we deeply regret that we could not deliver a successful exam experience today,” and announced plans to schedule a makeup exam in “late summer/early fall 2026.”

In an email circulated to applicants and cited by local reporting, WSBA gave test-takers three options: take a makeup exam in Tacoma in early September, transfer their applications to the February 2027 exam, or withdraw their applications for the exam and receive a full refund.

The association also said it is “continuing to explore other alternatives,” and that all registered applicants have been notified by email and through the online admissions portal.

Were any candidates able to test despite the disruption?

Yes. WSBA stated that “all applicants testing with approved accommodations were able to proceed with their exams as scheduled and were not impacted” by the technology issue.

This distinction was highlighted in the association’s public update, which separated the experience of candidates with accommodations from the broader cohort affected at the Yakima site.

Did other states face problems during the first NextGen administration?

The NCBE reported that “ongoing delays are limited to testing locations in Missouri and Washington and are related to isolated on-site internet connectivity issues,” while “the vast majority of testing locations across participating jurisdictions launched successfully and are administering the exam as scheduled.”

In Missouri, a “site-specific network bandwidth issue” caused delayed start times on Tuesday, according to the NCBE and local reporting. One testing site in Maryland also experienced a short delay, but the NCBE did not indicate cancellations outside Washington.

What has been the reaction from legal educators and observers?

As noted in public comments circulated online, legal observers emphasised the stress caused by the disruption, with one commentator writing that

“bar examinees spend months preparing for this exam”

and often arrange childcare, travel, lodging, and time off work, making last-minute technical failures “extraordinarily difficult.”

Another observer described the incident as a “catastrophic technology failure” and called for a thorough investigation to identify what failed and ensure “meaningful contingency plans when things go wrong,” while urging “prompt communication, transparency, and reasonable accommodations” for affected examinees.

These remarks, posted on professional networks, underscored concerns about reliability and communication during the rollout of the new exam

What is the status of the NextGen exam and passing score in Washington?

Washington is among the jurisdictions administering the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam beginning in July 2026, replacing the prior Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) framework in the state.

The Washington Supreme Court has set the minimum passing score for the NextGen bar exam at 610, which it equates to a UBE score of 260, for the July 2026 lawyer bar examination and all future NextGen exams until further notice.

The July 2026 exam was scheduled for July 28–29, 2026, in Yakima, with applications accepted from February 1, 2026.

Background: How did Washington reach this point with the NextGen bar exam?

Washington’s move to the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam follows a broader shift in state licensing policy. In March 2024, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that prospective lawyers would no longer be required to take the traditional NCBE test to receive licenses, opening alternative licensing pathways and apprenticeship-style options by 2027.

Starting in summer 2026, the state replaced the traditional bar exam with the NextGen Bar Exam, which is designed to focus more heavily on practical litigation skills. Washington is one of several jurisdictions that began administering NextGen in July 2026, alongside Connecticut, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau and the Virgin Islands.

The court’s order fixing the NextGen passing score at 610 (equivalent to UBE 260) was intended to carry through the July 2026 exam and subsequent administrations until further notice. Against this policy backdrop, the July 2026 Yakima administration was meant to be the state’s first operational use of NextGen for lawyer licensure, before the technology disruption forced cancellation.

Prediction: How might this cancellation affect Washington’s bar applicants and the legal profession?

For Washington’s July 2026 bar applicants, the immediate effect will be scheduling and financial uncertainty: some will take a makeup exam in late summer or early fall, others will defer to February 2027, and some may withdraw entirely.

Candidates who travelled to Yakima and booked lodging for the original dates face added costs and logistical strain if the makeup requires return travel or extended stays, particularly if the new date is in a different city such as Tacoma.

For those relying on a July pass to begin jobs, clerkships, or bar admission steps in late 2026, a delay could push back start dates and complicate immigration, visa, or employment timelines. For the legal profession and regulators, the incident is likely to prompt closer scrutiny of testing infrastructure, contingency planning, and communication protocols during large-scale, high-stakes digital exams, especially in a first-state rollout of a new exam format.

If makeup administrations proceed smoothly and accommodations are clearly honoured, confidence in the NextGen system may stabilise; if not, pressure could grow for more robust backup systems or alternative assessment pathways in Washington’s evolving licensure landscape.