4. Preparing for the Administration

Overview

Successful administration of the NextGen UBE depends on work completed well in advance of exam day. This preparation ensures that examinees are eligible and ready to test, testing locations are properly configured, and all systems and personnel are aligned.

Preparation activities are managed primarily through the NextGen UBE Jurisdiction Portal (available through the NCBE Secure Site) and are closely tied to examinee actions in the NextGen UBE Candidate Portal (available through examinees’ NCBE Accounts). Together, these systems establish the conditions required for a smooth and secure administration.

This section outlines

• what jurisdictions must complete prior to exam day;
• how to use the Jurisdiction Portal to manage exam setup;
• what candidate readiness means operationally; and
• additional preparation related to accommodations, security, and staffing.
   

Jurisdiction Preparation

Before exam day, jurisdictions are responsible for ensuring that

• all examinees are bona fide candidates and have been deemed eligible to sit;
• all examinees have completed NCBE pre-exam requirements;
• each examinee is assigned to a testing location;
• approved accommodations are reflected in the Jurisdiction Portal;
• testing locations are properly configured to support digital delivery; and
• all personnel have been assigned roles and are prepared to execute them.

These activities are interdependent. Delays or gaps in preparation—particularly related to eligibility, candidate readiness, or location assignment—can directly impact exam day operations.
 

Using the Jurisdiction Portal

The Jurisdiction Portal is the primary system used by jurisdictions to manage exam administration.

Through the portal, jurisdictions

• upload and manage candidate rosters;
• configure testing locations;
• monitor candidate progress toward readiness;
• resolve data conflicts and registration issues;
• assign candidates to locations;
• review and manage accommodations; and
• track attendance and irregularities during and after the exam.

The steps below outline the core workflows required prior to administration.
 

Accessing the Jurisdiction Portal

 Log in to the NCBE Secure Site using your existing credentials.

 You will immediately navigate to your NextGen dashboard.

Important: Access should be granted in advance to all personnel responsible for roster management, accommodations, and exam administration. Access decisions are the responsibility of the jurisdiction administrator, who should coordinate with NCBE on permissions for their staff.

Entering Exam Locations

 Navigate to the Exam Locations section of the portal.

 Add a new testing location or confirm existing locations.

 For each location, enter required details, including location name, address, and room configurations (if applicable).

 Save and verify the location information.

Note: Locations must be configured before candidates can be assigned.

Uploading Eligible to Sit Rosters

 Navigate to the Exam Roster section.

 Select Add Candidates and then select Upload Eligible to Sit Roster. Upload your roster in the required format.

 Confirm that each candidate record includes

• NCBE Number;
• first name;
• last name;
• date of birth; and
• email address.

 Review your upload results and resolve any flagged errors.

Important: Only candidates included on the roster will be able to proceed toward completing the NCBE requirements.

Reviewing Candidate Records

 Navigate to the Exam Roster section to review the list of candidates.

 Review individual candidate records for completeness.

Resolving Duplicate Registrations

If a candidate is on more than one jurisdiction’s Eligible to Sit roster:

• They are prevented from advancing in the Candidate Portal and told to contact the jurisdictions for assistance in selecting a single jurisdiction.
• Each jurisdiction involved will receive an email and notification in the Jurisdiction Portal alerting them that a candidate is on more than one roster. The jurisdictions involved will need to communicate with each other and the candidate until a single jurisdiction is selected.
• The jurisdiction the candidate does not select must cancel the candidate in their Jurisdiction Portal before the candidate can proceed with their pre-exam steps in the accepted jurisdiction.
   

Resolving PII Conflicts

If a discrepancy is identified in an examinee’s first name, last name, or date of birth, the examinee will be notified when they log in to their NCBE Account. They will be asked to either confirm the jurisdiction-provided information or contact the jurisdiction to request an update.

Any corrections must be made by the jurisdiction in the NextGen Jurisdiction Portal. Jurisdiction administrators will also be notified of the discrepancy.

The examinee will not be able to complete required NCBE pre-exam steps until the issue is resolved.
 

Assigning Individual Candidates to Locations

There are two methods to assign candidates to locations:

 Individually via the candidate record
Select a candidate from the exam roster, select the edit button in the Exam Location section, and select a location from the drop-down menu to assign the candidate to that location.

 In bulk
Add location assignments to your roster file and upload the file.

Monitoring Progress Toward “Requirements Met”

Use the Jurisdiction Portal dashboard to monitor candidate status and confirm that candidates are progressing toward “Requirements Met.”

“NCBE Requirements Met” indicates that a candidate has completed all required pre-exam steps, has an assigned exam location, and has no pending accommodations.

Managing Cancellations and Status Changes

• Update candidate status as needed for cancellations or withdrawals.
  

   

• Ensure that rosters and location assignments reflect current candidate status.
  

Candidate Readiness

Candidates are responsible for completing required pre-exam steps through the Candidate Portal.

Jurisdictions should understand and monitor these requirements, as incomplete candidate actions can impact exam-day readiness.

Candidates must complete the following steps:

• Confirm personal information.

  
  
   

• Review duplicate registrations and communicate with the jurisdictions to establish which they will be sitting in.

  
  
   

• Sign the Candidate Agreement.

  
  
   

• Pay the technology fee.

  
  
   

• Download and install the secure browser.

  
  
   

• Complete the exam tutorial.

  
   

Candidates who have not completed these steps will not reach “Requirements Met” status and may not be able to test successfully.

Accommodations and Specialty Materials

Jurisdictions are responsible for ensuring that approved accommodations are fully implemented prior to exam day.

This includes

• assigning candidates to appropriate testing rooms (e.g., private or semi-private rooms);
• configuring extended-time schedules;
• coordinating any specialty materials (e.g., paper or braille) with NCBE; and
• ensuring staff are aware of accommodations requirements and procedures.

Accommodations must be reflected consistently across

• Jurisdiction Portal records;
• physical test setup; and
• exam-day administration procedures.
   

Test Security Preparation

Test security is a shared responsibility across jurisdictions and NCBE.

Prior to exam day, jurisdictions must ensure that

• all staff understand test security expectations;
• testing environments minimize opportunities for misconduct;
• procedures are in place for handling prohibited items; and
• materials (including any paper or specialty materials) are securely stored and tracked.

Security expectations apply to both physical materials (e.g., paper or braille materials), if used, and digital delivery (e.g., access to exam content, system monitoring).

Staffing and Training

Jurisdictions must ensure that all personnel are identified, trained, and prepared prior to administration.

This includes

• assigning room leads, proctors, and technical proctors;
• confirming access to required systems (e.g., Exam Day Portal); and
• providing training on
  • roles and responsibilities;
  • exam-day procedures;
  • security requirements; and
  • escalation protocols.

Staff should understand both their individual responsibilities and how their role interacts with others during the administration.

Test Administration Schedule

The NextGen UBE is administered over one and a half days, consisting of three timed sections.

Jurisdictions must adhere to the standard administration schedule to ensure consistency across jurisdictions and to maintain exam security.
 

Standard Administration Schedule

The exam is administered as follows:

Extended-Time Accommodations Administration Schedule

The exam is administered as follows for examinees with extended-time accommodations:

Note: All day one morning sessions have five minutes included for the required, in-platform instructions.

25% Extended Time (1.25x)

33% Extended Time (1.33x)

50% Extended Time (1.5x)

50% Extended Time (1.5x) + 8 Hour Daily Testing Time Limit

100% Extended Time (2x)

Accommodated testing introduces additional operational complexity. Jurisdictions should plan for

• extended staffing coverage (including early start and late end times);
• additional proctoring during breaks (especially when breaks are proctored);
• coordination of technical support across longer testing windows; and
• clear communication to candidates regarding timing and expectations.

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