Thinking Aloud During the NextGen Bar Exam

• In Event: Validity Evidence Across Professions Education Settings

Abstract

The NextGen Bar Exam presents new opportunities to understand the cognitive processes that inform exam performance among diverse examinees. NextGen's new exam format is intended to measure professional skills and includes short-answer and multiple-choice item types. Twenty-five law students and recent graduates were invited to participate with the assistance of the Council of Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO). These participants completed online versions of the NextGen Bar Exam while thinking aloud. This study found that different item types invoked distinct cognitive processes. Participants also referred to outside knowledge, including personal and cultural experiences, that informed their test-taking processes. This study provides the basis for continuing validity research regarding the NextGen Bar Exam.

Author

• Hilary A. Symes