Beginning in 2023, law school graduates seeking to practice in Colorado will benefit from a slightly lower minimum passing score on the bar exam.

The Colorado Supreme Court on Friday announced it has adjusted the minimum score from the current 276 down to 270, which will begin with the February 2023 administration of the exam.

Colorado’s threshold of 276 is the second-highest passing score of any state that uses the Uniform Bar Examination, just below Alaska’s 280, according to data from the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

In contrast, every state that borders Colorado has a minimum score of 270 or lower, with the exception of Arizona, where the threshold is 273.

“The court also recognizes that significant changes to the bar exam are coming in a few years,” the state’s Judicial Department wrote in its announcement. It elaborated that the NCBE is developing a new, “NextGen” exam with a different format and testing focus.

“The court plans to invite public input on the broader question of how to determine minimum competency of candidates for admission to the Colorado bar,” the department added, “and will announce details once the NCBE has defined the timing and content of the proposed NextGen exam.”