Nearly 50,000 law graduates are wrapping up the two-day bar exam today—a test that has largely remained unchanged for decades.

But the lawyer licensing exam could look much different in another 10 years. Two large-scale studies are underway to examine the knowledge and skills new lawyers need to succeed and how well—or not—the existing bar exam assesses those competencies. Those findings could prompt changes in not only what is tested, but the format of the exam as well.