JD-Next: the course, exam, cost and who accepts it
JD-Next is an eight-week online law school course that ends in an admissions assessment. Its own site lists $399 for early registration, $459 for standard and $499 for late, including three score reports. Some ABA-approved law schools accept it instead of the LSAT or GRE, but most still require the LSAT.
Last checked October 2026 against jdnext.org, JD-Next’s own site. JD-Next is operated by Aspen Publishing, a UWorld company, and we also cover UWorld products elsewhere on this site. Acceptance figures are from university pages and the publisher and change as schools apply for variances.
What it is
- An eight-week online course, modeled on a first-year law course using cases from the 1L year, with interactive lessons, quizzes, assignments and personalized feedback on written work, per JD-Next.
- An admissions assessment at the end, plus a law-focused writing sample. A university page describes a four-hour exam.
- An LSAT alternative where accepted, or an application addendum. JD-Next says it is for use in place of the LSAT or GRE where accepted.
- Operated by Aspen Publishing, a UWorld company, per a press release.
Sessions and registration deadlines
| Course starts | Early by | Final registration | Test window | Score release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 14, 2026 | August 15, 2026 | September 18, 2026 | November 17 or 21, 2026 | Week of December 14, 2026 |
| December 7, 2026 | November 7, 2026 | December 11, 2026 | February 9 or 13, 2027 | Week of March 8, 2027 |
| February 22, 2027 | January 23, 2027 | February 26, 2027 | April 29 to May 1, 2027 | Week of May 24, 2027 |
| May 24, 2027 | April 24, 2027 | May 28, 2027 | July 29 to 31, 2027 | Week of August 23, 2027 |
From JD-Next’s 2026 and 2027 course dates and pricing. Early registration is $399 until its deadline, standard $459 until the final deadline, and late registration (first 5 days of the course) $499.
JD-Next also lists later sessions starting August 30 and December 6, 2027. Each price is available until 11:59 pm Eastern on its deadline date. Registration for the September 14, 2026 session closed on September 18, so the next session you can join starts December 7, 2026. For the December 7, 2026 session, Aspen Publishing’s store lists the early deadline as November 6 rather than November 7, so register by November 6 to be sure of the $399 price.
Cost and help with cost
- Registration includes the eight-week program, course materials, the admissions assessment and three score reports, per JD-Next.
- Fee help. JD-Next’s site lists a LexisNexis fee waiver and an Impact Scholarship. An older publisher page said an approved scholarship brings the cost to $50, so check JD-Next’s fee-waiver pages for current eligibility and amounts.
- Refunds. The publisher says a full refund is available on written request by 5 pm Eastern on the Friday after the course starts, and late registrants have a $50 administrative fee deducted.
Who accepts it
JD-Next says that for the 2025-26 cycle over 60 law schools can accept it instead of the LSAT, and a university page cited about 63 of 198 ABA-accredited schools with variances as of February 2025. A University of Wisconsin pre-law page said in May 2025 that most schools require the LSAT and that JD-Next was best described as a prep program or application supplement. Check each school’s admissions policy and its stated application timeline.
Common questions
If I take both, do schools see both?
Schools with a variance will see your LSAT score as well as your JD-Next score if you take both, according to a university page.
Why do older sources show different prices?
Older guides list $299, $349 or $399. JD-Next’s own site now lists $399 as the early price, $459 as standard and $499 as late.
How much does JD-Next cost?
$399 with early registration, $459 standard, or $499 late (in the first five days of the course), including the course, materials, the assessment and three score reports.
When is the next session?
December 7, 2026. Register by November 6 to be sure of the $399 early price, since JD-Next’s page says November 7 and Aspen’s store says November 6; the exam is February 9 or 13, 2027.
When are scores released?
About four weeks after the exam: the week of December 14, 2026 for the November exam and the week of March 8, 2027 for the February exam.
We first checked these sources on October 12, 2026 and rechecked them on October 19, 2026. MockTestPrep is independent and is not affiliated with JD-Next or Aspen Publishing.