California Bar Examination
The next California Bar Exam is scheduled for Feb 25–26, 2025. The exam will be administered primarily remotely online. Those approved for testing accommodations that cannot effectively be provided remotely and those with extenuating circumstances that prevent them from taking the exam online will be accommodated at limited in-person testing locations.
Applications are now available in the Applicant Portal.
The California Bar Examination is given twice each year. The exam is given over two days and consists of the following parts:
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Five one-hour essay questions
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One 90-minute Performance Test
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The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), typically 200 multiple-choice questions
Approximately 16,000 people take the bar exam each year. Find more information about the California Bar Exam, including dates and details for the next exam.
Testing Accommodations
Testing accommodations are available to individuals with mental or physical disabilities. Depending on the nature of the disability, accommodations may include such things as readers or personal healthcare assistants, wheelchair access, permission to dictate to a typist or digital recorder, customized timing, separate testing room, customized exam materials (Braille, large print, etc.), extended testing days, and permission to bring and use specific items or medical aids.
Exam Rules
Those taking the California Bar Examination or First-Year Law Student's Examination must follow strict rules while the exam is in session.
Failure to follow oral and written instructions while the exam is in session will result in notice to the State Bar's Committee of Bar Examiners of a violation of exam rules in accordance with the provisions of Title 4, Division 1, Chapter 6 of the Rules of the State Bar of California (Admissions Rules). Conduct that results in a violation of security or disrupts the administration of the exam, which includes, but is not limited to, bringing unauthorized items into the exam room (such as cell phones, notes, etc.), writing or typing after time has been called, looking at another applicant’s papers, talking while the exam is in session, being abusive to other applicants, staff, proctors and/or other exam personnel, will result in notice to the Committee of a violation of exam rules or, in some cases, dismissal from the exam test center. Applicants are expected at all times to maintain a professional attitude toward other applicants, staff, proctors and other exam personnel. Behavior that is disruptive will be reported to the Committee for whatever action it deems appropriate.
Applicants cannot wear hats, caps, hoods or any other type of headwear during the exam. The Committee, however, will consider petitions filed by applicants seeking exemptions from the policy that would permit them to wear headwear due to their religious beliefs while in a secure exam test center. Such requests must be submitted on the Committee’s form, which is available in the "Forms" section of the State Bar website, and filed no later than the final deadline for filing testing accommodations petitions. Upon arrival at the test center, applicants must be prepared to show a letter from the Committee that permits them to bring the headwear into the exam room and the headwear may be subject to inspection. Applicants attempting to enter the test center wearing headwear who do not have a letter from the Committee authorizing them to do so will be issued a Chapter 6 Notice and will be asked to remove the headwear.
Allowed items
During the essay and Performance Test sessions of the California Bar Exam and the essay and multiple-choice sessions of the First-Year Law Students’ Exam, only the following items are allowed in the exam room without prior approval. All items are subject to inspection:
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The admittance ticket with no writing on it
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Nondigital pens (if you are handwriting the exam, you must bring your own pens with blue or black ink)
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Pencils (mechanical pencils are not allowed)
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Silent analog watches, non-digital timers and clocks measuring 4 inches by 4 inches or smaller
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Rulers
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Paper clips
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Pen-style highlighters (must not be used on answers)
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Inhalers
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Disability-related items that have been approved through the testing accommodations petition process
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Cash (must not have writing on it), credit/debit cards that might be needed for the lunch break (wallets may not be brought into the test center)
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Eyeglasses (no cases or sunglasses)
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Foam ear plugs (must not be connected)
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Feminine hygiene items
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Prescription medication
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Diabetes-related equipment (does not include food or drinks)
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Eye drops in single-use vials
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Government-issued photo ID
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Keys
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Back Support
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An Orthopedic cushion
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A standard-size pillow without a case
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One bookstand
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One foot rest
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Splints and braces
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Crutches
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Wheelchairs
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Casts
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Hearing aids
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TENS units
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Laptop accessories: separate keyboard, mouse (wired or wireless), laptop riser/stand no higher than 4 inches and solid color mouse pad with no writing on it (written sessions only)
Start times
Applicants using laptop computers must be seated no later than 8:20 a.m. All applicants must be seated no later than 8:30 a.m. The exam will begin immediately following the instructions.
Applicants with disabilities granted accommodations to take the exam that include extended time may have different start times, which will be communicated in the Testing Accommodations Notice provided to such applicants in advance of administration of an exam.
Late arrivals
Applicants who arrive at the test center after one hour of testing has elapsed will not be permitted to enter the test center.
Exam attendance policy
If an applicant is absent for any portion of the exam, the applicant is considered as having not taken the exam; the applicant’s written answers will not be graded; if the applicant intends to take a future administration of the exam, they will be subject to the same application filing deadlines applicable to first-time applicants rather than the deadlines applicable to immediate repeaters. Applicants must make a good faith attempt to complete each portion of the exam for which they are present.
An applicant’s attempt to circumvent security procedures may lead to voiding the applicant’s attendance at a session and the prohibition to attend any remaining exam session(s). Applicants taking the Attorneys’ Exam are excused from the Wednesday sessions and will not be allowed into the exam test center on Wednesday.
Exam test centers
Smoking is prohibited at test centers located in buildings that do not allow smoking in accordance with city ordinance.
Applicants must select the test center in which they wish to take the exam. Only a limited number of applicants can be accommodated at each test center. Priority of assignment to the test centers will be based upon the date of receipt of complete applications. When the test center given first preference is full, the second choice or third choice will be assigned. If all three choices are full, applicants will be assigned to the closest available test center.
Only those applicants with permanent disabilities who have previously been granted testing accommodations and who wish to request the exact same accommodations should select a testing accommodations test center (those with a code number starting with an “S”). Applicants must not select a testing accommodations test center unless they have been granted testing accommodations in the past for a permanent disability.
If after filing the application form, applicants are granted testing accommodations, in most cases but not all, they will be assigned to a testing accommodations test center in the general area of their first choice. Notice of the test center to which they have been assigned will be forwarded with the letter advising them of the testing accommodations that have been granted.
Dates and Deadlines
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Examination
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Exam Date
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Application
Availability
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Timely Filing
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Final Filing Deadline
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| Feb 2025 CBX |
Feb 25–26, 2025 |
Oct 1, 2024 |
Nov 1, 2024 |
Jan 1, 2025 |
| June 2025 FYLSX |
June 2, 2025 |
Mar 1, 2025 |
April 1, 2025 |
May 15, 2025 |
For more details please check official website
