Examinations
The California Bar Exam is administered in February and July* of each year, typically during the last week of the month that includes a Wednesday. The exam is administered over two days and has three parts: Five essay questions (Day 1);
five years from the last day of administration of the exam you passed.
twice a yearIn most jurisdictions, it is administered twice a year, in February and July. Bar examinations in all but two jurisdictions in the United States use some examination component created by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE).
The California Bar Exam costs $677, and the Attorney Examination costs $983. Late filing fees apply, with the exact amount depending on the date of the application.
The State Bar annual license renewal begins December 1 and has a timely deadline of February 1. During the annual license renewal, attorneys must: Verify required information in your State Bar record pursuant to Rule 2.2(c) of the Rules of the State Bar of California. Pay the annual license fees.
State Bar rules set a five-year expiration date on a passing bar exam score by requiring that, within “five years from the last day of administration of the California Bar Examination the applicant passes,” the applicant must meet all requirements for certification to the California Supreme Court for admission and must ...
twice each yearThe California Bar Examination is given twice each year. The exam is given over two days and consists of the following parts: Five one-hour essay questions. One 90-minute Performance Test.
When thinking about the hardest bar exams, it's hard not to immediately bring up California. According to popular opinion, California might have the most difficult bar exam in the country. Often referred to as a “torture session” spread over three days, California recently decreased it to two.
South DakotaEasiest Bar Exams to Pass South Dakota ranks as the state with the easiest exam, followed by Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Iowa. There are fewer law schools in these states (South Dakota only has one, and Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Iowa each have two), meaning that there are generally fewer law graduates who take the bar.
"You are only allowed to take the baby bar a certain amount of times," she continued. "This was the last time I could ever take it, so if I don't [pass] then this law school journey is over for me." Kim had previously failed the test three times, but the fourth time proved to be the charm. "I passed!" she exclaimed.
Plan on spending approximately 40 hours per week over 8-10 weeks studying for the bar exam. During the few weeks of bar prep, treat your studies like you would treat a new, important job.
In 2021, only four states (California, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington) permit those aspiring to be lawyers to take the state's bar exam without attending law school. The alternative is the option to apprentice with a practicing attorney or judge.
When thinking about the hardest bar exams, it's hard not to immediately bring up California. According to popular opinion, California might have the most difficult bar exam in the country. Often referred to as a “torture session” spread over three days, California recently decreased it to two.
twice each yearThe California Bar Examination is given twice each year. The exam is given over two days and consists of the following parts: Five one-hour essay questions. One 90-minute Performance Test.
Wait, are you sure that said I passed?” Previously, Kardashian announced that she passed the exam in December on Instagram after three failed attempts. “OMFGGGG I PASSED THE BABY BAR EXAM,” she captioned the post. “Looking in the mirror, I am really proud of the woman looking back today in the reflection.
How many times can you take the California Bar Exam? There is no limit to the number of times you can take the California bar exam other than the fact that there are only two administrations per year, one in February and one in July. Test takers may take the California bar exam as many times as they choose.
The State Bar is actively working on shortening the grading timeline so that applicants receive their results on an expedited schedule.
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Credit and debit card payments: For credit or debit card payments, a processing fee of 2.5 percent will be added to all charges. If your credit or debit card transaction is denied, you will not be able to submit your application until you provide another Mastercard, Visa, American Express, or Discover card.
Results from the July bar exam will be released by November 12, 2021. The State Bar is actively working on shortening the grading timeline so that applicants receive their results on an expedited schedule. Learn about upcoming exam dates and deadlines.
California Bar Examination. The next California Bar Exam is scheduled for July 27–28, 2021. 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 ...
The California Bar Exam is administered over two days in three portions: 1) California Essay Questions, 2) California Performance Test, and 3) Multistate Bar Exam (MBE). The California essay questions and performance test are offered on Day 1, while the MBE is administered on Day 2.
Generally, the California Bar Exam requires candidates to answer questions on the subjects below:
The California Bar Exam has long been considered the most difficult exam because of the state's higher MBE passing score—commonly referred to as the “cut score”—of 1440, which was the second-highest required score until the October 2020 exam (behind Delaware).
The cost to register for the California Bar Exam varies depending on the filing date and whether an applicant is taking the General Bar Exam or the Attorney’s Exam. Below is the cost breakdown:
These bar exam costs can add up and become quite expensive. The good news is that you have options that could waive some of the fees or help you avoid paying them altogether. One such option is applying for scholarships dedicated to helping bar exam candidates with related costs.
Widely considered the most challenging exam of its kind, the California Bar Exam will test your discipline, endurance, and desire to practice law in California. We hope that this detailed article has given you helpful information to prepare you to ace this high-stakes exam.
We want all of our students to pass. But things happen. That’s why we offer the BarMD Guarantee for our CA Bar Review, as well as our Attorneys’ Exam Course for licensed attorneys wishing to practice law in California:
Gain the confidence of knowing what you need to improve, why you’re not getting the score you want—and how to succeed. When you work with BarMD faculty, the path to passing becomes clear and attainable.
Sure, the attorneys' exam is an abbreviated version of the full-length bar exam, but the same motto of " practice, practice, practice " still applies. Over and over again attorneys who have failed this exam didn't build enough practice into their study plan.
The California Bar Exam is notorious for being difficult. And in July 2014 only 31.4 percent of those sitting for the California Bar Attorneys' Examination passed. Those aren't great odds. When I work with bar studiers who have failed the attorneys' exam, often they are out of practice with writing in the correct format for the bar exam. This means following IRAC with plenty of analysis. They can often find themselves being too conclusory and that is a recipe for disaster when it comes to essay scores. If you are worried about making sure your essay writing is where it needs to be, you might want to look into getting a bar tutor or signing up for a bar program with lots of writing feedback.
Lee Burgess has been a lawyer since 2008. She's also a law professor and co-founded three websites for law students preparing for the bar exam.
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, CA Civil Procedure, Corporations, Agency, Partnership, CA Community Property, CA Evidence, CA Professional Responsibility, Remedies, Trusts, CA Wills & Succession, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Constitutional Law, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts
Results are released about 12-14 weeks after the February exam and 16-18 weeks after the July exam.
California does not provide for admission on motion; examination is required of all applicants. Attorneys licensed in another jurisdiction for 4 years may be eligible to sit for the attorney exam (written exam only).
Please visit the State Bar of California website for details on application deadlines and fees, as well as for more information on other topics.
BarPrepHero Premium offers the most complete collection of real bar exam questions licensed directly from NCBE (the organization that writes the exam).