Here are the admissions examinations administered by the State Bar.
The California Bar Examination is given twice each year. The exam is given over two days and consists of the following parts:
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.
The First-Year Law Student’s Examination (also known as the “baby bar”) is a one-day test given twice a year. It consists of four one-hour essay questions and 100 multiple-choice questions. The exam covers three subjects: Contracts, Criminal Law, and Torts. More than 700 applicants take the exam each year. Applicants can take the exam if they have completed one year of law study.
Every applicant must take and pass the MPRE in order to be admitted. Applicants can take the MPRE any time after completing one year of law study and before being licensed to practice law in California. This two-hour, multiple-choice test is administered three times a year by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
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.
Under the supervision of the Supreme Court of California, the State Bar's Committee of Bar Examiners is responsible for developing, administering, and grading the California Bar Exam and the First-Year Law Students' Exam.