The following information relates to the upcoming July 2025 California bar exam. For the most up-to-date information on the February 2025 California bar exam, please refer to this notice page.
The California Bar Examination is administered twice each year in February and July. The July 2025 bar exam will take place over two days, Tuesday, July 29, and Wednesday, July 30, in person at designated test sites across California.
How to apply:
Applicants whose physical or email address changes after filing their applications are encouraged to notify the Office of Admissions of a change of address as soon as possible to avoid missing any communications from the State Bar. Applicants should update their admissions file with the new address by accessing their account through the Applicant Portal.
As a reminder, registering as an applicant is the initial step required for law students and attorney applicants. Additional applications in the Applicant Portal will be accessible only once your applicant registration is approved, including applying to sit for the bar exam, submitting an Application for Determination of Moral Character, and requesting testing accommodations. Registering as an applicant is NOT the same as applying to sit for the bar exam. You must do that separately.
Testing accommodations are provided to ensure that an applicant who has a disability can access the exam and is afforded an equal opportunity to obtain the same result, gain the same benefit, or reach the same level of achievement as that provided to others.
A request for testing accommodations is separate from the application you file to take the bar exam. To apply for testing accommodations, you must submit a request in the Applicant Portal by the filing deadline. Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to file their request for testing accommodations well in advance of an examination they intend to take. Applicants who wait to file their requests near the final filing deadline are generally not able to exhaust all administrative remedies before the exam, such as requesting a review of a denial of some or all of the requested testing accommodations.
As part of the bar exam application, you will be given the opportunity to register for the exam preparation programs below, which are offered by independent researchers. Participation in these programs is voluntary.
California Bar Exam Strategies and Stories Program: What is it like to prepare and sit for the bar exam? Learn from people who recently took the California bar exam and share your experience to help others. Recent test takers will describe their experiences and strategies preparing for the bar exam. Their stories will help you anticipate what preparing for and taking the test is like. Then, we will ask you to share your experiences preparing for the exam, so we can share these with future applicants to help them as they approach the bar exam.
PEAK Performance Program: How can you train your mind and body to perform at your best on the bar exam? Learn practical, research-backed strategies to enhance focus, manage stress, and build resilience while preparing for the California Bar Exam. This online program is designed to help you optimize your performance and well-being. It is not a bar prep course and does not focus on legal content. Instead, it provides powerful tools and resources to help you approach the exam with clarity, focus, and control. Through guided exercises and expert insights, you’ll discover how to reframe stress as a performance-enhancing tool, sharpen your mental focus, and sustain energy throughout your studies.
Additional Information and Resources
Exam results from the February 2025 bar exam will be released on May 2, 2025, and results from the July 2025 bar exam are scheduled to be released on November 7, 2025. Results are released in the Applicant Portal at 6:00 p.m. on the specified date.
Credit and Debit Card Payments: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover are accepted. A 2.5% processing fee applies to all transactions. If a card payment is declined, the application will remain incomplete until a valid payment is submitted. Late fees and application deadlines will be enforced if the payment is not received by the published deadlines.
ACH (eCheck) Payments: No processing fee applies. Applicants must provide a bank routing number and bank account number. ACH payments take up to seven days to process. If an ACH payment fails within that period, the application will be considered incomplete until a successful replacement payment, including any applicable service charges, is received. Late fees and application deadlines will be enforced if the successful payment is not received by the published deadlines.
Failed or Rejected Payments: An application is incomplete if payment is unsuccessful. An unsuccessful payment is, but not limited to, a returned check, a declined ACH transaction, or a credit card chargeback initiated by the cardholder. All failed or rejected payments will be assessed an administrative fee equal to the fee charged by the State Bar’s banking institution or $20, whichever is greater. If full payment is not received within 14 days of the State Bar’s notification to the applicant of the failed or rejected payment, the application will be considered abandoned. If the final filing deadline has not passed, the applicant may submit a new application with the required payment, including any applicable late fees.
Refund Policy: An applicant who withdraws their application for the bar exam may be eligible for a refund of fees as set forth in the Refund of Fees policy. While every effort will be made to accommodate your preferred testing site, it is not guaranteed, and not receiving your preferred option does not qualify you for a refund.