If you are planning to take the California bar exam in 2025 or later, please see this notice regarding fee increases and changes to testing locations.
Date: Tuesday and Wednesday, February 25–26, 2025
The next California Bar Exam is scheduled for February 25–26, 2025. The bar exam application is now available in the Applicant Portal. The State Bar is planning to administer this exam remotely and in person. However, we currently await Supreme Court approval to be able to provide this exam in both modalities. Applicants will be asked to select their preferred method for taking this exam, between remote and in person. When the Court issues an order regarding exam modalities, we will revise our exam webpages and alert applicants about their testing options.
Instructions for applying Requesting testing accommodations Content instructions by question type
Time: All applicants must arrive or be seated no later than 30 minutes before the exam start time. The examination will begin immediately following the reading of instructions.
End times may differ based on the length of time taken for the reading of instructions and on an applicant's start time.
Applicants granted extended time will have different schedules, which are communicated individually in advance of the exam through your Applicant Portal and email.
Additional information concerning the timing and other administrative rules and policies are contained in the admittance ticket bulletin that will be available on the State Bar website four weeks prior to the exam date.
Applicants are expected to know the California Rules of Professional Conduct in effect at the time the exam is administered (current law). The rules were substantially revised effective November 1, 2018. Minor amendments were made subsequent to that date. The latest amendments, amending Rule 1.1 [Competence] and Rule 5.4 [Financial and Similar Arrangements with Nonlawyers] were amended by the Supreme Court effective March 22, 2021. These rules are within the scope of the upcoming February 2025 California Bar Examination.
Application filings
Final filing/reinstatement deadline (Set by CA Bus. & Prof. Code, §6060.3)
Testing accommodations petition final filing deadline*
Appeal of testing accommodations final filing deadline
Test center change request deadline
Final deadline to submit proof of eligibility to sit for the exam
Final deadline for general applicants to submit proof of law study
Final deadline for attorney applicants to submit Certificate of Good Standing from another jurisdiction
First date admittance tickets available
*Applicants must submit their requests through the Applicant Portal. Requests must be complete, with all questions answered, and any supporting documentation included. Requests in ‘verified’ or ‘drafted’ status are not considered complete.
Withdrawals
Strategies and Stories
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. Applicants should update their admissions file with the new address by accessing their account through the Applicant Portal. Failure to update could result in missing important communication from the State Bar.
Results from the February 2025 bar exam are scheduled to be released through the Applicant Portal to applicants at 6:00 p.m. on May 2, 2025. Applicants can also access the pass list on the Exam Results webpage.