October 2023 First-Year Law Students' Exam

File an application to take the exam in the Applicant Portal
Requesting Testing Accommodations

Date: October 24, 2023

The October 2023 First-Year Law Students’ Examination will be administered primarily in person at Prometric test centers. Test centers are in these locations:

• Alameda
• Anaheim
• Bakersfield
• Camarillo
• Culver City
• Diamond Bar
• Fresno
• Mission Viejo
• Rancho Cucamonga
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• San Jose
• Santa Rosa
• Stockton

Applicants who live significantly far from a Prometric test center can request to test remotely. Applicants testing remotely are required to meet the minimum system requirements of the Prometric remote software and take a mandatory practice exam.

In-person exam details

An applicant must schedule their exam day time with Prometric by October 10, 2023. 

Applicants can only bring into the test center the items listed on the Admittance Ticket as allowed items.

Arrival and check-In

During check-in, you will:

• Undergo a glasses check and ID verification. Only valid government-issued IDs will be accepted. Candidates wearing masks will need lower or remove the mask momentarily for this process, specifically so that the reverse side of masks can be inspected.  
• Sign in on a roster sheet with a Prometric-supplied pen.
• Receive an assigned locker number and key to place your belongings in, if needed. You will retain the key, and the locker area will remain under video surveillance while the center is open.

Before entering the testing room

Before you enter the testing room, you will be required to:

• Show arms and ankles, as well as empty your pockets, as a part of Prometric’s security protocols. You will be scanned with a handheld metal detection device (with the exception of exempt individuals).
• Complete image capture (if applicable). Test takers wearing masks will need to lower or remove them momentarily for this process. As an additional safety measure, all test takers are required to use hand sanitizer before using any fingerprint scanners.
• For those who wish to use scratch paper, you will collect note boards and markers or paper and pencils.

During the exam

Here is what you can expect during the exam:

• Where local government guidelines dictate, test takers will be seated in a manner that ensures applicable distancing requirements are satisfied.
• Monitoring of the test room will be done exclusively using video monitoring.
• Physical walkthroughs by proctors will be conducted at least every 10 minutes.
• If a break is permissible according to the exam program rules or there is a question, you should raise your hand and wait for a test center employee to acknowledge you.
• For locker access during breaks, the same process applied during check-in will be followed. You will have access to lockers only for food, drink, and medication.
• Test center staff will record the time in and out of the test room, removing the need for you to sign the roster during exit and return from breaks.

End of test

Once the exam is complete, you will return to the reception/admin area to sign out. You will be required to:

• Sign out with a Prometric-provided pen.
• Return all scratch paper and place it in a secure bin or return used erasable note boards.
• Collect personal items from your locker.
• Return the locker key and Prometric-provided pen.

Please note that these procedures will be subject to change as necessary.

Remote exam details

Prometric provides a secure testing remote assessment platform, ProProctor™. Prometric has developed a proprietary, easy-to-use test taker interface that enables a test taker to schedule an appointment, confirm computer compatibility, and launch the exam.  

Once you have scheduled your appointment with Prometric, you will need to download and install the ProProctor™ application on your computer. You will then be able to complete a system readiness check to ensure that your computer is ready to run the application on exam day.

On exam day, an easy-to-follow check-in process will guide you through the final preparations to take your exam before you are greeted by a Prometric Readiness Agent. During the two-way video conversation with the Readiness Agent, they will confirm your identity and ask you to perform a security check. The security check will include a 360-degree scan of your testing environment including the desk area, under the desk area, the corners of your room, and a search of items on your person and in your pockets. 

After completing this process, you will be ready to take your online remotely proctored exam. Your proctor will monitor you live throughout the testing process using your computer’s webcam and microphone. Prometric’s staff provides real-time test taker support and protects the integrity of the testing event using automated tools built into the software.

For additional information on the technical and environmental requirements and the testing process, please review the ProProctor™ User Guide and this brief video. Please review all the information related to scheduling your practice exam and the actual exam on Prometric’s website.

Important deadlines

Application filings
Withdrawals
Exam preparation and exam day

Application filings

* The application must be received complete and documents uploaded to the Applicant Portal by the deadline.

Withdrawal refund policy

Requests to withdraw from the October 2023 First-Year Law Students’ Exam must be received by the State Bar’s Office of Admissions on or before the dates listed below in order to qualify for a refund. See the Withdrawal Refund Policy.

Exam preparation and exam day

Fees

All applicants must pay the required fees:

*Request received subsequent to filing application

The transfer of fees from one exam to another is prohibited.

Refunds requested due to hospitalization, death, or call to active duty will be considered in accordance with the Committee of Bar Examiners’ refund policy. The refund form and copies of the policy are available on the State Bar website. Withdrawal requests can be submitted by logging into the Applicant Portal.

Address change

Applicants who change their address after filing the application can make updates by logging into the Applicant Portal to update their profile. If admittance tickets are lost, a duplicate can be requested by contacting the Office of Admissions. Deadline to change address: September 15.

Grading and scoring

During the October 2023 exam, 25 new multiple-choice questions will be administered and operationally pretested. Information about the grading and scoring of the October 2023 First-Year Law Students’ Exam can be found here. 

Release of results

Results from the October 2023 First-Year Law Students’ Exam are scheduled to be released electronically through the Applicant Portal to applicants on December 8.