The Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) invites applications from qualified attorneys to serve as Graders for the California Bar Exam on a semiannual basis. It is the policy of the CBE to select, retain, and advance Graders for the exams administered by the CBE on the basis of ability, educational attainments, and experience without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, or national origin.
How to apply
Apprentice Grader Interest Forms (application) will be available in May for the July exam and in November for the February exam. Returning Graders will receive a link to the Grader Interest Form by email. Form submissions are specific to each exam cycle.
Minimum qualifications
To be eligible for selection as an Apprentice Grader, an applicant must:
Be an active licensee in good standing of the State Bar of California;
Have been admitted to the State Bar of California not less than one year prior to the exam for which the Grader is to be selected; and
Have passed the California Bar Exam on the first or second attempt.
Note: Applicants must not have any professional affiliation with a law school or bar review course, nor maintain a close relationship with an individual who is taking the bar exam.
Compensation
Apprentice Graders will receive $725 for completing all preparatory tasks, attending the orientation session, and participating in three calibration meetings. In addition, Graders will be compensated $4 per response for each essay and performance test graded.
Selection process
The criteria for selecting Apprentice Graders vary with each administration of the exam and depend on several factors, including the number of returning Graders, their experience levels, the availability of open positions, the volume of applications received, and other exam-specific considerations.
Selected individuals will begin as Apprentice Graders. While they do not actively grade unless there is an emergency or a vacancy within their panel, they are expected to remain available and prepared to assume grading responsibilities at any point during the grading cycle if called upon.
Orientation (if selected)
Apprentice Graders must attend an orientation session, complete all preparation assignments, complete an implicit bias training, and participate in the calibration process, which includes mandatory attendance at three Saturday calibration sessions. The orientation session and calibration meetings will be held via a video conferencing platform such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
