Scope of the California Bar Examination

Essays and Performance Test (PT)

Format

The written portion of the California Bar Examination features five one-hour essay questions and one 90-minute Performance Test question. The written portion of the exam is typically administered on the first day, with three essay questions given in the morning and two essay questions and the Performance Test given in the afternoon.

Topics

Applicants taking the California Bar Examination may be required to answer essay and Performance Test questions involving topics from the subjects listed below. Click on each subject to view a content map with more information:

*The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a separate requirement for admission to practice law in California. More information concerning the MPRE can be found on the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ website.

Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)

Format

The multiple-choice portion of the exam is typically administered on the second day of the exam, with 100 questions given in the morning and 100 questions given in the afternoon.

The February 2026 bar exam will use the MBE, developed and scored by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), for the 200 multiple-choice questions. Applicants who are approved to sit for the Attorneys’ Examination are not required to complete the multiple-choice portion of the exam.

Topics

The MBE tests seven subjects: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.

Information about the MBE, including preparation resources and study aids, can be found at the NCBE’s website.