July 2025 California Bar Examination

July 2025 California bar exam overview

The July 2025 bar exam will take place over two days, Tuesday, July 29, and Wednesday, July 30. Applicants with certain testing accommodations may have extended days. The July 2025 bar exam will be administered entirely in person at designated testing sites in California. For the July 2025 bar exam, the State Bar will be using the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), created by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), for the 200 multiple-choice questions.

The State Bar is contracting with ExamSoft to be the exam delivery vendor for the written sessions of the July 2025 bar exam. Examsoft laptop registration will open on July 7. ExamSoft will email applicants with instructions for downloading Examplify, the secure testing platform that will be used for essays and the Performance Test, and instructions for completing the mandatory mock exam, which must be finished no later than July 25.

• Instructions for applying
• Information about using a laptop for the July 2025 bar exam
• Requesting testing accommodations
• Find exam-day policies and procedures in the Admittance Ticket Bulletin

Exam format and requirements

Essays and Performance Test (PT): Applicants will receive hardcopy exam materials and physical scratch paper for the written sessions (essays and performance test); responses will be entered into ExamSoft's Examplify software.

Applicants must bring their own laptop for the written session only; however, internet connection will not be required during the exam. In advance of the exam, applicants will be given information about downloading the Examplify software and conducting a mock exam.

Handwriting is an option for those who prefer it. Handwriters do not need to bring a laptop.

Multiple-Choice Questions: For the July 2025 bar exam, the State Bar will be using the MBE. Applicants will receive a hardcopy multiple-choice booklet and will be required to respond on a Scantron sheet using #2 pencils; responses will not be entered into ExamSoft’s Examplify software.

Standard exam schedule

The bar exam includes two full days of testing sessions. Applicants must be seated by 8:20 a.m. each morning. The exam will start promptly following the instructions. After the morning session, a lunch break will be provided. The doors will open at approximately 1:30 p.m. for the afternoon session; applicants should immediately return to their seats to receive instructions. Day 1 is anticipated to end at approximately 5:30 p.m., and Day 2 will end at approximately 5:00 p.m. End times may vary due to circumstances at each test site.

Below is a summary of the standard exam schedule:

Day 1 (written sessions): Five one-hour essay questions and one 90-minute Performance Test (PT). The essays and PT will be administered in two sessions: the morning session will consist of a three-hour session for essays 1, 2, and 3. The afternoon session will consist of a three-and-a-half-hour session for essays 4 and 5 and the PT.  Applicants can answer the questions in each session in any order they prefer. Although each essay is designed to be completed in one hour, and the performance test is designed to be completed in 90 minutes, applicants may allocate their time within each session as they see fit.

Day 2 (MBE sessions): 200 multiple-choice questions administered in two three-hour sessions covering 100 questions each. Applicants cannot return to the first set of 100 questions during the second MBE session.

Attorney applicants approved to take the Attorney’s Exam are only required to sit for the written sessions of the exam. 

Applicants approved for extended time accommodations will receive a modified testing schedule.

Testing sites

Exam rules and policies

Starting July 1, the State Bar will notify applicants approved for the July 2025 bar exam that their Admittance Ticket is available in the Applicant Portal. Applicants must print and bring their Admittance Ticket to each exam session as it is required to access the test site.

If you do not receive the email on July 1, it may be because one or more items are still pending: your eligibility status is pending, your request for testing accommodations is pending, or you have not completed the demographic section in the Applicant Portal (you are required to complete this section, but you may select "Decline to Answer" for any question). Your Admittance Ticket will be available once these items are resolved.

Applicants are advised to carefully review the accompanying Admittance Ticket Bulletin which contains important information about exam rules and policies, including the list of permitted and prohibited items, identification verification procedures, rules for exam conduct, and tips to prepare for the test center temperature and noise.

Permitted and prohibited items list: All applicants must bring a valid government-issued photo identification (e.g., driver's license, California Identification Card, or passport) with them to each session of the exam. All applicants must also bring their Admittance Ticket with them to each session of the exam.

A comprehensive list of permitted and prohibited items can be found in the Admittance Ticket Bulletin. Applicants are encouraged to review the bulletin carefully and pay special attention to differences in what items can be brought during the written sessions as opposed to the MBE sessions.

Applicants found with any prohibited items may have the item confiscated, will receive a conduct violation notice (Chapter 6 Notice), may receive a score of zero for the test session in which they are found to have the prohibited item, and may face additional sanctions.

Important dates and deadlines

Exam application

Exam withdrawals

ExamSoft deadlines 

Other deadlines

Release of results

November 2024 and July 2025 special session

Additional information and resources

• Scope of the California Bar Examination (format and covered topics)
• Past Exam Questions and Answers
• Exam Content Instructions by Questions Type
• Information about Exam Grading and Score Scaling
• Information about preparing for the MBE

Related links

• Visit the Applicant Portal
• Testing accommodations
• Exam rules and policies
• Exam results
• Refund Policy
• Find a form
• Admissions fees