The State Bar of California reported today that 51.5 percent of applicants passed the July 2023 General Bar Examination (GBX). As a result, the 3,888 people who passed the July exam will be eligible for admission to the State Bar as soon as all admissions requirements are satisfied.
“The State Bar sends out a heartfelt congratulations to all who passed the General Bar Exam and Attorneys’ Exam,” said Leah Wilson, State Bar Executive Director. “We are excited that these individuals successfully completed this critical step in the licensure process. We hope they take great pride in this accomplishment. We look forward to welcoming them as new licensees to the profession soon and wish them continued success as they embark on their legal careers.”
California’s General Bar Exam pass rate of 51.5 percent represented a slight drop from last year’s July pass rate of 52.4 percent. Preliminary statistical analyses show that of the 7,555 applicants who completed the GBX, 67.3 percent were first-time takers. The pass rate for these 5,083 first-time applicants was 64.8 percent. The pass rate for the 2,472 applicants repeating the exam was 24.1 percent.
Here are preliminary pass rate statistics in greater detail:
School Type
First-Timers
Repeaters
ABA Accredited - California
76.3%
36.7%
ABA Accredited - Out-of-State
69.9%
27.0%
CBE Accredited
33.2%
15.7%
Unaccredited - Correspondence
40.0%
18.8%
Unaccredited - Distance Learning
17.4%
13.3%
Unaccredited - Fixed-Facility
14.3%
4.8%
Others
25.0%
20.6%
All Applicants
64.8%
24.1%
Attorneys’ Examination results
The statistics above do not include attorneys who took the one-day Attorneys’ Examination. The Attorneys’ Exam, which consists of the essay and performance test sections of the GBX, is open to lawyers who have been admitted to the practice of law in another U.S. jurisdiction and have been an active licensee in good standing for at least the four years immediately preceding the exam. Of the 356 lawyers who completed the Attorneys’ Exam, 170 (47.8 percent) passed.
Background information about the California Bar Exam
The two-day General Bar Examination is given twice a year, in February and July. The exam consists of three sections: a 200-item multiple-choice section, also known as the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), five essay questions, and a performance test designed to assess an applicant’s ability to apply general legal knowledge to practical tasks. The mean scaled MBE score in California was 1389 compared with the national average of 1405.
Successful applicants who have satisfied other requirements for admission―those who have received a positive moral character determination, passed the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, and are not on the California Department of Child Support Services’ list of those in arrears for family or child support―may take the Attorney's Oath.
*Please note that these are preliminary statistics. Law schools will be required to confirm the students allocated to their law school and, as a result, these statistics may change.
The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.
