Will the California bar exam be remote?
Asked by: Dr. Ezequiel Hintz I | Last update: August 26, 2025Score: 4.7/5 (50 votes)
Beginning in February 2025, the multiple-choice questions on the California Bar Exam will be developed by Kaplan Exam Services, LLC, and the exam will be delivered remotely and in person at test centers.
Can I take the California bar exam remotely?
The General Bar Exam will be administered remotely and/or in-person at vendor-run or State Bar-run test centers beginning the last Tuesday in February and July of each calendar year.
What are the changes to the California bar exam in 2025?
Transition Away from the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE)
California is moving away from using the National Conference of Bar Examiners' (NCBE) multiple-choice questions. Beginning February 2025, the state will use multiple-choice questions developed exclusively by Kaplan Testing Services.
Is California getting rid of the bar exam?
25 and 26 — making California the first jurisdiction to fully break away from the bar exam created by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, which is set to launch its own overhauled exam in July 2026. California is the nation's second-largest bar exam jurisdiction behind only New York.
Can you take the California bar exam in another state?
The State Bar of California's Committee of Bar Examiners on Friday voted 8-3 to allow bar takers to sit for the exam remotely or in test centers located in other states or countries—provided they take it at the same time as those in California to reduce the risk of cheating.
Changes Are Coming to the California Bar Exam
What state has the hardest bar exam?
California is widely considered to have the hardest bar exam, due to its low pass rate and the difficulty of the content and constraints of the exam.
Do any states have bar reciprocity with California?
California Bar Examination
All other attorney applicants must take the general bar exam. Please note that the State Bar does not offer reciprocity or accept bar exam scores from another jurisdiction.
Why is California the hardest bar exam?
For several reasons, the California bar exam is often considered to be the hardest in the country. California's legal system is known for its complexity. The state has its own set of laws, regulations, and precedents that often differ significantly from federal laws and those of other states.
How many times can you fail the California bar exam?
There is no limit to the number of times you can take the bar exam in the state of California. While it may come as a relief to many students who are planning to take the bar exam in California that there are no limits, California's bar exam is known for being one of the hardest exams in the U.S.
Which state is getting rid of the bar exam?
Washington joins Oregon, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire as the fourth state that no longer requires the bar exam to become a licensed attorney. Supreme courts in California, Minnesota, and Utah are considering similar moves.
How many months to study for California bar exam?
Most bar examinees prepare for the bar exam in 8–12 weeks. That means that they generally start studying 2-3 months before the bar exam.
Is the California bar exam curved?
the bar exam isn't curved, but scaled. That means it's normalized to adjust for the difficulty from one administration to the next, not the applicant pool.
Can I practice California law remotely?
Lawyers may remotely practice the law of the jurisdictions in which they are licensed while physically present in a jurisdiction in which they are not admitted if the local jurisdiction has not determined that the conduct is the unlicensed or unauthorized practice of law and if they do not hold themselves out as being ...
Can you pass the California bar without going to law school?
In California, qualified applicants can take the bar exam without going to law school. Most law schools require a college degree, but some may only ask for equivalent course work, and some law schools focus on your legal interest and life experiences and not on your grades or LSAT scores.
What is the minimum score for the California bar exam?
To pass the examination in the first phase of grading, an applicant must have a total scaled score (after one reading) of at least 1440 points out of 2000 possible points. Those with total scaled scores after one reading below 1390 fail the examination.
How many times did JFK Jr. fail the bar exam?
Kennedy earned a Juris Doctor degree from the New York University School of Law in 1989. He then failed the New York bar exam twice before passing on his third try in July 1990. After failing the exam for a second time Kennedy vowed that he would continue to take it until he was ninety-five years old or passed.
Which state has the easiest bar exam?
Overall, Utah is the easiest bar exam to pass. This is true whether you are a first-time taker or repeat taker! In July 2023, Utah had a 94% pass rate for first time takers and a 73% pass rate for repeat takers. It also has the lowest UBE cut score of 260.
Is 295 a good bar score?
In order to pass the Uniform Bar Exam, examinees must earn a score of at least 260 on the MBE and MEE. However, a score of 280 is generally considered to be a good score, and a score of 300 to 330 (highest score on bar exam) is considered to be excellent.
What is the easiest state to become a lawyer in?
Going by the 2021 bar exam passing rates, Wyoming has the easiest bar exam to pass. However, we don't really get the full picture by just looking at the passing rates. Each state's bar exam can differ in difficulty and content.
Did Kim Kardashian pass the bar exam?
Kim Kardashian learned very quickly how hard bar exams can be. The California state bar is one of the most difficult states to pass, with a 40-50% pass rate. The first attempt rate, the second attempt, and after the third time, she finally passed!
Will the California bar get easier?
It doesn't get easier or harder. As an equated and scaled test, the difficulty of the bar exam remains the same for each administration. The remaining possibilities are the law graduates taking the test or the law schools admitting students and preparing their graduates to take the test.
Can a NY lawyer practice in California?
If you have been fully admitted to the practice of law in any U.S. or foreign jurisdiction, you are qualified to take the California Bar Examination without additional legal education.
What states do not require a bar?
Forty-one jurisdictions have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which is composed entirely of NCBE-created components. In every U.S. jurisdiction except Wisconsin, Oregon, and Washington, all those seeking admission to the bar must pass a bar examination.
Will California adopt the Ube?
The State Bar of California has already gone ahead with the proposal to establish a state-specific bar test which is expected to be rolled out in 2025. This shift is a departure from the current Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) model and brings guaranteed change that is specific to California's needs.