So You Want to Practice Law in California? - The California Bar Exam - Dates, Requirements, and Pass Rates

Sep 25, 2026

Uploaded by Mary Man

Guide to taking the California Bar Examination, outlining the exam structure with multiple essay questions and a Performance Test on Day 1, plus the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) multiple-choice portion on Day 2. Includes key test dates, application deadlines, and testing locations across Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento. Summarizes eligibility requirements for qualifying law study programs and distance-learning hours, then reports 2021 pass rates for February and July along with foreign-educated statistics. Also covers admission steps beyond the Uniform Bar exam.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

The California Bar Exam

Exam schedule and format

Test dates, deadlines, and locations

Requirements to qualify

2021 pass rates (February and July)

Additional admission requirements (MPRE and moral character)

So You Want to Practice Law in California? The California Bar Exam 2 SITTINGS PER DAY | PASSING SCORE: 1,390 9:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m. Day 1: Morning Three 60-minute essay questions 2:00 p.m.– 5:30 p.m. Day 1: Afternoon Two 60-minute essay questions plus one 90-minute Performance Test 9:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m.– 5:00 p.m. Day 2: All Day The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) is a multiple-choice test consisting of 200 questions divided into two sessions. * * California does not accept an MBE score from an exam taken in another jurisdiction. TEST DATES: The last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July APPLICATION DEADLINES: February >> November Prior | July >> April Prior Exams are administered at testing sites in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento. [https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Examinations/Dates-and-Deadlines](https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Examinations/Dates-and-Deadlines) Requirements To qualify to take the California Bar Examination, applicants must have completed: • Three or four years of study at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) • Four years of study at a State Bar-registered, fixed-facility law school • Four years of study with a minimum of 864 hours of preparation at a registered unaccredited distancelearning or correspondence law school • Four years of study under the supervision of a state judge or attorney • A combination of these programs [https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Requirements](https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Requirements) 2021 PASS RATES – FEBRUARY AND JULY 2 | | FEBRUARY 3 | JULY 4 | | --- | --- | --- | | Total candidates who satthe exam | 3,098 | 7,536 | | California law school graduates whosatthe exam | 1,151 | 3,990 | | Foreign-educated candidates whosatthe exam | 37% | 53% | | Total passing candidates | 53% | 71% | | Overall passing rate of all candidates | 49% | 71% | | Foreign Attorneys taking the General Bar Exam | 23% | 18% | 3 [https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/FEB2021-CBX-Statistics.pdf |](https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/FEB2021-CBX-Statistics.pdf |4)[4](https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/FEB2021-CBX-Statistics.pdf |4) [https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/JULY2021-CBX-Statistics.pdf](https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/JULY2021-CBX-Statistics.pdf) But wait—there’s more! In addition to passing the Uniform Bar exam, a candidate seeking admission in California must: Take and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) • Tests knowledge and understanding of ethical standards of the legal profession • 60 multiple choice questions • Two-hour exam • Offered in March, August and November PASSING SCORE: 86 Complete an application of Good Moral Character • An extensive background check • Asks for details about your academic, work and financial history, as well as any criminal record and civil proceedings. • Include recommendations and references, final law school transcripts and fingerprints. WWW. MLA GLOBAL . COM | AN ALLEGIS GROUP COMPANY

FAQs

What is the exam schedule for the California Bar Exam?

The exam has two sittings per day: Day 1 includes morning essay questions and an afternoon block with essay questions plus a 90-minute Performance Test. Day 2 covers the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) multiple-choice portion across a separate session.

What are the application deadlines and test dates for 2021?

Test dates are stated as the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July. The document lists application deadlines as February >> November prior and July >> April prior.

What requirements must applicants meet to qualify?

Applicants must have completed combinations of law study programs, including ABA-accredited law school study, State Bar-registered fixed-facility school study, and a minimum of 864 hours of preparation via a registered unaccredited distance-learning or correspondence law school, plus study under supervision of a state judge or attorney.

Sep 25, 2026

Uploaded by Mary Man