California Bar Exam details
Breadcrumb

Bar exam details

A typical California Bar Exam is a 2-day exam

Day 1

  • Three 60-minute essay questions (in the AM)
  • Two 60-minute essay questions (in the PM)
  • One 90-minute Performance Test (in the PM)

Day 2

  • Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), a 200-question, multiple-choice exam (100 questions in the AM, 100 questions in the PM)

Subjects tested

MBE

  • Constitutional Law
  • Contracts/Sales
  • Criminal Law/Procedure
  • Evidence
  • Federal Civil Procedure
  • Real Property
  • Torts

California Essay Subjects

  • Business Associations (Agency and Partnership; Corporations; and Limited Liability Companies)
  • CA Civil Procedure
  • CA Community Property
  • CA Evidence
  • CA Professional Responsibility
  • Remedies
  • Trusts
  • CA Wills and Succession
  • Plus all MBE subjects

California Performance Test

  • “Closed universe” practical questions using instructions, factual data, cases, statutes and other reference material supplied by examiners.

MPRE

  • A scaled score of 86 on the MPRE is required for admission.

Click here to learn more about the MPRE.

Scoring

The MBE score is 50% of the total score, while the written portion accounts for the other 50%.

A passing score of 1,390 or greater on a 2,000 point scale is required based on the combined scores of the California Performance Test, the essay questions, and the MBE.

Reciprocity

Acceptance of MBE Score

  • California does not accept an MBE score from an exam taken in another jurisdiction.

Admission on Motion

  • California does not provide for admission on motion. Examination is required of all applicants. Attorneys who have been licensed in another jurisdiction for four years may be eligible to sit for the attorney exam (written exam only).

International law graduates and lawyers

If you are a foreign law graduate or lawyer, you may already be eligible to sit for a U.S. state bar exam with your current credentials.

California operates a relatively open policy in permitting foreign law graduates or lawyers to sit the bar examination, and does not impose restrictions to admission on grounds of nationality or residence.

Learn more about U.S. bar exam eligibility and requirements for foreign law graduates, lawyers, and U.S. LL.M. students.

BARBRI Bar Exam Digest

We compile all of the information that you need to know about the dates, format, subjects tested, deadlines, fees and more - for each U.S. state - in the free BARBRI Bar Exam Digest.

Download the Digest ›

BarbriResourceCenterAdditionalResources