California Bar Exam General Information

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On the California bar exam there are 5 essays. Each essay is supposed to be completed within one hour.  California bar exam essay subjects include:

  • Business Associations (Agency and Partnerships; Corporations and LLCs)
  • Civil Procedure (Federal & California)
  • Conflict of Laws
  • Constitutional Law
  • Contracts (Common Law, Sales/UCC Art. 2)
  • Criminal Law & Criminal Procedure
  • Evidence (California & Federal)
  • Family Law
  • Real Property
  • Secured Transactions (UCC Art. 9)
  • Torts
  • Trusts and Estates (California rules)
  • Real Property
  • Secured Transactions (UCC Art. 9)
  • Torts

MPT (Multi-State Performance Test)
California Bar Exam also includes one (1) MPT performance test which occurs in the second half of the first day of the exam after an afternoon lunch period which follows the first three essays of the MEE testing.

MBE (Multiple Choice Bar Exam)
California Bar Exam tests (MBE) is conducted on the second day and consists of a 6 hour time period. Each time period is divided in half so you have 100 questions to answer in the first three hours, followed by a lunch break and then 3 more hours to complete the second 100 questions for a total of 200 questions. The California bar exam test 7 subjects:

  • Civil Procedure
  • Constitutional Law
  • Contracts (Common Law, Sales/UCC Art. 2)
  • Criminal Law & Criminal Procedure
  • Evidence
  • Real Property
  • Torts

UBE and MBE Score Transfer

The state of California does not allow admission on motion or on MBE transfer.

Bar Exam Testing Schedule

The California bar exam is tested over 2 days and is scheduled as follows

DAY 1

  • 1st day part 1 (Tuesday): 3 essay questions (9 am – 12 pm)
  • 1st day part 2 (Tuesday): 2 essay questions and one 90-minute MPT (2 pm – 5:30 pm)
    • Each essay question is to take approximately 1 hour.

DAY 2

  • 2nd day part 1 (Wednesday): 100 (MBE) questions (9 am – 12 pm);
  • 2nd day part 2 (Wednesday) 100 MBE questions (2 pm – 5 pm)

Grading

Grading is best described by the California Bar Exam's board

"MBE scores are reported on a scale ranging from 0 to 2000 points. On the written section of the examination, applicants are graded initially on a basis of 700 possible raw points: 100 points for each of the five essay questions and 200 points for the PT. The scores obtained on the written section of the examination are then translated to the 2000-point MBE scale. An applicant’s total score is the scale MBE score (on the 2000-point scale) multiplied by .50 plus the converted score on the written section multiplied by .50. Scaling ensures the two portions of the examination carry the relative weights assigned to them: written (50 percent) and MBE (50 percent)."

The California bar exam is administered in February and July each year during the last week of the month that happens to have a Wednesday. The test will be conducted on that weeks Tuesday and Wednesday. Results from the Feb. exam will be received in mid May whereas results for the July exam will be received in mid November.

Pass Rates

You can find California bar exam stats here.

Appeal  California Bar Exam Scores

California does not allow appeals.