Hello everyone.

As expected, the Cal Bar/Meazure Learning had issues today on the first day of the February 2025 Cal Bar Exam.

The Cal Bar owned it, and evidently established contingency plans in case there were significant technical and customer service challenges between applicants and Meazure Learning.

The Cal Bar sent out a notice to applicants tonight indicating, in part, “We know that many of you, however, faced significant technical and customer service challenges. . .   In advance of the exam, the State Bar took measures to ensure that a makeup opportunity would be available, if needed, for applicants who experienced significant technical issues. As such, we had already planned to offer a makeup opportunity on March 3 and 4 for those of you who had experienced technical issues beyond your control and were unable to connect to the platform and launch the exam as well as for those who were unable to complete the exam.  

After Meazure Learning platform performance Day 1, particularly for in-person test takers, we know that additional remediation measures must be put in place for those who were unable to cut and paste in the Performance Test, as well as for those who were disconnected and could not complete one or more essay questions.

Options being explored include offering the opportunity to retake the Performance Test, offering the opportunity to retake those essay questions you were unable to access, or making psychometrically appropriate scoring adjustments.”

Stay tuned for further updates about the February 2025 Cal Bar Exam.

Accessing the Exam Platform on Exam Day

To ensure a smooth exam experience, please review the steps needed to access the exam platform on exam day. As a reminder, your confirmation email from Meazure Learning, sent after you booked your session, contains instructions and your unique exam session information. Be sure to review this in advance.

Remote Test Takers

• Log in to your candidate portal: https://cabar.ysasecure.com/login
  • You can visit this webpage directly through the Guardian Browser. If you visit this webpage on another browser, you will be redirected to Guardian Browser later in the process.
• Click the ‘Launch Exam’ button at your scheduled exam time.
  • You will be redirected to the ProctorU platform.
• Follow the on-screen instructions.
• You will be connected to a proctor within 15 minutes.
• Your proctor will walk you through a series of steps outlined in this video.
• This check-in process does NOT count toward your exam time.
• If you encounter technical difficulties, you MUST contact technical support immediately.

In-Person Test Takers

• Test takers will not be required to take any actions. Proctors will navigate each test taker through the launch process.

Hello y’all.

So… I’m teaching one of my Critical Studies 1 classes at UC Law SF today, and I say that registration for July 2025 will open on March 1.  A student raised his hand and told me that he checked his applicant portal and it said, in red letters:

Applications for the June 2025 First-Year Law Students’ Exam and the July 2025 California Bar Exam will not open on March 1, 2025. We anticipate that they will open in mid-March. Please note that the Board of Trustees eliminated the initial late filing fee for both exams mentioned above due to the delayed opening of the applications. This message will be updated once an opening date is finalized. We apologize for the inconvenience.

As such, you can’t register for the Cal Bar (or the June 2025 Baby Bar) on March 1.

What does this mean?  If the Cal Bar intends to retain the February 2025 scheduling cycle, then this delay won’t matter much.

The February cycle involved this:

October – pay fees on time and indicate non-binding preference for in-person or remote testing

November – $50 late fee for registration

December – $250 late fee

mid-January – Mock Exam – important to do proctored Mock Exam if you wanted to do remote testing

Jan. 30 – final registration process.  In-person choose a site, remote choose a time.

For the July cycle this would mean:

March 1 – pay fees on time and indicate non-binding preference for in-person or remote testing

April – $50 late fee for registration

May – $250 late fee

mid-June – Mock Exam – important to do proctored Mock Exam if you wanted to do remote testing

June 30 – final registration process.  In-person choose a site, remote choose a time.

As long as the July cycle remains the same as February, then it really doesn’t matter too much.  Especially if you can’t choose a site in March or April.  Then pay the registration fees on time in March, whether that start time is March 1, 15, 20, 25, etc.  That first day of registration wouldn’t matter much given the above.  Especially if there’s no more April late fee.

Perhaps a better question is what would necessitate the Bar moving off the spot of March 1.  What tech glitch would necessitate the move, given that they weren’t asking for much on March 1 (fees and non-binding preference about in-person v. remote)?

We shall see.

Cal Bar updates from the February 2025 Bar Exam Notices on February 21 and 23, 2025:

https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Examinations/California-Bar-Examination/February-2025-Bar-Exam-Notices

February 23, 2025

Meazure Platform Issues Resolved

We had been receiving reports of issues in the Meazure Learning platform affecting the ability to type into the answer window, use backspace/delete, and cut and paste. Meazure has informed us that these issues have been resolved. If you continue to experience problems, please contact testingsupport@meazurelearning.com.

Spellcheck/Autocorrect Disabled

Please note that the spellcheck/autocorrect feature within the Meazure platform has been disabled. Spellcheck functionality may have contributed to the recent issues with the platform. In addition, this feature was not functioning properly and appeared to be more distracting than helpful. As a reminder, spelling is not taken into consideration in the grading of responses.

February 21, 2025

July 2025 Bar Exam Fee Waived for February Applicants

Although we know that monetary compensation is not sufficient, today the Board of Trustees authorized a waiver of the application fee for the July 2025 bar exam for applicants who are unsuccessful on the February 2025 bar exam despite their good faith efforts and those who withdrew from the exam. Staff are directed to develop parameters within this general framework. Following the Board’s action, Brandon Stallings, Chair of the Board made the following statement:

“The State Bar Board of Trustees is committed to addressing the myriad issues that have arisen leading up to the February 2025 California Bar Exam. This new exam has not rolled out the way it should have, and we, the Board, apologize along with State Bar leadership and staff. The continued issues with testing locations, scheduling, technical issues, and communication lapses have distracted applicants from their studies and created confusion. These problems are deeply concerning.”

Read more in the State Bar’s February 21 news release.

Limited Reimbursement Available for Nonrefundable Travel Expenses

We recognize that many of you already booked travel and lodging based on the initial test center availability. To support those affected, we are offering reimbursement for nonrefundable travel and lodging expenses, other nonrefundable transportation expenses, and change fees. To qualify, you must have booked nonrefundable travel and lodging and later switched to a test site added in the Central or Eastern time zones, switched to test sites added in Bakersfield (Kern County Superior Court), Fresno (San Joaquin College of Law), or Los Angeles (State Bar office), or been reassigned to a different test site by Meazure Learning.

To apply for reimbursement, you must fill out the State Bar’s form by 11:59 PT, March 30, 2025, and email it to nonCABarExamExpenseRequest@calbar.ca.gov. Please note that limited funds are available for this purpose.

Viewing the Performance Test File and Library

Applicants cannot view the Performance Test File and Library in a separate window next to the exam platform on exam day; it is only accessible in a different tab. The Guardian Browser is more secure on exam day; if you were able to view two windows side-by-side during the tutorial exam, this will not be possible on exam day.

Optional Start Time Changes to be Completed by Tomorrow

This week, Meazure Learning reached out to some remote applicants with the option to move their exam start time due to the peak demand for some time slots. The benefit of changing the start time is connecting with a proctor and beginning the exam faster. If you expressed interest in doing so, Meazure Learning will notify you of your new start time tomorrow.

Emailed to applicants on Feb. 13:

Important February 2025 Bar Exam Updates–Refund Option, Updated Study Guide, New Test Sites

During the Cal Bar Q&A on Jan. 21, the Bar clarified:

If you’re not a handwriter, you MUST do the mock exam.

If you’re in-person, you don’t need to schedule an appointment since you won’t have a video proctor.  But you still MUST do the mock exam.

And if you’re remote, you MUST do the mock exam, but you must set an appointment so a video proctor is there since that’s what’ll happen on exam day.

Hello everyone.

As per FAQ #20 on the January 17 update to the FAQ:

20. Am I allowed to change my exam modality? How do I do that?

Applicants needing to change the format in which they will take the bar exam must do so no later than January 20, 2025, which corresponds with the last day to schedule a proctored mock exam. This will ensure that applicants are able to meet the mock exam requirement before the deadline. After January 20, applicants will not be able to switch out of their exam testing mode (whether handwriter, testing on a laptop in-person, or testing remotely). Modality changes are done through the Applicant Portal.

How to change your modality (from remote to in-person, or vice versa), you ask?

As the Cal Bar notes, please follow the instructions listed below:

1. Log in to your Admissions Applicant Portal.

2. Click on Applications from the menu options.

3. Click on My Applications.

4. Locate your examination application case record, and click on the Change Request button
under the Application Action Link column to launch a Test Center/Method Change Request
and begin to process.

5. Once all sections are completed, go to the Verification screen and click the Submit button.
You will be prompted to submit payment, if applicable, and sign a declaration form.

You will receive a confirmation email once you have successfully submitted the request.

Hello everyone!

A lot of updates to the February 2025 FAQ document.  You can find the document here:

February-2025-Bar-Exam-FAQs 11725

Highlights:

1. Wildfires:  If you are displaced/personally affected by the wildfires, email wildfire.emergencies@calbar.ca.gov to discuss your circumstances.
2. In person testing – you will schedule your exam site on January 30.  I’ve been hearing about several evolutions on policy here.  First was that you could choose a site on January 30, first come, first served.  Second was an email to students asking them to confirm mailing address and they would be assigned to a location closest to your address.  If you go to the Meazure Learning website, it will tell you there are 27 sites statewide.  Now… the newest updates.  Suddenly you can go to sites in the Pacific AND Mountain Time Zone!  So… if you live in Chico you can’t go to Sacramento, or if that’s full you can go to Utah?!  Who knows.  But perhaps more likely is this:  we now have clarification that the Bar will be given at FOUR Meazure Learning facilities.  Interestingly, these don’t SOUND like Meazure Learning facilities.  Get a load of this:

LA – Ontario Convention Center.  Two things:  1) DUDE, Ontario is in ORANGE COUNTY.  Not LA.  2) That sounds like a site where the Bar used to be given?!

Sacramento – @ The Grounds

SF – South SF Conference Center

San Diego – Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center.

OK folks, does this sound like a rope-a-dope to you?  The Cal Bar said they’d be going insolvent in 2026 and can’t hold bar exams in hotels.  The Cal Bar used to hold bar exams in hotels in LA, Sac, Bay Area, and San Diego.  Now… the Cal Bar is holding exams in large convention hall-sounding facilities in person.  What am I missing?

Anyway, when you go online on January 30, you will input your zip code, and only the sites closest to your location will be listed.  And if you live anywhere near any of the four major sites, “only that site will be available for you to choose from.”  So it still sounds like a first-come, first-serve thing.  Sign up early on January 30.

Oh yeah:  FAQ 22:  the exam scheduling window runs from Jan. 30 – Feb. 14.  But NOTE: last day to change from remote to in-person or vice versa is January 20.  Last day to change between in-person locations is February 3.

3. Hardcopy update:  only applicants with accommodations, whose disabilities require hardcopies for accommodation, can use hardcopies.  And if you’re getting hardcopies, that means you MUST test in person.  And that means you can’t use your desktop/laptop.  You must use the Meazure Learning computers and from what I saw on a video, it looks like a desktop with a generic keyboard.

4. If you’re testing remotely, you can use laptop or desktop.  Only one mouse or keyboard can be used.

5. Break time:  same situation whether  you’re testing remotely or in-person.  And you are not allowed to continue taking the exam after the break has expired.  5-minute breaks, people.  Plan for 3-4 minutes, go pee, and get back to your seat PRONTO.

6. Want to change your modality (in person, handwriter, remote)?  The deadline has changed:  it’s now JANUARY 20.  Reason:  so if you need to do remote or in person you can complete the mock exam on time.  Remote MUST do the mock exam.  In-person:  mock exam is OPTIONAL, per FAQ 35.  You can do it if you want but it’s only available until January 24.  No need to schedule an appointment for in-person mock exam since it’s unproctored.

7. EXAM DAY LOGISTICS:  plan to arrive (in person or remote) at least 30 minutes prior to your start time.  Log in no later than 15 minutes before your appointment time on exam day.  They reserve the right to deny you access to your exam if you’re late.

8. PT’s on exam day:  you will view and annotate the materials in a pdf.  You have single-color highlighter functionality, text annotation and comment features, tagging system to help organize notes, and text can be copies/pasted into the response field.

9. If you’re absent for any portion of your exam, the Cal Bar treats you as not having taken the exam, and exams aren’t graded.

10. AFTER JANUARY 20, YOU CAN’T CHANGE YOUR TESTING MODALITY.  In other words, you can’t change from in-person to remote.  Between January 21-Feb. 3, you can petition to change which in-person site you go to (i.e., Sacramento to SF).  Not guaranteed but you do have the chance to do it.

11. Admittance Tickets – no more need to print them.  You must bring a printed confirmation notice from Meazure Learning upon arrival for in-person candidates.

Again, this FAQ update has a lot of new/updated content.  Check it out so you’re informed!

Hello everyone,

I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and I still have relatives who live there.  The images of the LA wildfires are horrifying.  My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the region.  For Cal Bar applicants, this is a very challenging time as we reach the 45-day mark before the exam.

In its latest FAQ (dated 1/9), the Cal Bar indicated the following:

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES

Any February bar exam takers who have been displaced or personally affected by the wildfires around
Los Angeles County and want to discuss any changes in their circumstances regarding the upcoming
exam administration can email Wildfire.Emergencies@calbar.ca.gov.

If you’re able to read this and you’ve been affected by the wildfires, please email the Cal Bar at the email address above.  Tell them about how you were affected, but make sure to tell them that the new dates for the mock exam might be hard to deal with right now.  I hope they are humane enough to provide extensions to register for and take the mock exam to those affected.  That said, I believe you need a compatible laptop to do the mock exam.  Note that for the in-person modality, the Meazure Learning site provides computers and a place to take the exam.  That may be a factor for some who are displaced by the fires.

Best of luck to everyone out there, but especially to those who have been displaced by the fires.

February-2025-Bar-Exam-FAQs 1925 wildfire update

Hello!

Some important updates for you about the exam. I’m attaching the current (as of 1/8/25) FAQ document. This is very important.

MOCK EXAM UPDATE

VERY, VERY IMPORTANT!

In past exams, the mock exam period ran from the month before the exam to the Friday before the exam (i.e., January 28 – February 21).

According to FAQ 31, this time frame has CHANGED.

There is a two-step process for completing the required mock exam:

• Step One: On January 13, 2025, applicants will receive an email from Meazure Learning to schedule their mock exam. Applicants will need to schedule their mock exams between January 13 and 16, 2025.

• Step Two: The mock exam session will be held between January 17 and January 22, 2025.

Again, note these deadlines. You should receive an email on January 13.  You need to schedule the mock exam and you have between January 13-16 to schedule it.

The actual mock exam period will take place between January 17-22.

According to FAQ 41, “Applicants who do not take the mock exam will not be allowed to sit for the exam.”

So, schedule the mock exam on January 13. Whenever you plan on taking it (and I think January 17 is a FINE time to do so), make sure you get it done.

REMINDER: the mock exam is NOT something you study for. There’s no new exam questions. You’re not doing an essay. You’re not submitting anything. And nothing is graded. It’s like playing in a digital sandbox. It’s there so you waive all liability in case your computer craps out during the exam. They have all the leverage. You don’t do the mock exam before the deadline, you don’t get to take the exam.

Again, you MUST do the mock exam if you want to take the bar exam.

Scheduling your exam

FAQ 21 says you’ll receive an email invite from Meazure Learning with instructions on how to schedule your exam ON JANUARY 30. You can then select your preferred test site (remote or in-person), first-come, first served. Make sure to check spam/junk folders for emails from testingsupport@meazurelearning.com or support@meazurelearning.zendesk.com. In fact, just whitelist those emails now.

Resources for exam day

Check out FAQ 23 for support information about the Meazure Exam platform, process overview video, test center process video, and ProctorU Test Taker Library.

Highlighting and copy/paste

You can use these features on exam day (FAQ 26).

February-2025-Bar-Exam-FAQs 1825