Category: Tips

UPDATE! Conspiracy theory UPDATE!

Hello everyone,

Remember how you and I were exceedingly unhappy about the announcement of the February 2025 Cal Bar “Retake” on March 3-4?  Only to be surpassed by the announcement that one rogue actor published (evidently accurately) one of the questions around March 1, and so the “retake” was moved a few weeks later, to mid-March?  And how that seemed SO UNFAIR because the Bar announced that they were using the same questions?  And the psychometrician also said there was no other way to have a reliable exam than to have the same questions?

That seemed SO unfair.  And it seemed like some people theoretically could have gotten quite an unfair advantage by consulting the deep reddits or the darkest parts of the web and found out what the questions were about before they saw them?

Well, the Cal Bar caved.  Even thought they said there was NO WAY they could provide new questions in time for the March 17 test, well, what do you know, they found a way.

Today, April 16, I discovered that the Cal Bar published the questions that people saw from the original exam on February 25… AND the re-test questions from mid-March.  I expected to see one new question because that’s what the Cal Bar said was going to happen.  Replace the spoiled question with a new one and retest the other 4 essays and a PT.

Nope.  What did I see today?

February 25 (original exam… note the questions were inexplicably presented in a different order for people, but they took the same questions)

  1. Crim Pro
  2. Wills/Trusts
  3. Property
  4. Contract Remedies
  5. PR

And on the re-test?

  1. Evidence
  2. Community Property
  3. Con Law
  4. PR (different fact pattern/calls of question)
  5. Contract remedies (different fact pattern/calls of question)

Whither the PTs?

The PTs were different.

 

Totally different exams, people!  I’m guessing State Bar Counsel informed the Bar that they risked SERIOUS legal exposure if they used the same questions.  Regardless of the rationale, one thing is clear:  the questions were different on Feb. 25 than they were in mid-March.

Now what does that all mean for July predictions?  Who knows? Totally unprecedented circumstances.

 

 

The Cal Bar Board of Trustees met on April 2.  In a press release summarizing the meeting, this tidbit was of interest:

 

At the April 18 CBE [Committee of Bar Examiners] meeting, psychometrician Dr. Chad Buckendahl of ACS Ventures also will present initial grading results as well as recommended score adjustments for November experiment participants. In addition, Dr. Buckendahl is expected to provide recommendations on scoring adjustments for impacted February exam test takers. 

 

So… for those of you who participated in the Cal Bar Experiment in November 24, you will get further clarity on April 18.  And we hope, February bar takers will get more clarity about scoring adjustments as well.

 

https://www.calbar.ca.gov/About-Us/News/News-Releases/board-approves-testing-locations-vendor-for-in-person-july-bar-exam?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–4BIDfMHEjoMUptoqEhBWAnU7cZzUJd8FYviGs4mKKncmJ2sL0bau_1gT7X0RLEY1-soN5R6CTMWel-M2PjKA3OW55GqWvnhThtkHGTPJZj3sDZdo&_hsmi=2&utm_content=2&utm_source=hs_email

 

Cal Bar July 2025 registration open now

FYI:  it’s open now.

March 27, 2025

July 2025 bar exam application is open

Applicants may apply for the July 2025 bar exam in the Applicant Portal now.

The July 2025 bar exam will take place over two days, Tuesday, July 29, and Wednesday, July 30, in person at designated test sites across California.

For more details, please visit the July 2025 California Bar Exam webpage.

UPDATE re: July Bar Exam, including March 27 registration update

Hello everyone,
Tonight the Cal Bar updated its website about the July 2025 exam.  The link is here:
https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Examinations/California-Bar-Examination/July-2025-California-Bar-Exam
Essential info to know and full text from the site appears below.
Steven
The essentials:
1. Applicants will receive hardcopy exam materials with scratch paper for the written sessions (essays and performance test) and they will respond to those questions on their personal laptop. Handwriting is an option for those who prefer it.  The delivery method for multiple-choice questions is not yet finalized. The Committee of Bar Examiners will determine no later than April 18 whether multiple-choice questions will be loaded into the exam software so that test takers read and answer the questions directly on their laptops, or if the multiple-choice questions will be provided in hardcopy format, requiring applicants to mark their answers on a Scantron sheet. This page will be updated once that decision is made.
 
–) Written section:  hardcopies and scratch paper.
 
–) MBE:  uncertain about hardcopy or laptop.  To be resolved on 4/18.  Sounds like it’s an either/or.  Not both.  Sounded like both might have been a possibility from the 3/14 meeting.  Now it sounds like one or the other.
 
2. The Cal Bar didn’t indicate what time the March 27 registration period would open.  Could be midnight.  Could be 8 am.  Could be later.  But should be March 27.  April 1 deadline.  No late fee for April.  I was right:  $250 late fee for May 1 – June 2.  June 3 – no July exam for you.

Exam application

For those who did not sit for the February 2025 bar exam.

March 27 Exam application open
April 1 Timely filing deadline (Set by CA Bus. & Prof. Code, §6060.3)
April 2–30 $0 late filing fee (Set by CA Bus. & Prof. Code, §6060.3)
May 1–June 2 $250 late filing fee (Set by CA Bus. & Prof. Code, §6060.3)
3. Exam schedule:
The written portion is same as the old days.  Traditional time:  morning session:  3 hrs.  Lunch.  Afternoon session:  3-1/2 hours.
Good news:  They are retaining the February 2025 schedule for the MBE:  breaks after every 50 questions!  That’s an improvement from the old days of 100 questions (3 hrs) then lunch break, then 100 questions (3 hrs).
Day 1 (written sessions) Day 2 (multiple-choice sessions)
Essays 1, 2, and 3 (3 hours) Questions 1–50 (90 minutes)

Break

Questions 51–100 (90 minutes)

Lunch Break Lunch Break
Essays 4, 5, and PT (3.5 hours) Questions 101–150 (90 minutes)

Break

Questions 151–200 (90 minutes)

4. Testing sites:

Anticipated testing sites

The testing sites listed below are subject to final approval by the State Bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners and the Board of Trustees. The State Bar has reserved several locations pending approval and is in discussion with the remaining venues. As such, all locations below are currently anticipated but are subject to change.

Region Anticipated Testing Sites Anticipated Testing Sites for Applicants with Certain Accommodations
Los Angeles Pasadena Convention Center
300 E Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91101

Ontario Convention Center
2000 E Convention Center Way
Ontario, CA 91764

Pasadena Convention Center
300 E Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91101

Hotel Fera Anaheim, Orange
100 The City Drive South
Orange, CA 92868

San Francisco Oakland Convention Center
550 10th Street
Oakland, CA 94607
Oakland Convention Center
550 10th Street
Oakland, CA 94607

Golden Gate University
536 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

Sacramento @the Grounds
700 Event Center Drive
Roseville, CA 95678
Hilton Sacramento Arden West
2200 Harvard Street
Sacramento, CA 95815
San Diego Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center
2800 Olympic Parkway
Chula Vista, CA 91915

The State Bar is working to secure additional locations for testing accommodations in Los Angeles and San Diego. The final list of testing sites will be published as soon as possible.

Full info from the website appears below:

July 2025 California Bar Exam

The following information relates to the upcoming July 2025 California bar exam. For the most up-to-date information on the February 2025 California bar exam, please refer to this notice page.

July 2025 California bar exam overview

The July 2025 bar exam will take place over two days, Tuesday, July 29, and Wednesday, July 30. Applicants with certain testing accommodations may have extended days. The July 2025 bar exam will be administered entirely in person at designated testing sites in California.

Applicants will receive hardcopy exam materials with scratch paper for the written sessions (essays and performance test) and they will respond to those questions on their personal laptop. Handwriting is an option for those who prefer it. The delivery method for multiple-choice questions is not yet finalized. The Committee of Bar Examiners will determine no later than April 18 whether multiple-choice questions will be loaded into the exam software so that test takers read and answer the questions directly on their laptops, or if the multiple-choice questions will be provided in hardcopy format, requiring applicants to mark their answers on a Scantron sheet. This page will be updated once that decision is made.

Applicants will not be required to connect to the internet during the exam.

Standard exam schedule

The bar exam includes two full days of testing sessions. Applicants must be seated by 8:20 a.m. each morning. The exam will begin immediately after instructions are read. After the lunch break, applicants must be seated by 1:30 p.m. Day 1 will end at approximately 5:30 p.m., and Day 2 will end at approximately 5:00 p.m. End times may vary.

Below is a summary of the standard exam schedule:

Day 1 (written sessions): Five one-hour essay questions and one 90-minute Performance Test (PT). The essays and PT will be administered in two sessions: the morning session will consist of a three-hour session for essays 1, 2, and 3. The afternoon session will consist of a three-and-a-half-hour session for essays 4 and 5 and the PT. Applicants can answer the questions in each session in any order they prefer. Although each essay is designed to be completed in one hour, and the performance test is designed to be completed in 90 minutes, applicants may allocate their time within each session as they see fit.

Day 2 (multiple-choice sessions): 200 multiple-choice questions administered in four 90-minute sessions covering 50 questions each.

Day 1 (written sessions) Day 2 (multiple-choice sessions)
Essays 1, 2, and 3 (3 hours) Questions 1–50 (90 minutes)

Break

Questions 51–100 (90 minutes)

Lunch Break Lunch Break
Essays 4, 5, and PT (3.5 hours) Questions 101–150 (90 minutes)

Break

Questions 151–200 (90 minutes)

Attorney applicants choosing to take the Attorney’s Exam are only required to sit for the written sessions of the exam and applicants approved for extended time accommodations will receive a modified testing schedule.

Anticipated testing sites

The testing sites listed below are subject to final approval by the State Bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners and the Board of Trustees. The State Bar has reserved several locations pending approval and is in discussion with the remaining venues. As such, all locations below are currently anticipated but are subject to change.

Region Anticipated Testing Sites Anticipated Testing Sites for Applicants with Certain Accommodations
Los Angeles Pasadena Convention Center
300 E Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91101

Ontario Convention Center
2000 E Convention Center Way
Ontario, CA 91764

Pasadena Convention Center
300 E Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91101

Hotel Fera Anaheim, Orange
100 The City Drive South
Orange, CA 92868

San Francisco Oakland Convention Center
550 10th Street
Oakland, CA 94607
Oakland Convention Center
550 10th Street
Oakland, CA 94607

Golden Gate University
536 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

Sacramento @the Grounds
700 Event Center Drive
Roseville, CA 95678
Hilton Sacramento Arden West
2200 Harvard Street
Sacramento, CA 95815
San Diego Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center
2800 Olympic Parkway
Chula Vista, CA 91915

The State Bar is working to secure additional locations for testing accommodations in Los Angeles and San Diego. The final list of testing sites will be published as soon as possible.

Exam details pending review

While the exam will return to in-person testing with similarities to past administrations, some details are pending final approval or are under review for possible changes to improve the testing experience. As stated above, the final list of test sites and the delivery method for the multiple-choice questions are still pending. Below are other areas under review.

Exam delivery vendor: The State Bar’s Board of Trustees will meet on April 2, 2025, and the Committee of Bar Examiners will meet on April 8, 2025, to approve vendor contracts for the July 2025 bar exam. Once approved, details about the exam delivery vendor and additional instructions will be published online.

Exam day policies: Updated exam policies are not yet published. Once finalized, they will be published online. However, all applicants will be permitted to use the restroom, stand, and stretch during the July 2025 bar exam.

Permitted and prohibited items list: An updated list of permitted and prohibited items is not yet published but is anticipated no later than April 30, 2025. Once finalized, it will be published online. The following is a partial list of permitted items that will be allowed for all test takers during both the written and the multiple-choice sessions of the July 2025 bar exam:

  • External mouse and keyboard
  • Seat cushion or back support (without a cover)
  • Footrest
  • Book/document holder
  • Laptop riser
  • Wrist pad
  • Analog watch
  • Water bottle
  • Medication

Important dates and deadlines

Below are important dates and deadlines related to State Bar requirements. Other dates and deadlines related to the exam delivery vendor’s requirements may also arise pending approval of a vendor by the Board of Trustees and Committee of Bar Examiners. Those additional dates and deadlines will be added as soon as possible.

Exam application

For those who did not sit for the February 2025 bar exam.

March 27 Exam application open
April 1 Timely filing deadline (Set by CA Bus. & Prof. Code, §6060.3)
April 2–30 $0 late filing fee (Set by CA Bus. & Prof. Code, §6060.3)
May 1–June 2 $250 late filing fee (Set by CA Bus. & Prof. Code, §6060.3)

For immediate repeaters who sat for the February 2025 bar exam.

May 2
(after 6:00 p.m.)
Application opens for immediate repeaters
May 16 Timely filing deadline for immediate repeaters (Set by CA Bus. & Prof. Code, §6060.3)
May 17–June 2 $0 late filing fee for immediate repeaters (The Board of Trustees waived late fees for immediate repeaters)

Exam withdrawals

For those who did not sit for the February 2025 bar exam.

May 1 Deadline to withdraw with 60% refund.
May 2–May 16 Deadline to withdraw with 30% refund.
May 17–July 15 Deadline to withdraw with 0% refund.

For immediate repeaters who sat for the February 2025 bar exam.

July 15 Deadline to withdraw (The Board of Trustees waived exam application fees for immediate repeaters sitting for the July 2025 bar exam, no refund is necessary).

Other deadlines

April 27 Registration for Bar Exam Strategies and Stories program closes for those who did not sit for the February 2025 bar exam
June 2 Final filing/reinstatement deadline (Set by CA Bus. & Prof. Code, §6060.3)

Testing accommodations final filing deadline*

June 9 Registration for Bar Exam Strategies and Stories program closes for immediate repeaters who sat for the February 2025 bar exam
July 1 Exam admittance tickets become available

Testing accommodations final appeal filing deadline*

Test center change request deadline

July 15 Final deadline to submit proof of eligibility to sit for the exam

Final deadline for general applicants to submit proof of law study

Final deadline for attorney applicants to submit Certificate of Good Standing from another jurisdiction

July 18 Emergency testing accommodations petition final filing deadline*

*Applicants must submit their requests through the Applicant Portal. Requests must be complete, with all questions answered, and any supporting documentation included. Requests in ‘verified’ or ‘drafted’ status are not considered complete.

Release of results

Results from the July 2025 bar exam are scheduled to be released through the Applicant Portal to applicants at 6:00 p.m. on November 7, 2025. Applicants can also access the pass list on the Exam Results webpage.

Additional information and resources

Related links

 

July 2025 Cal Bar Exam registration begins Thursday, March 27

The Cal Bar stated on its Notices page today:

 

March 20, 2025

The July 2025 bar exam application will be available on March 27, 2025, in the Applicant Portal.

 

Found here:

 

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

Cal Bar Committee on Exams recommends provisional licensure for February exam applicants

At its March 14 meeting, the Committee of Bar Examiners voted to recommend that applicants who took the February 2025 Cal Bar Exam — and those who registered but withdrew and didn’t take the exam — be allowed to participate in the provisional licensing program.  The length of the provisional licensing program wasn’t voted on.  The Cal Supreme Court will have final say on the matter.

Separately, the Committee voted to return to “traditional, in-person testing” for July 2025 as the Supreme Court directed the Bar to do.

So:  hardcopy fact patterns for essays, hardcopy Library and File for PT, and scratch paper for both.  However, nothing was finalized about the MBE.  The Committee doesn’t like scantrons.  They seemed to want applicants to click their answers on their laptops.  However, a lot of debate ensued about whether the MBE questions should be digital, provided in hardcopy, or both.  Nothing was finalized.  That said, we all know what “traditional” means regarding the administration of the MBE in 2000, 2009, and 2019:  hardcopy questions and scantrons.  And, not for nothing, returning to NCBE’s questions, not Kaplan’s.  That didn’t seem to be on the table for consideration on March 14 at the meeting.

 

Cal. Supreme Court intimates it will be involved with remedies for February 2025 applicant pool… and no provisional licensing, per the Bar

Hello everyone,

In its message today, the Cal. Supreme Court said the following, in relevant part, about the February 2025 applicant pool:

“At present, the complete scope and causes of the problems are still being determined.  Last week, the court asked the State Bar, in conjunction with the vendor responsible for administering the exam, to provide an expedited, detailed report regarding the problems encountered by applicants.  This information is crucial in informing how the court will provide appropriate remedies for affected applicants who deserved and expected better.”

Folks, the Cal. Supreme Court didn’t have to say what I highlighted in bold.  The Cal. Supreme Court asked the Bar to provide an expedited detailed report about what happened on the exam.  All well and good.  The Court could have stopped there.  But the Court said that it wanted the information because it will inform how the Court will provide appropriate remedies.  The Court is rather unhappy about all this, in my view.  It could have left such remedies to the Cal Bar.  Seemingly the Court wants to get involved.  I would remind the Court that results day is Friday, May 2, and I would hope that the Court will provide its thoughts before results publish on that date.

For its part, the Cal Bar emailed applicants today as well and addressed a few issues.

  1. The controversial March 18-19 retest.

Turns out precious few people will be allowed to participate in the March 18-19 retake.  Just 85 people met the criteria:  unable to launch the exam at all, or submitted 1, 2, or 3 (but no more) essays/PT on exam day, or people who couldn’t access the MBE at all, or people who only competed 1 or 2 of the 4 sessions of the MBE.

That’s 85 out of 5,400 applicants, or 1.5% of the applicant pool.

The Bar didn’t address whether it would be replacing all of the essays/PTs for March 18-19, or just the one essay that was published recently.  Frankly, that should be a no-brainer:  if they can replace on essay, they can replace all of the essays and the PT, and they should do so ASAP.

2. Other remedies

 

The Cal Bar said in its email:  The State Bar has used psychometric remedies like score imputation, pro rata adjustments, and regression modeling in prior disrupted exams. Historically, the Committee of Bar Examiners has had purview over exam grading, and any scoring adjustment would likely be subject to Supreme Court approval.”  In other words, they can recommend something, but the Supreme Court will have to approve it.

3. Provisional Licensure

 

The Cal Bar said in its email:  “Many of you, as well as various law school deans, have recommended that the State Bar provisionally license February 2025 test takers. The State Bar does not have the authority to unilaterally initiate a new, or extend and modify the current, provisional licensure program. ” 

The Board of Trustees will receive an update on the February 2025 bar exam at its meeting on March 5; an overview of possible remediation steps will be provided to the Board at that time. The Committee of Bar Examiners will discuss remediation options at its March 14 meeting; however, action by either body is unlikely given that preliminary grading will not have concluded. Further, neither State Bar staff nor the Board of Trustees nor the Committee of Bar Examiners can act alone in making decisions to apply scoring adjustments or to provisionally license February exam takers. Decisions about these matters are subject to review and approval by the Supreme Court.

In other words, I don’t see the Cal Bar recommending provisional licensure at all.  Ultimately, something like that is up to the Supreme Court, which has the final word on any issues relating to the Bar Exam.  Which suggests why the law school deans wrote its letter to the California Supreme Court.  The deans seemed to know that the Court is the only entity that could approve such a remedy.

No idea what’s going to happen in this regard.  However, I’m happy to see that the Court has an interest in what’s going on.  The Court rarely speaks on Bar Exam-related matters.  I’m glad the Court is getting involved and has done so expediently.

 

Cal. Supreme Court directs State Bar to return to in-person testing for July 2025 exam

On Wednesday, the State Bar Board of Trustees was to consider Cal Bar staff’s recommendation to return to in-person testing for the July 2025 Cal Bar Exam.

Then the Committee of Bar Examiners was to meet on March 14 and make a final recommendation on the matter.

In a dramatic move, the California Supreme Court, the final word on all things Bar Exam, spoke today.  Here’s what the Court said:

 

The California Supreme Court on Tuesday issued the following statement about the administration of the February 2025 California Bar Examination:

The court is deeply concerned by the troubling reports of technical failures, delays, and other irregularities in last week’s administration of the February 2025 California Bar Examination.  The court regrets this situation and apologizes for the disappointment, stress, and frustration experienced by some applicants.  At present, the complete scope and causes of the problems are still being determined.  Last week, the court asked the State Bar, in conjunction with the vendor responsible for administering the exam, to provide an expedited, detailed report regarding the problems encountered by applicants.  This information is crucial in informing how the court will provide appropriate remedies for affected applicants who deserved and expected better.  In the interim, the court directs the State Bar to plan on administering the July 2025 California Bar Examination in the traditional in-person format.”

 

Emphasis mine.

 

So, yes, the Board of Trustees will meet, and the Committee on Bar Examiners will meet, but the decision has already been made about the July exam: it’s in person, so that means paper fact patterns and scratch paper will return.  Party like it’s 2018!

 

There are other issues to consider, especially about the February 2025 applicant pool.  But this issue, at least, has been resolved.

Cal Bar Trustees Meeting March 5 – Meazure Learning future? Return to in-person testing?

Hello everyone,
The Cal Bar Board of Trustees is meeting on March 5, 2 pm.  The meeting agenda and the Zoom link are located here:
https://calbar.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=1054
February Bar applicants will likely use the public comment period to ensure the Board knows just how horrible the conditions were for the February Exam.  Justifiably so.
My focus here is the agenda item that Cal Bar staff will present to the Board.  Cal Bar staff recommend not going forward with Meazure Learning for July 2025.  Instead, staff recommend returning to in person administration for the July 2025 exam.  As in, hardcopy exam, scratch paper, party like it’s 2023.
Complication – securing sites for typical July Bar exam dates have been challenging before, and trying to start that process now might be even more challenging.  Students may have to travel further to get to the few sites they can find, with more costs.  I suspect students won’t care as long as they can avoid the Meazure Learning experience again.  We’ll see what happens.
Next steps:  If Board of Trustees agrees, then staff will bring the matter to the Committee of Bar Examiners for action at its March 14 meeting.
I think Cal Bar staff’s proposal is a great idea (I don’t say that frequently).  This provides a better remedy for students who have to take/retake the exam in July 2025 – the traditional in-person exam will guarantee that applicants won’t experience the Meazure Learning fiasco again in July 2025.  And it buys the Cal Bar several more months to find a better vendor and extensively test it.
The hybrid scenario (some remote, some in person – see page 2 of the Agenda item) is interesting.  Theoretically, it will help to reduce the bandwidth overload on tons of remote takers.  But who is going to be excited about remote testing if Meazure Learning is providing again?  Or even if it’s another vendor, who’s going to trust it?
We might see a different scenario entirely:  raise fees 50% to mitigate fears about going insolvent.  Applicants justifiably won’t like it, but I’m guessing that’s the only way the Cal Bar will generate more revenue that it’s so worried about in the short-term.  Or raise annual fees on existing attorneys?  Or both?  Spend 1-1/2 to 2 years properly vetting a fully digital exam process.  And then roll it out only once the Cal Bar is certain that it will work.  That also involves some non-tech issues that need resolving.  Two come to mind:  1) make sure to have a full set of properly-vetted backup questions in case they’re needed for a “retake” session, and 2) vastly better training of proctors, some of whom allegedly couldn’t answer basic questions, provided inaccurate or conflicting information, or were rude.
In case the link below doesn’t work, I provide the Agenda Item here:
Los Angeles Office
845 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
San Francisco Office www.calbar.ca.gov
180 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
OPEN SESSION
AGENDA ITEM
3.2 MARCH 2025
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
DATE: March 5, 2025
TO: Members, Board of Trustees
FROM: Donna Hershkowitz, Chief of Admissions/Legislative Director
SUBJECT: Discussion and, if Appropriate, Approval of Supplemental Contract Amount
for ProctorU, Inc. dba Meazure Learning for Live, Remote Proctoring and Test
Center Services (Bar Exam, First-Year Law Students’ Exam, and Legal
Specialization Exam Administrations) in 2025 and Discussion and, if
Appropriate, Approval of Alternative Vendor for Live, Remote Proctoring and
Test Center Services for Administration in 2025 (Bar Exam, First-Year Law
Students’ Exam, and Legal Specialization Exam Administrations)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
At its February 21 meeting, the Board of Trustees received an update describing several of the
challenges leading up to the administration of the February 2025 Bar Exam. The Board heard
significant public comment expressing concern about the functionality of the Meazure Learning
platform, as well as the problems with scheduling and miscommunications. The Board was
going to be asked to approve additional funding for the contract with Meazure Learning for the
July administration. Based on the administration of the February Bar Exam, staff cannot
recommend going forward with Meazure Learning and are instead recommending returning to
the in-person administration method used prior to February 2025.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
None at this time. Staff are seeking the Board’s input on the staff recommendation not to
continue with Meazure Learning and to return to in person administration for the July 2025
exam. Following discussion with the Committee of Bar Examiners on March 14, staff will return
to the Board for action.
DISCUSSION
2
At the February 3, joint meeting of the Executive Committee and the Contracts Committee
(“committees”), staff described three options for proceeding with the July 2025 administration
of the Bar Exam, and their related costs.
Option Cost Notes Update
State Bar / Meazure
Hybrid: Meazure
provides the remote
testing and the State
Bar secures in
person facilities
$3.9 million With Meazure only being able to
be commit to 3,700 remote
takers, in person facilities would
need to be secured for 5,500 or
more
2-Day Competitor $3.5 million Staff continued discussions and
with fuller information the
quote increased slightly
$3.7 million
Meazure +
Additional Sites or
Increased Remote
Capacity
TBD After staff negotiation, Meazure
agreed to increase remote
capacity to 7,000
$3.5 million, +
TBD increased
costs for 2 to 4
additional popup
centers
Staff shared with the committees that these costs were still less than the projected cost for an
in-person July administration conducted in the manner the State Bar had traditionally
administered exams. That estimate was $4.8–$5 million.
At its February 21 meeting, the Board of Trustees received an update describing several of the
challenges leading up to the administration of the February 2025 Bar Exam. The Board heard
significant public comment expressing concern about the functionality of the Meazure Learning
platform, as well as the problems with scheduling and miscommunications. The Board was
going to be asked to approve additional funding for the contract with Meazure Learning for the
July administration. However, as a result of the events that occurred in the administration of
the February Bar Exam, still underway as of the writing of this staff report, staff cannot
recommend going forward with Meazure Learning. Staff are instead recommending returning
to the in-person administration method used prior to February 2025. The Board should be
aware that the dates of the July exam have made securing sites challenging in the past, and the
late date at which we would be beginning that process now will create additional challenges.
There may be fewer locations for applicants to select from, resulting in higher costs for
applicants who may have to travel further from their local community to take the exam.
Staff is seeking the Board’s input on this recommendation. If the Board agrees, staff will bring
this matter to the Committee of Bar Examiners for action at its March 14, 2025, meeting. The
Contracts Committee or full Board will subsequently be asked to approve facilities and other
contracts related to a planned in-person July 2025 exam administration.
PREVIOUS ACTION
3
September 2024, Approval of up to $4.1 million for Meazure Learning for the administration of
the February and July 2025 Exams.
FISCAL/PERSONNEL IMPACT
The estimated cost of in-person administration of the July Bar Exam is $4.8–$5 million. Actual
costs may be higher as we are anticipating increased numbers of test takers due to the offer to
waive July exam costs for many applicants. The full year fiscal impact of the transition back to
in-person testing will be compounded by the expanded refund policies put into place with
respect to the February 2025 exam.
While staff believes that the 2025 Admissions Fund budget can absorb all related costs,
sustainability planning for 2026 and beyond must begin in the near term.
AMENDMENTS TO RULES
None
AMENDMENTS TO BOARD OF TRUSTEES POLICY MANUAL
None
STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS & IMPLEMENTATION STEPS
None – core business operations
RESOLUTIONS
None
ATTACHMENT LIST
None

Cal Bar February 2025 exam “retake” moved from March 3-4 to March 18-19, and other updates

Hello everyone,

The unprecedented February 2025 Cal Bar Exam continues, apparently, for weeks.

Tonight, in the 7 pm hour, the Cal Bar emailed the applicant pool with an update.  That update appears below:

Day 3 of the exam has concluded. For those of you testing in person, Day 2 meant a significant delay in getting started; for most it involved delays in logging back into the exam after the lunch break. In addition to these systemic challenges, we are aware of other issues experienced by test takers, including continued challenges with proctors, connectivity lapses, time lost, and submission problems. We are still assessing results from Day 3 and will report on that following the conclusion of all testing.

 

As we stated after Day 1, these conditions are unacceptable, and we make no excuses for them. We are actively meeting with our psychometrician and other stakeholders to solidify the full range of remediation steps.

 

Initial retake opportunity March 18-19

Note that the retake originally planned for March 3-4 has been rescheduled due to a prohibited online disclosure of an essay question.(Please see more about this prohibited disclosure below.) Day 1 content will be changed as a result of this disclosure. This change requires reconfiguration of the exam driver, which takes time to execute.

In the immediate term, Meazure will be offering this retake opportunity on March 18-19 to test takers meeting the following criteria:

  1. Were unable to launch the bar exam in the Meazure Learning platform at all.
  2. Have fewer than four successfully submitted written responses (essays and/or the Performance Test). Why this parameter? For statistical reasons, imputation of scores can be applied to applicants with at least four written submissions. Imputation, regression analysis, and pro rata scoring adjustments have been used with the California bar exam in the past—most recently in July 2021.You can learn more about that score imputation here.   [NOTE: I will publish the Cal Bar memo about the July 2021 exam below.]

If you meet criteria 1. or 2. above, you will be affirmatively contacted to schedule your retake exam.

 

If you do not meet these criteria

Because of the evolving nature of what we are learning, the fact that there are a number of accommodated applicants who will continue to test through Saturday, and the need to better understand systemwide versus applicant-specific failures, we will be taking a few more days to finalize any other remediation plans. As mentioned, the State Bar has used psychometric remedies like score imputation, pro rata adjustments, and regression modeling in prior exams. We understand that any delay on our part will be a cause for even more frustration, but we do not want to rush towards a solution that may not in fact work.

Statement re: prohibited dissemination of exam questions

The State Bar is aware that certain individuals are attempting to prevent the administration of a retake of the February 2025 bar exam by posting exam questions online.This conduct is strictly prohibited. The State Bar will engage digital forensic experts to identify individuals who have posted exam content and has already taken steps to preserve postings to support this forensic investigation. Individuals who are found to have engaged in any conduct that violates exam security or compromises exam integrity are subject to strict sanctions, including revocation of a previously granted positive moral character determination or denial of a pending moral character application. In short, individuals who are found to have engaged in this type of prohibited and unethical behavior will find it difficult if not impossible to secure licensure with the State Bar of California.

 

Seeking your input

In the immediate term, those of you who have completed an exam should expect to receive a survey from us. This will not be a typical post-exam survey; instead, the results will be used to inform the remediation discussions we are currently engaged in.

 

Lastly, some of you may notice that we are changing the registration date for the July bar exam. Please don’t be alarmed; we will finalize the application launch date once July exam administration plans are confirmed in the coming weeks.

 

Thank you for your perseverance,

 

Office of Admissions

State Bar of California

 

NOTE:  the memo titled “Scoring Adjustments for Applicants Negatively Affected During the July 2021 California Bar Examination” is published below:

 

SCORING ADJUSTMENTS FOR APPLICANTS NEGATIVELY AFFECTED
DURING THE JULY 2021 CALIFORNIA BAR EXAM
During the July 2021 Bar Exam, applicants nationwide encountered technological issues that
vendor ExamSoft reported were caused by high-memory utilization between ExamMonitor (the
video proctoring arm of the software) and the main software that generates digital images.
After the State Bar of California investigated the scope of impact of these issues on California
examinees, the agency worked with its psychometrician to develop a grading adjustment for
those who were negatively impacted. A negative impact was defined as follows:
• Examinee reported encountering a black or blue screen that required a laptop reboot,
whether the examinee lost time or not.
• Examinee experienced a black or blue screen that required more than a laptop reboot in
order to continue testing. Typically, the applicant was directed by ExamSoft to
redownload the exam question to restart that exam session and continue testing.
• Examinee was not provided access to redownload the exam question and thus was
unable to fully complete that exam session.
State Bar Admissions staff verified each reported incidence through a variety of sources,
including review of proctoring videos, ExamSoft call logs and reports, reports submitted in the
Applicant Portal, and emails received by the State Bar. The State Bar concluded that 2,429
examinees experienced negative impacts. Applicants who reported incidents that were not
substantiated have been informed that they did not receive a grading adjustment.
For applicants who were negatively impacted by these ExamSoft issues during the written
sections of the exam (essay questions and Performance Test), the State Bar applied a pro rata
grading adjustment for each affected question, which utilized data from the unaffected
population of examinees, as well as the affected individual’s scores on questions where there
were no recorded problems. The adjustment consisted of two components:
1. The first component accounted for the relative difficulty of each question. This
component was calculated by first obtaining the average score on each question among
examinees who had no memory utilization issues on any written question and the
overall average of all scores in that group. The difference of the averages on each
question and the overall average was used to represent the relative difficulty of each
question. For example, if the overall average across all questions was 78, and the
average on the first question was 76, that question was considered more difficult than
the average question by 2 points. The 2-point difference was considered
OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS
Scoring Adjustments
Page 2
the “adjustment factor” for that question. Each question was given an “adjustment
factor.”
2. The second component was based on the scores of each individual who experienced an
ExamSoft memory utilization issue. First, an average was calculated for the examinee’s
scores on which no issue was encountered. That average was considered to be the best
estimate of that individual’s ability. For each question on which there was some
technological issue of the type described above, the average score from the unimpacted
sessions was adjusted by the “adjustment factor” to arrive at an “Expected Score.” The
“Expected Score” was then compared to the examinee’s actual score on the question. If
the actual score was less than the “Expected Score,” an adjustment was made, and the
final score on the question was the “Expected Score.” If the actual score was greater
than the “Expected Score,” the score was not changed.
For examinees negatively impacted during any session of the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), the
National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) provided an adjusted score for the State Bar’s use
that also uses the pro rata method. Similar to the adjustment method for the written section, if
the adjusted score calculated by the NCBE was lower than the original MBE score, then no
adjustment was made.

For statistical reasons, the pro rata grading adjustment could not be applied to applicants who
either experienced more than three negatively impacted written sessions, or more than two
negatively impacted MBE sessions. For the very small number of applicants who met this
criteria (less than 2 percent of those who were negatively impacted), the State Bar employed
a regression model that takes into consideration MBE scores to adjust the written session, or
for those missing three or four MBE sessions, considers their written essay scores in adjusting
the MBE score.
Examinees who experienced these technological issues and were unsuccessful on the exam will
have the option to request that their July 2021 bar exam fees be applied as a credit to take the
February 2022 or July 2022 California bar exam. Applicants who do not plan to sit for those
exams will be able to request a full refund of their fees. Applicants will receive instructions with
their results letter on how to take advantage of these options