Update re: in-person v. online Bar Exam testing
Hello everyone!
An update about in-person v. online Bar Exam testing for the February 2022 Cal Bar Exam. Perhaps not a given that we will return to in-person testing for February 2022?
The Cal Bar announced yesterday that the October 2021 Baby Bar Exam will be an online exam. No explicit announcement about the Cal Bar format for February 2022. Based on the timing of this announcement for the Baby Bar (i.e., July 1, or a week after the Baby Bar was held), it’s safe to assume that we should know more information about the February 2022 Cal Bar Exam format on Monday, August 2, if not before.
More info about the October 2021 Baby Bar exam format here:
http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Examinations/First-Year-Law-Students-Examination/October-2021-First-Year-Exam
Date: October 26, 2021
Applicants must log into the exam between the time the password is released at 7:40 a.m. and the latest start time of 8:00 a.m. for the first exam session to verify their identification. In the morning, the exam will be administered in four, one-hour sessions (one hour per essay question). There will be a 25-minute break between each one-hour question session. Other than scheduled breaks, applicants are not permitted to leave the view of their web camera unless they finish the session early and upload their answers. In the afternoon, multiple-choice questions will be split into two 90-minute sessions, each containing 50 questions. There will be a 25-minute break between the sessions. Other than the scheduled break, applicants are not permitted to leave the view of their web camera unless they finish early and upload their answers.
Important deadlines
| July 1 | Exam application open |
| August 2 | Timely filing deadline |
| August 3–31 | $25 late filing fee |
| September 1–15 | $200 late filing fee |
| September 15 | – Final filing/reinstatement deadline – Testing accommodations petition final filing deadline* |
| October 1 | Appeal of Testing Accommodations Petition Decision* |
| October 12 | – Final eligibility deadline – Proof of Law Study (first-time applicants for the exam) |
| October 15 | Emergency Testing Accommodations Petition final filing deadline* |
*Documents must be complete and received in the San Francisco Office of Admissions
Requests to withdraw from the October 2021 First-Year Law Students’ Exam must be received by the State Bar’s Office of Admissions on or before the dates listed below in order to qualify for a refund. See the Withdrawal Refund Policy.
| July 1–September 1 | Withdrawal with 60% refund |
| September 2–15 | Withdrawal with 30% refund |
| September 16–October 12 | Withdrawal with no refund |
| October 12 | Final deadline to withdraw from exam |
| September 28 | – First date admit tickets available – ExamSoft mock exams open |
| October 15 | Deadline to complete two mandatory mock exams |
| October 19 | Exam files open for download |
| October 25 | Deadline to download exam files |
| October 27 12:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) | Laptop upload date |
| October 28 12:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) | Testing accommodation upload date |
Fees
All applicants must pay the required fees:
| First-Year Law Students’ Exam | $624 |
| Laptop computer fees | $153 |
| Late Laptop Computer Fee $15* | $15 |
*Request received subsequent to filing application
The transfer of fees from one exam to another is prohibited.
Refunds requested due to hospitalization, death, or call to active duty will be considered in accordance with the Committee of Bar Examiners’ refund policy. The refund form and copies of the policy are available on the State Bar website. Withdrawal requests can be submitted by logging into the Applicant Portal.
Address change
Applicants who change their address after filing the application can make updates by logging into the Applicant Portal to update their profile. If admittance tickets are lost, a duplicate can be requested by contacting the Office of Admissions. Deadline to change address: September 15.
Release of results
Results from the October 2021 First-Year Law Students’ Exam are scheduled to be released electronically through the Applicant Portal to applicants on December 10.
