UPDATE re: July Bar Exam, including March 27 registration update
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) |
| 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) |
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 |
Pasadena Convention Center 300 E Green Street Pasadena, CA 91101 Hotel Fera Anaheim, Orange |
| San Francisco | Oakland Convention Center 550 10th Street Oakland, CA 94607 |
Oakland Convention Center 550 10th Street Oakland, CA 94607 Golden Gate University |
| 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 |
Pasadena Convention Center 300 E Green Street Pasadena, CA 91101 Hotel Fera Anaheim, Orange |
| San Francisco | Oakland Convention Center 550 10th Street Oakland, CA 94607 |
Oakland Convention Center 550 10th Street Oakland, CA 94607 Golden Gate University |
| 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
- Scope of the California Bar Examination (format and covered topics)
- Past Exam Questions and Answers
- California Bar Exam Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) Exam Student Guide
- Exam Content Instructions by Questions Type
- Information about Exam Grading and Score Scaling
Related links
