BAR EXAM FUTURE
Lessons Learned, Forward-Focused
December 18, 2025 Notice: This minisite will no longer be updated and will soon be archived, but it will remain available for reference. It was created in response to the technical and other issues experienced by February 2025 Bar Exam applicants. Moving forward, the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) and the Board of Trustees are working to develop recommendations for the Supreme Court on the future direction for the California Bar Exam. Any recommendations made by the CBE and the Board require Court approval. While the archived minisite will still be available via the search function on the State Bar website, future updates will be posted on the Admissions page in 2026.
Administering an accessible, affordable, and fair bar exam is a key component of the State Bar of California’s mission—to protect the public, advance the ethical and competent practice of law, and support efforts to increase access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.
The State Bar is committed to the following goals:
- Administering a bar exam that accurately assesses competence to practice law in California.
- Working diligently to ensure a smoother and more reliable experience for the July 2025 exam.
- Charting a responsible path forward that considers robust and reliable remote testing and test center-based exam administration with a new California Bar Exam.
For the February 2025 exam, we fell short, and the State Bar apologizes for the difficulties many of our applicants experienced. We also recognize the need to provide clearer information not only to applicants but to all our stakeholders, including the California Supreme Court, licensees, law school deans, faculty, students, and the Legislature, among others.
We will update this site with the latest information and developments as we move forward.
LESSONS LEARNED
For the February 2025 bar exam, we fell short of our commitment, and lessons have been learned. Read more about how the State Bar is supporting applicants and developing appropriate and fair solutions for February test takers.
FORWARD-FOCUSED
Beyond ensuring a smooth and reliable experience for the in-person July 2025 bar exam, we remain focused on our longer-term vision for a fair, accessible, and affordable exam administered with the remote and test-center options that applicants overwhelmingly support.
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