The Committee of Bar Examiners reduced the passing score from 1440 points to 1390 points. Even with this lowering of a passing score, the California Bar Exam remains an incredibly difficult test. For example, in February 2021, only approximately 37% of all test-takers passed the California Bar Exam.
For California ABA-accredited law schools, the pass rate for first time test-takers was 81%, up 5 percentage points from 2023. The State Bar of California reported today that 53.8 percent of applicants passed the July 2024 General Bar Examination (GBX).
All applicants for admission to practice law in California must receive a passing score on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination and pass the California Bar Examination.
Yes, the California bar exam is widely considered to be the most difficult of all state bar exams in the US. The California bar exam has a pass rate of 34%.
California has a notoriously hard bar exam, with only 45% of first-time takers passing the Feb 2024 bar exam, and 24% of repeat takers passing the July 2023 exam. However, there are other states with lower pass rates in July 2023, including Maine, Wyoming, and Maryland. Now let's dive into the data.
California Bar Examination Please note that the State Bar does not offer reciprocity or accept bar exam scores from another jurisdiction.
Is The California Bar Exam Hard? Yes, the California bar exam is widely considered to be the most difficult of all state bar exams in the US. The California bar exam has a pass rate of 34%.
The next California bar exam is scheduled for February 25–26, 2025. The bar exam application is now available in the Applicant Portal. The State Bar will administer this exam remotely and in person. Applicants will be asked to select their preferred method for taking this exam, between remote and in person.
California Bar Examination All other attorney applicants must take the general bar exam. Please note that the State Bar does not offer reciprocity or accept bar exam scores from another jurisdiction.