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BarEssays.com has spent years and countless hours constructing our database of California Bar Exam essays . You will have access to thousands of authentic essays that have been graded by the California Bar Examiners.

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With each premium subscription to BarEssays.com, you gain access to hundreds of Professional Bar Grader Model Answers and Professional Bar Grader Reviews of selected essays in the BarEssays.com database, written by official former graders of the California Bar Exam.

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With each premium subscription to BarEssays.com, you receive a complete set of California Bar Exam Short Review Outlines, Checklists, and Essay Attack Templates.

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A Database of Over Three Thousand Authentic Graded California Bar Exam Essays

BarEssays.com is a unique and invaluable study tool for the essay portion of the California Bar Exam. We are, by far, the most comprehensive service that provides REAL examples of REAL essays and performance exams by REAL students that were actually taken during the California Bar Exam and graded by the California Bar Examiners. Since launching in 2007, thousands have successfully used the BarEssays.com essay database to prepare for the essay portion of the California Bar Exam, with several entire law schools, review courses, and tutors providing access to all of their students.

• Jan 22, 2023

Passing the Essay Portion of the California Bar Exam: Insider Tips and Strategies

Understand the format of the exam: The essay portion of the California bar exam consists of five essay questions that are based on the subjects tested on the exam. These questions are designed to test your ability to analyze legal issues, apply the law to given facts, and communicate your analysis effectively .

Study the relevant law : The essay portion of the California bar exam is based on the law that is tested on the exam. Therefore, it is essential that you have a thorough understanding of the relevant law before you take the exam. Unfortunately, memorization alone will not suffice in passing the essay portion of the California bar exam. It's important that you understand how the rule applies. This includes studying past essay exams to see how a certain legal rule was used with a unique set of facts. You have to understand how one legal rule can be used in multiple ways.

Practice writing essays: One of the best ways to prepare for the essay portion of the California bar exam is to practice writing essays. This will help you develop your writing skills and become more comfortable with the format of the exam. You can find sample essay questions and model answers on the California State Bar website. Pro tip: there is a 99% chance that PR is going to be tested so it's wise to study and take a look at most, if not all, past PR exams that were administered. Scoring high enough on PR will offset other lower scoring essays.

Use IRAC/CREAC method: IRAC is an acronym for Issue, Rule, Analysis, and Conclusion. CREAC is an acronym for Conclusion, Rule, Explanation, Application, Conclusion. Using this method can help you organize your thoughts and present a clear and logical analysis of the legal issues in the essay question.

Time management: The essay portion of the California bar exam is timed, so it is essential that you manage your time effectively. Make sure to read through all of the essay questions before you begin writing, and plan out how much time you will spend on each portion of the essay. We recommend not spending more than one allotted hour per essay subject. You should have a pre-planned approach for each essay. Here is what you should be thinking about: how much time do I spend outlining? How much time should I spend writing? How many times should I read the fact pattern? The more practice essay exams you do, the better prepared you will be on exam day!

Proofreading : Always proofreading your essay before submitting, it could be a game changer in terms of points. Make sure to take the time to proofread your essays and correct any errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling (if you have the time)!

Get feedback : If possible, have a mentor, attorney, professor or someone who has taken the bar exam before to review your essays. Getting feedback on your writing can help you improve your skills and identify areas where you need to focus your study efforts.

These tips should help you to prepare effectively for the essay portion of the California bar exam. Remember to study the relevant law, practice writing essays, use the IRAC/CREAC method, manage your time well, proofread your work and get feedback from an expert.

Understanding the Internal Scoring System: A breakdown of how essays are graded on the California Bar Exam:

See below for a guide to the components and percentage weight assigned for each component on the California Bar Exam. You will be graded on the following components: Organization/format; issue spotting; rule statements; analysis; and conclusion.

Analysis: 40%

Issue Spotting: 25%

Rule Statements: 20%

Organization/format: 10%

Conclusion: 5%

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February 2024 California Bar Exam Essay Predictions

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Conquering the California Bar Exam: A 3-Month Study Plan for Success

California Essay Frequency Analysis

Subject Frequency Chart (out of 45 exams)

Rule Frequency (556 rules analyzed)

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The following is an extensive walk-through of how I tackled the July 2021 California bar exam (while holding down a demanding, full-time job). As always, what worked for me, may not work for you. There are many ways to achieve success on the bar exam. Your mileage may vary. 

TLDR (because your time is immensely precious now); I was stringent with my time, kept up with my schedule, optimized for success by cutting A LOT of corners, and used Barbri , Baressays.com , Adaptibar , Smart Bar Prep , Cal Bar Bible (for essay predictions), Critical Pass , The Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast , Bar MD (for the PT), and this super cheap and easy book of rule statements .  You can find my frequently tested topics map here .

Before we dive into this, I wanted to start with a quick pep talk. You’re likely reading this post because you’ve already made the decision to study for the California bar exam while working full-time. I know that decision wasn’t made lightly. I was there only a few months ago. I know you wouldn’t be making this decision if you didn’t need to. So, unlike the many other blogs out there (and people in your life), I’m not here to scare you off or talk you out of it. Quite the contrary – let me be the first (and maybe only) person to say, you’ve got this. 

As nice as it is to feel so accomplished, this was not the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. The bar exam is not impossible and it’s not that bad . I recognize this conclusion might piss a few people off (especially those folks that are so enamored with tradition and the sanctity of their precious institutions). I recognize that this conclusion is a consequence of my privilege . But I also recognize that boasting about the impossibility of the bar exam is, in its own way, part of a rite of passage in this field. Unfortunately though, many rites of passage are just methods of gatekeeping in disguise. And because 80% of the bar exam is about mastering the mental game, toxic boasting and over exaggerations about an exam that isn’t worth the anxiety and anguish it causes, can paralyze prospective examinees. Hence, I refuse to indulge in it. 

The California Bar Exam is not that bad.

Now, this isn’t to say that studying for the bar while working full time will be a walk in the park. This will be a challenging and exhausting two months. It will require sheer diligence, persistence, discipline, ruthless optimization, and a little bit of luck. But importantly, it’s all doable. You’ll need to remind yourself of that throughout your studies. 

On that note, I’ll leave you with one more reminder: this exam is not worth your health, your sanity, or your life. Unfortunately, suicide among bar examinees is disturbingly common. I remember seeing some dark tweets among #lawtwitter peers as the exam date neared. A ridiculous, archaic, bullshit, privilege contest (that the President of the NCBE has yet to partake in herself – fun fact), is not worth your life . Failing is not the end of the world. I promise. 

Now, let’s get into it. 

My Situation 

I took and passed the July 2021 bar exam. When I graduated from law school, I was already well into my full-time career at Google. I was not in a position to take two months off to study. Originally, I had planned to take the February 2022 exam, giving myself more time to study. That’s the plan I had communicated to my family and peers. But, in a rather impulsive twist, just weeks before we’re supposed to start studying for the July exam, and against the advice of my law school, I decided to throw caution to the wind and see what happens.

Looking back, it was the best decision I made for myself at that moment. There is no way I would have found the time to study for the exam in February, especially this far along in my career. 

Note: because of the pandemic, I had to take the bar exam virtually at home. Hence, my study tips and schedule are built with those logistics in mind. 

Pre-Study Prep

There are few things I did to prepare myself for what I knew was about to be an exhausting two-month sprint. 

First, I looked for bar blogs written by anyone else that attempted to study / work full-time. I came up empty. Rather, I only found posts and Reddit threads that discussed what a terrible idea it was to work full time and how impossible the California bar exam is (now you see why I included a pep talk in this post). The only blog post that actually helped (and brought me some comfort) was this one written by my law school advisor from back when he took the exam. Though it’s a bit dated (and I even disagree with a few points now having taken the exam), it’s still a great read with many excellent tips for optimization. 

Next, I closed down all of my socials except for Twitter. Some recommend that you go completely dark while studying. That would not have worked for me. Twitter is an important social outlet for me. It’s also how I keep up with my field. I knew that I would have a lot of extra anxiety from closing my Twitter account for two months, so I chose to continue using it, just less. I muted all of my Twitter and Messenger notifications so I could never be interrupted. I also muted any and all words that had to do with the bar exam. I didn’t care about nor did I want to see how other people were studying (because I know I’m the type who would be tempted to constantly change my study habits just to match). I also didn’t want to read or indulge in the exhaustion olympics. Being exhausted and pitiful is easy like / retweet bait (but it can also be overwhelming, toxic, and make you feel like you’re not doing enough when you actually are). Some people take comfort in commiserating. I don’t. Your mileage may vary. 

[Note – Reddit can get pretty toxic around the bar exam too. I completely avoided it] 

I cut every substance out of my life except for caffeine (no excuses, no cheat days). You need every brain cell in order to memorize an extensive (and unreasonable) amount of information. And you have no time for hangovers.

Letting People In | Shutting People Out 

The last thing I did (besides gathering supplements – discussed later) was selectively tell the folks who needed to know that I was doing this. I was on the fence about telling my manager and team as I did not want them to withhold projects or “go easy on me” as a result. Of course, the entire point of putting myself through this experience was to preserve my career growth. I ultimately decided to let my teammates know, simply because I knew at some point in those two months, my work product would suffer. I owed my team that advanced notice. I even met a few colleagues that went through the same experience. Those colleagues gave me phenomenal advice and support throughout, and words cannot adequately describe how grateful I am for them.

Outside of Google, I chose to tell very few people (including my own family). For starters, I have an unhealthy relationship with failure and the last thing I wanted to do was have to tell everyone that I failed the exam (especially after everyone warned me about trying to study / work full-time). With that, I nominated (or volun-told) my husband (obviously), and my law school advisor (who I’ve trusted for years now with navigating tricky decisions like this one), to be my emotional support squad. I would not let anyone else into this plan until a week or two before the exam date. 

In many ways, I felt liberated by keeping this to myself. I was kept out of the misery-swirl growing among my peers, I never had to talk about studying for the bar during the brief moments of social interaction I allowed myself, and for the most part, my summer was super quiet. Not to mention, the two people I went to when I was at my emotional wit’s end were the two people that knew me best (and therefore always knew what to say). And because they weren’t also trying to study for the bar, they were emotionally available (most of the time) for my bullshit and they weren’t implicitly trying to one-up me with their own study habits. I owe both of them an immense amount of gratitude. 

At the same time, I’m not sure I can fully recommend shutting people out while you’re going through this process. While I did have a small support squad, there were days that got incredibly dark and lonely where I would have benefited from the emotional support of my peers (who were also going through it). I think the worst part was my friends “reminding” me how lucky I am that I don’t have to take the exam until February. No hard feelings – they had no idea.

With that, I did start letting a few of my peers in on my plan a week or so before the exam kicked off. I will say, it was nice having a couple people to outline essays with on the weekends, especially since I was already feeling pretty confident by that point. So, imposter syndrome wasn’t much of an issue as it might have been had I started group-study earlier. 

Again, your mileage may vary. 

My Schedule 

Setting a schedule and sticking to it was probably the most important aspect of my study plan. I knew I was at a disadvantage since I didn’t have the majority of my work-week to study. I knew that most of my peers were studying for roughly 8-10 hours every day. I believe that’s the schedule Barbri recommends (with a few breaks built-in throughout). So, I had to reconfigure my Barbri schedule to work for me. You’ll likely need to do the same – no big deal. Here’s what I did: 

[Reminder: What worked for me may not quite work for you. Adjust accordingly]

First, I actually started my studying a week late (so I disadvantaged myself even more…). I had family in town for graduation and projects to close-out at work, so I missed the first week of Barbri. Looking back on it, I would have skipped that first week anyway. The first Barbri week is just incredibly lengthy lecture videos that serve as intros to each of the subjects you’re already going to cover in-depth. Then there’s a few lectures on how the exam works. Save yourself the time – you can find all of that information online or in your prep materials. The course doesn’t start to get substantive until week 2. 

From then on, my schedule was the following (explanation after): 

June: Monday-Friday

7am: wake-up, read critical pass flash-cards (30 minutes), start work

12-1pm: lunch + select one of the following: Barbri MBE practice set, lecture video, critical pass

5-6pm: hard stop on work, walk the dog / quick work-out / dinner 

7pm-11pm: Barbri scheduled activities for the day (as many as I could complete in 4 hours) 

Saturday-Sunday

7am-8am: wake-up, take the dog to the park and read critical pass flash-cards

8am-11pm: catch up on Barbri schedule from the past week

July: Monday-Friday

7am: wake-up, 20 Adaptibar questions, start work

12-1pm: lunch + Adaptibar practice set, or 1 set of flash-cards (rules), or 1 practice essay

5pm-6pm: hard stop on work, walk the dog while listening to Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast, dinner

7pm-11pm: practice essays, Adaptibar sets / lecture videos, memorize flash-cards 

7am-8am: wake-up, take the dog to the park and memorize rules flash-cards

8am-11pm: flash-cards, practice essays, Adaptibar lectures and practice sets

Week Before the Bar Exam [same schedule, no changes] 

Weekend Before the Bar Exam: Same schedule – practice essays + learn how the PT works (I know – stay with me) 

Day Before the Bar Exam : took the day off from work, kicked husband and dog out of town,  went hiking, made two days worth of pb&j sandwiches (I recommend really easy / plain / solid foods that aren’t going to disrupt your system), read over my rules flash-cards and did 10 Adaptibar questions before bed. 

Day(s) of Exam: Warm up with 10 Adaptibar Q’s; eat pb&j sandwiches, watch an Adaptibar lecture before bed. 

Note: I did not take any of the breaks that Barbri built into the schedule (such as for 4th of July). YMMV. 

A Few Notes About My Schedule 

You’ll notice from my schedule that (1) it is particularly rigorous and (2) I only built in 4 hours of study time per day during the week. Looking back, though I had a lot of anxiety over not studying as long as my peers during the week, I found that 4 hours was plenty, especially since I was studying roughly 16 hours/day on the weekends (and I didn’t take any days off). In fact, I may have actually overstudied for the exam as I was trying to compensate for lost time. 

With that, I still had days where I didn’t study the full four hours because I was too burnt out from the workday. I had days where I woke up later or went to bed earlier than planned. I had days where it felt like I had forgotten everything or I was missing every single MBE question. All of that is completely okay. I remind you that this exam is not worth your health or sanity. Barbri’s schedule is also quite intense exactly for this reason (i.e. my guess is that they build in some extra padding knowing that we’ll have “off” days). 

All of this is to say, don’t beat yourself up if you need to take a few rest days or if you fall off your schedule. Don’t go back, just keep pushing forward.

You’ll notice that I also quit Barbri entirely in July. I completed about 50% of the Barbri schedule. Looking back, I would have completed even less of it. I actually found Barbri to be a mostly unhelpful time-sink. (More about this in the study aid section). By July, I was ready to just start memorizing rule statements and drilling MBE questions. So, I switched entirely to Adaptibar, BarEssays.com / Barbri Essays, Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast, Smart Bar Prep (flashcards), and the flashcards I had made for myself. 

Lastly, you’ll notice that I didn’t practice a single PT until the weekend before the exam. That might sound absurd, but practically, the PT is worth a lot less points than the essays and MBEs, and it’s honestly the easiest portion of the exam to learn. In my opinion, you can study the entire breadth of the PT (and learn all of the tricks) in a weekend. 

I did have to cut several things out of my schedule in order to make this work. For example, I blocked my work calendar so that I wasn’t attending unnecessary meetings (so I could get more work done during the day). I limited my social interactions. I stayed up on my field but pretty much stopped all the reading I used to do for fun. I had to get comfortable with telling people no. And I wasn’t emotionally available for anyone, including family. You’ll likely have to make some sacrifices as well. It sucks but it’s only two months. And the people that love you will understand.

Optimization 

The most valuable piece of advice I received regarding my bar prep was that I needed to optimize. There’s an important difference between studying for the bar and optimizing for the bar. In other words, work smarter not harder. In California, there are 16 topics you have to learn. Of those 16 topics, estimate about 100 rules per topic, so ~1600+ rules to memorize. That’s simply not going to happen, especially when you’re not in a position to study full time. 

I didn’t figure out that I needed to optimize until July. I spent all of June trying to cram and memorize all the materials that Barbri sent me. Every time I picked up that massive outline book, I would become immediately overwhelmed. By July, when I realized that I hadn’t actually memorized anything yet (and I was quite behind on my Barbri schedule), I threw out the Barbri schedule and focused entirely on memorizing only the highly tested rules for the essays (See Smart Bar Prep). This greatly narrowed the scope of rules I actually needed to memorize. If I had to do it all over again, I would have started the optimization process in June. 

With that, I cut many corners. For starters, I chose a throwaway subject (i.e. a subject I just wasn’t going to learn). That was California Civ Pro. Most of the Federal Civ Pro rules are similar to the Cal Civ Pro highly tested rules (not to mention, Cal Civ Pro doesn’t seem to be a popular essay topic). That’s where the California Bar Exam 2021 Rules Book comes in handy – I memorized only the few Cal Civ Pro rules that were in that book (mostly venue and service of process). I skipped the Barbri lectures entirely for this topic. I did the same for Business Organizations, Wills & Trusts, and California Community Property. 

I also completely stopped reading the Barbri outlines. The Barbri outlines cover every single possible rule that could appear on the bar exam (it’s way too much – and most of the rules are obscure and unlikely to show up on the exam). Again, I switched to memorizing the rule statements in the California Bar Exam 2021 Rules Book (which uses the most heavily tested rule statements). I decided that I would only memorize rule statements for the essay portion. MBE would be covered by repetitive practice with Adaptibar (more on that below). 

I also relied on the predictions from the Cal Bar Bible for the essays (more on this below). This might seem like a risky strategy, but life requires strategic bets. This year, Cal Bar Bible was 4 for 5 on their predictions for the essay topics. As a result, I was super prepared for 4 of the 5 essays (and I just BS’d my way through the 5th). I would do the same thing again – especially since Cal Bar Bible has had a pretty good streak over the past few years. If anything, you should know 5 of the essay topics absolutely cold and the rest you should know enough to fake it until you make it. (For example, memorize the Cal Community Property intro paragraph and you’re 60% of the way there for that essay). 

Ditching Barbri in July was also the smartest thing I did for my bar prep. I knew that my MBE accuracy was pretty solid (according to Adaptibar) so I focused primarily on drilling essays and memorizing that narrow scope of rule statements for July. I mostly rotated between my California Bar Exam Rules 2021 flashcards, Smart Bar Prep flashcards, Baressays.com, and Adaptibar. 

I also listened to myself – which might seem obvious. I knew from law school that outlines wouldn’t work for me. That didn’t change for the bar. So, I used outline substitutes (such as flashcards, podcasts, and lecture videos). I saw others on Twitter writing out the rules on whiteboards and in notebooks. I tried that and it didn’t work for me. But, rewriting all of the rules from the California Bar Exam Rules 2021 book into flashcards did work for me. I saw some folks would record themselves reading their rule statements. That didn’t work for me, but listening to others read rules on podcasts (like the Bar Exam Toolkit Podcast ) did work for me. I’ve always been good at retaining information from listening to lectures, so lecture-based resources were the best for me. 

The most important part of optimization is accepting that you’re not going to be able to learn everything. So, take some bets, cut some corners, learn the most important and most frequently tested rules cold, and you should be okay. Let the massive Barbri manuals go.

Lastly, I found it helpful to try to understand the policy behind each of the rules I was memorizing. Understanding why these rules exist might help you retain the information beyond just rote memorization.

You can find my frequently tested topics map here . 

Study Aids / Supplements

If you’re reading this before you’ve created your own study schedule and supplement plan, then my only reminder is again, your mileage may vary. If you’ve already chosen your supplements and formed your plan, STICK WITH IT. Don’t switch it up just because I went about studying differently. Your plan will likely continue working for you. 

With that, let’s talk about study supplements. 

When I was studying Computer Science in undergrad, I distinctly remember my operating systems class (now that was the hardest exam I’ve ever taken in my life). In operating systems, there’s an important premise, called the context switching theory , that suggests that there’s always a cost to “switching.” The example given was shopping lines at Costco. A shopper could keep switching to the shortest lines to attempt to speed up their check-out time. However, a shopper that keeps their place in line might actually get served quicker than the switcher. This theory is used for optimizing OS algorithms. But you can also apply the theory to optimizing your studies, especially when it comes to choosing supplements [ See also ]. 

In other words, there are thousands of supplements out there to choose from. Your peers are naturally going to choose different ones. Most supplements do and say the same things. Pick the ones that work for you and stick with them. Resist FOMO. Switching to a brand new supplement midway through your studies may cost you more productivity in the long run. 

The following is a list of supplements I used throughout bar prep and my thoughts regarding each. [Note: it genuinely bothers me how expensive bar prep resources are, so I try to highlight the cheaper / most cost-effective resources here]. 

Cal Bar Bible (FREE): This is just a site dedicated to predicting the California Bar Exam essay topics. I did say you needed a little bit of luck! They’ve had a pretty good streak the past few years and for July 2021, they guessed 4 out of 5 essay topics correctly (the wild card being correct). 

• How I Used Cal Bar Bible: I put a lot of stock into the predicted topics and studied those more heavily than the others. 
• What I Would Do Differently: Nothing – 4 out of 5 is pretty good and as I’ve been saying throughout this guide, you have to take strategic bets.
• Most Useful Resources: I only used their predictions. 

Baressays.com (Might be offered by your law school): [Note: this resource was offered to us by SCU Law but it’s also cheap if you need to order it yourself]. Baressays.com is a database collection of bar essays since the 1990’s (?). You can do practice essays and read sample answers ranging in scores from 40’s-65’s. 

• How I Used Baressays.com: I drilled essays (outlining mostly) starting in July. I also  read through the sample answers to feel better about my progress (lol – seriously look at answers that got 50-65…). I would also jump on Zoom with a few friends and outline answers together. I tried to do an essay per day starting in July (and 6 or so over the weekends). 
• What I Would Do Differently: Nothing – I drilled Barbri essays in June and Baressays.com in July when I was looking for something different. That worked for me. 
• Most Useful Resources: The database of essays and answers is extensive and fantastic. 

Barbri ($$$$): I really wish I could get away with not recommending Barbri. Barbri is absurdly expensive, unnecessarily time-consuming, and ridiculously daunting. The only reason I still recommend Barbri is for the state specific resources (because I’m not really sure where else you can get those outside of the commercial bar prep companies). 

• How I used Barbri: As I discussed in the schedule section, I only completed about 50% of the Barbri recommended schedule (and I did not complete the first week of lectures). I watched all of the lecture videos (on 2x speed), and completed most of the MBE practice sets. I actually ended up skipping most of the essay practice during the month of June and then drilled them back-to-back in July. I also spent a bit of time (unsuccessfully) trying to cram those phone-book sized outlines they sent us. I had only 2 of my essays graded.
• What I Would Do Differently: I realized in July that Barbri is built to over-prepare but it is the absolute antithesis of optimization (see section above). Barbri attempts to teach you everything that could possibly be on the bar exam (regardless of whether those topics were even tested within the last decade or so). That’s why the lecture videos are 4-5+ hours and the outlines are mini-casebooks in themselves. Additionally, Barbri writes their own MBE questions and purposefully makes them twice as hard as the actual bar exam MBEs. Knowing what I know now, I probably would have listened to only the California topics and I definitely would not have wasted my weekends reading the massive outlines. 
• Most Useful Resources: I found that the most useful Barbri resources were the MBE questions (because it makes the actual exam questions seem a lot easier), the mini-outlines for all of the bar exam topics + the California specific materials (these are the 1-10 page outlines they give you before you listen to each video), and the practice essays + model answers (including the PT practice exams).  Everything else, in my honest opinion, was overkill and it did more to psyche me out than actually help me prepare.

Adaptibar ($ varies): I LOVE Adaptibar. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that Adaptibar is a must-have (yet reasonably priced) bar study resource. Adaptibar is the only bar supplement that uses real, licensed, MBE questions. It has a bank of over 2k questions and the app uses machine learning to drill your weakest points. Not only that but it also times you per question so that you can get used to answering Q’s within a comfortable target window (usually 45 secs-1 min).  Additionally, the Adaptibar lecture videos are short, easy, and targeted. The lecturer is phenomenal (S/O to Jonathan Grossman – I still mutter “shut up and pick it” to this day). Grossman actually teaches you how to game the MBE and focuses mostly on the highly tested topics. I especially loved the mobile app. 

• How I Used Adaptibar: I used Adaptibar steadily in June but then entirely switched off of Barbri to Adaptibar in July. My goal was to complete all 2000 questions in the question bank. I believe Adaptibar recommends completing 1300 questions at 70% accuracy. I hit 70% accuracy with 1500 questions completed. In July, I used Adaptibar daily (with a goal of completing ~50 questions per day). I also listened to every lecture video (multiple times – they’re great for repetition), and I took all of the practice MBE exams. 
• What I Would Do Differently: Ditch Barbri earlier and prioritize Adaptibar in June. 
• Most Useful: all of it, especially the lecture videos (which you can order a la carte to keep costs down). 

Critical Pass ($$): Critical Pass is an excellent resource if you’re like me and prefer flash-cards over outlines. Critical Pass focuses on the highly tested MBE topics and rule statements. I especially appreciate the reasonable cost. 

• How I Used Critical Pass: I picked a topic to focus on per week and would try to flip through that topic set first thing in the morning and right before bed. I loved picking a set to read through while I was at the park. I never attempted to memorize the decks, but treated them like I would my law school outlines. Repetition was key here. I stopped using Critical Pass in July once I was comfortable with all of the topics. 
• What I Would Do Differently: I would have replaced the Barbri outlines entirely with Critical Pass. It would have been a better use of my time to read through Critical Pass sets instead of trying to cram the massive Barbri outlines every weekend in June. [Note: Critical Pass does not include the California topics, but you can write them in if you want]
• Most Useful: All of it. 

Smart Bar Prep ($ varies): I discovered Smart Bar Prep when I was looking for ways to optimize my studying. This is when I realized that there is only a finite amount of questions that can be tested per topic on the exam, so it doesn’t make sense to try to learn absolutely everything. Smart Bar Prep has a frequently tested topics / rules document that I found particularly useful. Smart Bar Prep also has a flashcard database for all topics (including California). 

• How I Used Smart Bar Prep: I used the frequently tested rules guide to re-configure my entire study plan for July, focusing on memorizing only the frequently tested rules. I used the flashcard database every single day in July (see schedule). Like Adaptibar, Smart Bar Prep adapts so that it repeatedly drills your weakest subjects / rules. 
• What I Would Do Differently: Use Smart Bar Prep resources earlier in June. 
• Most Useful Resources: Smart Bar Prep has a lot of different resources. I only used the frequently tested topics guide and the flashcard database. 

California Bar Exam Rules 2021 ($): The author of this book is the absolute GOAT. This $17 book was a literal god-send when I discovered it in July. I’m mad that I didn’t discover this book earlier in law school. This tiny, $17 book contains short and easy rule statements for every frequently tested essay topic on the California bar exam. I highly recommend this one.

• How I Used California Bar Exam Rules 2021: This became a bar study staple for me in July. I turned every single rule statement into a handwritten flashcard (that was great for memorization). These would then become the flashcards I would attempt to actually memorize for the essays. This is the only word for word memorization I did. The rule statements are short and easy to digest. 
• What I Would Do Differently: Start using this resource in June instead of July. 
• Most Useful: all of it. 

Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast (Free): I absolutely adore the women who created this amazing (AND FREE!!!) bar study resource. The podcast is just episodes of the hosts reading rule statements and running through practice hypos. Short, sweet, portable, and great for repetition. You can find all of the episodes here or on Spotify. HUGE thank you to folks like this. 

• How I Used the Podcast: I would listen to random episodes when I was walking the dog, in the shower, in the car, while I was cooking, before bed, etc. 
• What I Would Do Differently: nothing – I started this podcast mid-June. 
• Most Useful: I really enjoyed the “listen and learn” series but there are other series dedicated to exam strategies, law school, and career advice that you might find useful.

Bar MD (FREE): This is another excellent free resource. I used Bar MD entirely for the PT (I did not use Barbri’s PT lectures). Bar MD succinctly explains (and walks through) how to approach the PT (offline and virtually). 

• How I Used Bar MD: I watched all of the Bar MD lecture videos for the PT the weekend before the bar exam. I followed along with the practice PT’s and explanations. I then read through all of the Barbri PT templates the night before the exam. The templates are less important than the actual strategy (which Bar MD covers at length). 
• What I Would Do Differently: Nothing – studying the PT the weekend before the exam seemed risky but it was the exact amount of time I needed to feel prepared.
• Most Useful: Bar MD has other excellent resources for other topics, but I only used the PT lecture videos.  

Productivity Apps

I used two productivity apps while I was studying: 

• Forest : Every hour of productivity allows you to plant a virtual tree in your virtual forest. The app blocks out all of your notifications (for however long you choose to set your study window) and penalizes you for leaving the app (except for the apps on your allow list) by not allowing you to complete your tree. I was so proud of my cacti-filled deserts… 
• Workmode: This a chrome extension that lets you block websites as long as the extension is toggled on. I would block social media and certain blog sites that would serve as major distractions.  

Bonus, my bar exam study playlist that consists of super repetitive instrumentals. 

Staying Sane

Lastly, you’ll want to have a few non-bar related activities for your own sanity. Here were some of mine: 

• Working out: I used to do boxing / kickboxing and running before law school. I tried to keep this up, if anything for 30 minutes, during bar prep. This worked for June but I was too anxious by July to do anything but study. In July, I relied heavily on walking my dog to get me out of the house (and even then I was listening to bar prep podcasts on my walks). I recommend trying to do something active everyday (even if only for 10 minutes!). I even bought a standing desk which would allow me to stand / pace while listening to lectures. 
• Mindless Cartoons: Between balancing my job and trying to cram useless rules into my head all hours of the day, I needed to unwind with something absolutely mindless. So, for two months I binged nothing but Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, Rick and Morty, China IL, South Park, and Mr. Pickles, all before bed. 
• Leaning on my Support Squad: Lastly, I think I ranted at my advisor every single day about the bar. I didn’t even need a response, I just needed to be miserable for 15 minutes every day. Still, my advisor always responded with a one liner reminding me that I could do it and that the bar exam is indeed not impossible. And that’s exactly what I needed to hear every single time. Find the people that will do the same for you. 

Hopefully this guide was somewhat useful. Best of luck with your studies. Remember, the bar exam isn’t actually all that bad and it’s only two months. Work smarter, not harder, optimize for success, and you’ll be fine. Worst case scenario, you take it again (no big deal). 

You got this! 

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23 thoughts on “ my ultimate bar-prep guide: how i passed the ca bar exam while working full-time ”.

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Hi Jess, thanks so much for this robust guide! Question: are the rule statements in the book California Bar Exam Rules 2021 duplicative of the rule statements in SmartBarPrep? I am looking for a rule statement resource but can’t figure out if these two cover different material or are the if they overlap each other. Why did you use both? Thanks!

Hey! The California Bar Exam rule book covers all of the rules you need for all of the essay topics. I memorized every rule in that book for the essays.

Smart Bar prep has a nice extensive rules flashcard set up that I liked to use when I wanted something different to study (good for MBE too). I didn’t really focus on memorizing those. I really liked that the flashcards drilled your weakest topics.

If you had to only pick one, I’d pick the Cal book. The Smart Bar Prep is just an extra study tool but they both cover the same material (just presented differently — which I liked).

Hi Jess ! I’m preparing for the CA Baby Bar on the 28th of this month and I googled “ca bar exam pass tips” and your blog came up. I’m SO GLAD IT DID ! I’ve been using adaptibar and bar essays. I was also considering doing the barbri prep but based on what you said, I’ll skip it. Thank you so much for you advice and congratulations on passing the bar !

Wow. This has to be some of the worst advice i’ve seen. Lets recap a few of my favorite takeaways: 1)you want some sort of praise for deciding to take the bar exam late (terrible idea) 2) you want some sort of praise for working while studying for the exam (even more terrible of an idea); 3) You go to great lengths to highlight how your financial privilege was key to your success (this is a little odd but glad you could afford all the programs and books); 4) You advocate for not studying the performance test until the week before; 5) You posted your Adaptibar scores as some sort of flex. Thanks for the cringe content but leave the bar exam tips to the professionals.

Hey! Thank you so much for taking the time to read the post. I’m sorry my advice did not resonate with you. It’s honestly not for everyone. I definitely don’t need any praise — passing the exam was enough for me.

Re: financial privilege: you’re correct. I’m incredibly privileged to be able to afford the many supplements that I used to pass the exam. This is why, however, I chose to highlight resources that are cheaper than the overtly expensive ones like Barbri. I hate that aspect of the bar and I even wrote about that in depth here: https://ctrlaltdissent.com/2021/11/14/i-passed-the-california-bar-exam-abolish-it/

It looks like this post didn’t work for you, and that’s completely okay. Best of luck with your future endeavors!

Wow, so first off I’d like to say thank you so much for your article. This is my 4th time taking the CA bar exam during Covid— graduated may 20 with a covid semester. Your breakdown of how you studied is super helpful, especially for repeaters. Yeah, some students have to work and can’t afford bar prep and all that so some people have to really learn a different way. I know several people who studied this way (with some variation) achieving successful results . I appreciate you writing how each mode (ex critical pass) worked for you and how you would do XYZ different. This is how I’ve been studying- ditching Themis and focusing on AdaptiBar and just zoning in more directly towards studying and have found this approach to be so far rewarding and am going to incorporate what you said in your article. Thank you again so much!

Awesome! Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment. Best of luck with the exam this time around and please LMK if there’s anything else I can do to help!

Hey! Your blog is helping me get through bar prep. I’m a second timer. This time I’m working full time so I’ve started the memorization process this month instead of June. But other than that; I’m basically doing what you did in terms of the hours put in. Can’t afford adaptibar unfortunately. But I have gone on Reddit (ugh) and everyone has basically called me a shit head for looking into the calbar predictions although I think it’s a calculated risk and I do plan on having a general knowledge of everything. Two years later: do you still feel the same about calbar predictions and their accuracy? Or do you think I should chuck it? Thanks!

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I appreciate your post, I really do. I needed to read someone who actually works full time could pass the exam, what I see in social media are only children that study 8 hours a day, everyday. That’s not an option for some of us.

I’ll be taking the exam next July, so I have time, but definitely your advices are appreciated.

Thank you again,

Hey Cristain, i would be taking the GA Bar exam next July as well and wanted to know if it was CA or a different state bar exam you would be taking ?

Highly motivational for me. Thanks a ton Jess for writing in detail. I am working full time and managing family, it is tough but not impossible I believe. This is my first day to plan and start up again to prepare for CA bar, entered close-by Library, opened the Laptop and search “how to prepare CA bar exam” & saw your blog, fantastic. Thanks again.

Wonderful guide. Amazed you were able to be so efficient with your schedule and pass the bar while working full time. However, I didn’t see any time allocated for those Costco trips!

I took the bar 3x, and I completely agree with your guidance. By the third try, I studied far less, but my sole focus was half a day of practice essays, half a day of practice mbes. I stopped watching lectures or doing any readings. Best decision ever.

I’m glad you found baressays.com and adaptibar to be useful. It sounds like, just like me, you learn the best by doing, so those two study tools were highly effective. Not only that, but they’re a small fraction of the price of the traditional bar prep tools.

Thanks for writing this all out. I can tell you’re someone who likes to give back by sharing your knowledge. I admire that a lot.

I love your post, as it gives insight how you did what you needed to do to pass. Congratulations. However, I caution everyone from using the rule book you used as it is filled with errors on the substantive law and may cause folks to get their MBE questions wrong if they rely on it too much. It is however a great list and f commonly used rules. But they beed ti be crossed checked with other sources. On Fundamental level I wouldn’t give that author a dime as he Edmond pled guilty to federal fraud crimes against the US Navy. He is currently awaiting sentencing. He will never become an attorney. Please use caution. Other list of riles can be obtained from blacks law dictionary or any study source which will likely be more accurate. Your article is fantastic and I am so happy for you passing the bar while working full-time!

Wow, I am taking the bar in July and knee deep in Barbri overload. I am so glad I stumbled on this and it reinforced my feeling that Barbri and adaptibar alone isn’t going to get me there. I have been searching for easy rule statements and outlines and I bought the book and smart bar prep and I feel a bit better about everything now- TY!

This entire post was so helpful, Jess! Thank you so much for taking the time to write it! I am currently preparing for the Cal Bar and have incorporated some of your insights in my study routine. With that being said, I was wondering, did you write out complete essays or primarily focus on outlining? If you primarily outlined, did you switch to writing complete essays towards the last week of bar prep? I keep hearing different approaches to studying for essays and would love to hear your input!

Hey Jess, Congratulations on Passing the CA Bar Exam! I know how hard you worked, Well done. Thank you so much for this blog post. It has really motivated me and given me the courage and zeal to take the bar exams one last time. It helped me approach taking the bar exam differently this time around, considering this would be my fourth time taking the GA Bar exam. I was looking for other ways to help me prepare because i was so tired of writing the same exam every year. It can be extremely frustrating but i refuse to give up and i want to write the GA Bar Exams one last time. I plan on taking the GA Bar exam in July Next year, hopefully i would be fully prepared. Is it possible to get some of the materials/personal outlines (apart from the critical pass) you used and prepared mostly for the MBE questions since the essay would be different because of the different rules In CA and GA. I also wanted to know if you knew anyone who took the GA Bar Exams that i could contact and get some of their essay materials they used to pass (apart from the ones mentioned above). Thanks in advance and i wish you all the best.

A bit late, but thanks for your blog. I found your suggestions helpful for an attorney with an existing (and busy) solo practice.

Thank you for your blog post. I graduated law school in 2018, took the bar 3 times, didn’t pass, and I’m attempting to take it again this February. Your tips are very helpful (coming from someone who’s gone through studying a few times). This time I’m fortunate to be able to afford a tutor, while I work part time until the test in Feb. I personally never felt like the commercial bar courses were helpful, besides the structured schedule, they weren’t tailored to my style of studying. Hope you’re doing great!

Great post – thank you. It looks like CA bar bible is charging $25 in order to see essay topic predictions for the Feb 2023 exam. You noted the predictions were free when you were preparing. Am I missing something, or did they simply change their model and are now charging for the predictions?

This blog is super helpful. Are you still working at Google? Did you apply for a JD position? What role do you work in right now? Looking forward to hear.

Thank you for this particular post. As you said, there was no content available to show me that it is possible to be successful, the first time, without taking any time off of work. Like you, I told no one about my endeavors to sit for the February 2024 exam, rather I publicly committed myself to the July exam. I had my doubts, but I’m here to report that I passed my first time without taking any time off of work. 

I’m not sure I would have thought to go into the exam this way, but your post made that possible for me to believe that it could be possible and to try it out. 

It worked. I passed. My first time.

Thank you again for pioneering a full-time work/study approach.

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California Bar Exam and MPRE: 1. Subjects Tested on the Exam

• 1. Subjects Tested on the Exam
• 2. The Essay Component
• 3. The Performance Tests
• 4. The Multistate Bar Exam
• 5. Bar Exam Fees

About the MPRE

• Planning During Law School & Checklist
• 1. Commercial Bar Review Courses
• 2. Free Online Study Aids
• 3. Bar Review Books

Guide Outline

Introduction

About the Bar Exam

Subjects Tested on the Exam

The Essay Component

The Performance Tests

The Multistate Bar Exam

Bar Exam Fees

Planning During Law School

Second and Third Years

Studying for the Bar

Commercial Bar Review Courses

Free Online Study Aids

Bar Review Books

Helpful Information

• The State Bar of California [URL] Provides information regarding the California Bar Examination, including a summary of the requirements for admission to practice law in California, information about how to register to take the bar exam, links to forms, and other important details.
• MBE Information Provides a description of the Multistate Bar Examination, or the multiple-choice portion of the bar exam. Outlines subjects covered, provides sample questions, and guidelines for taking the exam.
• MPRE Information Provides a description of the MPRE, including an outline of the subject matter covered, sample questions, and guidelines for taking the exam.

Subjects Covered on the California Bar Exam

The CA Bar Exam may ask essay questions involving issues from all of the subjects below. You can find additional information about the scope of coverage of these subjects on the California Bar Exam webpage .

Courses offered at the law school that cover the above topics include:

• << Previous: About the Bar Exam
• Next: 2. The Essay Component >>
• Last Updated: Oct 2, 2023 10:14 AM
• URL: https://libguides.law.ucla.edu/calbarexam

© The Regents of the University of California. UCLA School of Law. All Rights Reserved.

California Bar Exam details

A typical california bar exam is a 2-day exam.

California Bar Exam information is subject to change without notice. Please verify with The State Bar of California Office of Admissions .

Please also reference the  NCBE Covid-19 updates page  for NCBE updates and individual jurisdiction announcements.

Bar exam details

• Three 60-minute essay questions (in the AM)
• Two 60-minute essay questions (in the PM)
• One 90-minute Performance Test (in the PM)
• Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), a 200-question, multiple-choice exam (100 questions in the AM, 100 questions in the PM)

Subjects tested

• Constitutional Law
• Contracts/Sales
• Criminal Law/Procedure
• Federal Civil Procedure
• Real Property

California Essay Subjects

• Business Associations (Agency and Partnership; Corporations; and Limited Liability Companies)
• CA Civil Procedure
• CA Community Property
• CA Evidence
• CA Professional Responsibility
• CA Wills and Succession
• Plus all MBE subjects

California Performance Test

• “Closed universe” practical questions using instructions, factual data, cases, statutes and other reference material supplied by examiners.
• A scaled score of 86 on the MPRE is required for admission.

Click here to learn more about the MPRE .

The MBE score is 50% of the total score, while the written portion accounts for the other 50%.

A passing score of 1,390 or greater on a 2,000 point scale is required based on the combined scores of the California Performance Test, the essay questions, and the MBE.

Reciprocity

Acceptance of mbe score.

California does not accept an MBE score from an exam taken in another jurisdiction.

Admission on Motion

California does not provide for admission on motion. Examination is required of all applicants. Attorneys who have been licensed in another jurisdiction for four years may be eligible to sit for the attorney exam (written exam only).

Foreign law graduates and lawyers

If you are a foreign law graduate or lawyer, you may already be eligible to sit for a U.S. state bar exam with your current credentials.

California operates a relatively open policy in permitting foreign law graduates or lawyers to sit the bar examination, and does not impose restrictions to admission on grounds of nationality or residence.

Learn more about U.S. bar exam eligibility and requirements for foreign law graduates, lawyers, and U.S. LL.M. students.

BARBRI Bar Exam Digest

We compile all of the information that you need to know about the dates, format, subjects tested, deadlines, fees and more - for each U.S. state - in the free BARBRI Bar Exam Digest.

Download the Digest ›

Find the BARBRI bar prep course that’s built for you

Traditional bar review.

Full-time course | 8-10 week

Candidates with a J.D. from a U.S. law school looking for the quickest, most efficient & effective course to pass any U.S. state bar exam

Extended Bar Prep

Part-time  c ourse | 6- or 10-month  

Best for candidates without a J.D. from a U.S. law school looking for the most comprehensive bar prep or students who want more study time & flexibility

California Bar Exam Information

• Alabama Bar Review
• Alaska Bar Review
• Arizona Bar Review
• Arkansas Bar Review
• California Bar Review
• Colorado Bar Review
• Connecticut Bar Review
• District of Columbia Bar Review
• Florida Bar Review
• Georgia Bar Review
• Hawaii Bar Review
• Idaho Bar Review
• Illinois Bar Review
• Indiana Bar Review
• Iowa Bar Review
• Kansas Bar Review
• Kentucky Bar Review
• Louisiana Bar Review
• Maine Bar Review
• Maryland Bar Review
• Massachusetts Bar Review
• Michigan Bar Review
• Minnesota Bar Review
• Mississippi Bar Review
• Missouri Bar Review
• Montana Bar Review
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• Nevada Bar Review
• New Hampshire Bar Review
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• Guam Bar Review
• Northern Mariana Islands Bar Review
• Palau Bar Review
• US Virgin Islands Bar Review

Get Detailed Information About The California Bar Exam Including Schedules, Grading, Reciprocity, Fees, Common Questions & More.

California Bar Exam Essay Questions

The CA Essay portion of the exam consists of five essay questions. This part is designed to measure an applicant's ability to analyze legal issues arising from fact situations.

Answers are expected to demonstrate the applicant's ability to analyze the facts of the question, to tell the difference between material facts and immaterial facts, and to discern the points of law and fact upon which the question turns. The answer must show knowledge and understanding of the pertinent principles and theories of law, their qualifications and limitations, and their relationships to each other.

The answer should evidence the applicant's ability to apply the law to the given facts and to reason in a logical, lawyer-like manner from the premises adopted to a sound conclusion.

An applicant should not merely show that they remember the legal principles, but should demonstrate their proficiency in using and applying them.

California Performance Test

California does not use the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), but rather drafts its own 90-minute performance test section.

California's performance test question is designed to test an applicant's ability to understand and apply a select number of legal authorities in the context of a factual problem.

The question consists of a file and library with instructions advising the applicant what tasks should be performed.

In addition to measuring an applicant's ability to analyze legal issues, the performance test question requires applicants to:

• Sift through detailed factual material and separate relevant from irrelevant facts, assess the consistency and reliability of facts, and determine the need for and source of additional facts;
• Analyze the legal rules and principles applicable to a problem and formulate legal theories from facts that may be only partly known and are being developed;
• Recognize and resolve ethical issues arising in practical situations;
• Apply problem-solving skills to diagnose a problem, generate alternative solutions, and develop a plan of action;
• Communicate effectively, whether advocating, advising a client, eliciting information, or effectuating a legal transaction.

The performance test answer is graded on the applicant's responsiveness to instructions and on the content, thoroughness, organization and persuasiveness of written tasks.

Multistate Bar Exam (MBE)

The MBE, which is administered on Wednesday, is developed and graded by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE).

This portion of the examination is an objective 6-hour examination containing 200 multiple-choice questions, which is divided into two 3-hour sessions during which 100 questions are administered.

The MBE tests 7 subjects: civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law & procedure, evidence, real property, and torts.

See our MBE Prep Course and our MBE Practice Questions for addtional MBE resources (included in all of our comprehensive bar exam review courses ).

2023 Filing Deadlines & Fees

When is the california bar exam in 2023 & 2024.

Feb 21-22, 2023

Timely Filing: Nov 1, 2022

Final Filing: Jan 2, 2023

Jul 25-26, 2023

Timely Filing: Apr 3, 2023

Final Filing: May 15, 2023

Feb 27-28, 2024

Timely Filing: TBD

Final Filing: TBD

Jul 30-31, 2024

How Much Does the California Bar Exam Cost?

What is the california bar exam schedule like.

The California bar exam is a two-day exam administered twice a year, with the MBE given on the last Tuesday/Wednesday of February and July.

What Subjects Are Tested On The California Bar Exam?

Mbe subjects.

• Civil procedure
• Constitutional law
• Criminal law & procedure
• Real property

Essay Subjects

• Business associations
• Community property
• Professional responsibility (California and ABA)

CA Bar Exam Grading & Scoring Process

A minimum scaled score of 1390 out of 2000 is required to pass.

• Written: 50%

Required MPRE Score: 86

Results for the February exam are released in May.

Results for the July exam are released in November.

How many times can you take the California Bar Exam?

There is no limit to the number of times you can take the California bar exam other than the fact that there are only two administrations per year, one in February and one in July.

Test takers may take the California bar exam as many times as they choose.

California Bar Exam Reciprocity

If you took the bar exam in another state, there are only a few ways to practice in California without taking its bar exam.

MBE Transfer

California does not accept MBE scores from a bar exam taken in another jurisdiction.

Admission on Motion

California does not allow for admission on motion, which means every attorney wishing to enter the bar must pass some type of examination, either the state bar, or, for practicing attorneys, the "Attorney's Examination."

The "Attorneys' Examination" is the California Bar Examination for which attorney applicants may apply, provided they have been admitted to the active practice of law in a United States jurisdiction at least four years immediately prior to the first day of administration of the examination and have been in good standing during that period.

The Attorneys' Examination includes essay questions and performance tests of the General Bar Examination but not its multiple-choice questions (i.e. MBE).

How do I Contact the California Bar?

The State Bar of California

Office of Admissions

180 Howard St.

San Francisco, CA 94105

https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions

[email protected]

Phone: 415-538-2300

BarMax CA Course Structure & Features

Comprehensive & concise.

BarMax California includes the 14 major exam topics, corresponding to the topics tested on the exam. We then divide each topic into 7-8 subtopics to make the study material easier to absorb.

Superior Content

Each subtopic includes an in-depth outline, an audio lecture from a Harvard-educated law professor, and when appropriate, numerous flashcards and multiple-choice MBE questions from previous exams. You will also receive the outines in printed hardcopy format.

Instant Access

When you enroll in BarMax California your study materials are available instantly so you can start immediately and study at your pace. Plus, there are no additional fees to access the full course after the exam.

Essay Grading

You will also receive 10 free writing critiques (performance tests or essays). Additional critiques can be purchased a la carte. Our former bar graders ensure you receive accurate and effective criticism.

Included with BarMax CA

Civ Pro Lecture Sample

BarMax CA Pass Rates / State Rates (%)

I passed the California bar on my first try. Using only BarMax, I felt as prepared as I could be come exam day.

Geoff Friedman

How BarMax Helps You Pass the Bar.

Comprehensive

Exactly what you need to pass

Only Real Questions

Licensed from the NCBE complete with explanations

Detailed Analytics

Track your progress and use time efficiently

World-Class Instructors

Get your questions answered by expert instructors

On Demand Lectures & Outlines

Clear and concise with mnemonics and flashcards

Features Designed to Raise Your Score

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Chapter 3: California Bar Exam Essay Frequency Chart

California bar exam essay frequency chart.

Here, we provide you with a California Bar Exam essay frequency chart that shows the frequency subjects have been tested on the California Bar Exam.

You will notice a few things:

• First, the most frequently tested essay subject by far is Professional Responsibility . Professional Responsibility is tested on its own and is also frequently combined with other subjects. (Occasionally, it will appear on the performance test portion instead of the essay portion of the exam but, as you can see, that is not common.)
• Agency and Partnership is not highly tested (but when it is tested, it is very predictable). Agency and Partnership and Corporations used to be separate subjects on the California Bar Exam. Now, Agency and Partnership and Corporations are included under the subject Business Associations . However, for your benefit, we have listed when each individual subject was tested in the chart below.
• Some subjects, such as Civil Procedure, Criminal Law and Procedure, and Torts, tend  not to be combined with other subjects when they are tested. Other subjects, such as Professional Responsibility, Business Associations (Agency and Partnership plus Corporations), Remedies, Trusts, and Wills tend to be combined with other subjects on a regular basis.

Wondering which California topics are tested most frequently? 

Check out our California Bar Exam One-Sheets ! We cover the highly tested California topics within a subject in one page, front and back.

Go to the next topic, Chapter 4: Agency and Partnership .

Looking to pass the california bar exam.

📚 Ready to Conquer the California Bar Exam?

• Free Bar Exam Resource Center : Your gateway to handpicked guides, webinars, and articles.
• Expert-Written Bar Exam Guides : Get a CA bar exam essay guide, strategies for passing, and advice on choosing the ideal tutor.  

Top Resources Recommended by our Students:

• Bar Exam Outlines : Our comprehensive and condensed bar exam outlines present key information in an organized, easy-to-digest layout.
• California One-Sheets and Baby Bar One-Sheets : Consistently 5-star rated by our students.
• California Essay Exam Mastery Class : Target the most tested and challenging California bar segments.
• California and Baby Bar Exam Private Tutoring : Get personalized tutoring by bar exam experts.
• On Demand Bar Exam Course : 5-star rated for your comprehensive preparation. Free course preview available!
• Real MBE Questions : Perfect your practice with the best of practice materials.

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California Bar Pauses $1.5 Million Kaplan Exam Contract Plan

By Maia Spoto

The California State Bar delayed pitching a new licensing exam to its governing body on Thursday, saying the plan, which could slash the admissions fund’s deficit, needs more time to take shape.

The state bar had pitched a $1.475 million, five-year contract with Kaplan North America LLC to replace the Multistate Bar Exam with a different, “cost-effective” exam. Crafting new questions would enable the bar to administer the licensing test remotely or at small, vendor-owned test centers, saving between roughly $2.8 million and $4.2 million annually starting in 2025.

“Given the import of the issues, I really think it is ...

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California shelves plan to create its own bar exam

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Reporting by Karen Sloan

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Karen Sloan reports on law firms, law schools, and the business of law. Reach her at [email protected]

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