Trick for Passing the CA Bar Exam

by Sara Thomas Sara Thomas

If you’re planning to take the CA Bar Exam congratulations! With all the years of Law School behind you, you’re just one step away in your dream of becoming a lawyer. Although, take note that California is one of only a few states in the country that allows examinees who haven’t gone to law school at all.

California Bar Exams is said to be one of the most difficult to pass among the other state bar exams. But, this shouldn’t dissuade you.

Like any type of exam, passing the CA Bar Exam needs enough preparation and staying focused on your goal.

Passing the CA Bar Exam means you need to pass the second-highest cut score and the lowest passage rate for test-takers in the nation.

California Bar Exam Days and Schedule

The California bar exam can be taken either February or July. The exam takes two days long where the first day mainly consists of essay writing while the second day will cover the Multistate Bar Examination or MBE.

First Exam Day – In the morning you need to answer 3 essay questions with an allotted time of 1 hour each. The afternoon consists of 2 essay questions with an allotted 1 hour to answer each essay question and an addition of 90 minutes to answer the performance test.
Second Exam Day – Examinees will answer the Multistate Bar Examination or MBE, where 100 multiple choice questions are given in the morning to be answered within a three-hour allotted time. In the afternoon another set of 100 multiple choice questions are given to be answered within a three-hour allotted time. This means you’ll need to answer 200 graded questions within 6 hours.

Scoring: Passing the CA Bar Exam means you need to get a minimum of 50% on your first day which is the essay portion and another 50% on your MBE.

Studying for Your California Bar Exam

Start with a Plan. Covering much study material without proper strategizing can lead you to burnout. With so many topics to cover you should start by laying out a realistic schedule that can fit within the review timeline you have. Categorize your topics based on their difficulty and allot time to the more challenging subjects on your schedule.

Study Early. Reviewing early means you’ll have more time to review and less time to stress out. More of your energy and focus usually comes with the initial phase of your review. This means you get more from your study material early on then have a light review of scanning and browsing through your review materials at the end of your study.

Find a Reputable and Effective Study Guide. Passing the CA Bar Exam means you need to get the best guidance and review materials. Find the best review guidance that works for you. A comprehensive California bar review course should offer subject lectures and outlines as well as video lectures by reputable professors. It also helps to take actual MBE test questions and model answers.