California remains one of the few states that offers licensed attorneys the opportunity to take a modified version of its bar examination. While the state does not offer reciprocity or admission on motion, this abbreviated version of the exam provides a more efficient path for practicing attorneys seeking admission to the California Bar.
The One-Day Attorneys’ Examination
Attorneys who are in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction and have been actively licensed for at least four consecutive years may qualify for the California Attorneys’ Examination—a one-day written exam that excludes the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE).
The written portion consists of:
- Five one-hour essay questions, and
- One 90-minute Performance Test (PT).
These components are designed to evaluate an attorney’s ability to analyze complex legal issues, apply relevant law, and demonstrate effective written communication—skills essential for competent practice in California.
Subjects Tested on the California Bar Examination
The California Bar Examination covers 17 subjects, all of which are fair game on the written portion of the exam.
Subjects of general applicability (not California-specific):
- Torts (including Remedies)
- Contracts (including Remedies)
- Real Property (including Remedies)
- Constitutional Law
- Evidence
- Civil Procedure
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
California-specific subjects and distinctions:
- Wills
- Trusts
- Community Property
- Business Associations
- California Evidence
- California Civil Procedure
- Professional Responsibility (ABA Model Rules)
- California Rules of Professional Conduct
Because the California Bar emphasizes both federal and state distinctions, examinees must be prepared to identify and apply the relevant California law when it diverges from federal standards.
The MPRE Requirement
In addition to passing the written exam, attorneys must also pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) with a scaled score of 86 or higher.
If you have previously taken the MPRE in another jurisdiction, you may transfer your score to California. The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) provides score reporting, verification, and transfer services through its website:
https://www.ncbex.org/score-services
Moral Character Determination
Before being sworn into the California Bar, all applicants must obtain a positive moral character determination from the State Bar of California.
Although the moral character application does not need to be completed before taking the exam, admission will not be finalized until the review is complete and approved.
According to the State Bar, the moral character review assesses whether an applicant demonstrates honesty, candor, respect for the law, and other traits essential to the ethical practice of law. Details and the application can be found here:
https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Moral-Character/Moral-Character-Statement
Exam Dates, Locations, and Administration
The California Attorneys’ Examination is administered twice per year—on the last Tuesday of February and the last Tuesday of July.
The exam is offered in both Northern and Southern California, and testing locations are assigned after registration. Examinees may choose to take the exam using a personal laptop or to handwrite their answers. Application details, fees, and filing deadlines are published by the State Bar of California each cycle. The One-Day California Attorneys’ Examination
Understanding the Scoring
While the Attorneys’ Examination is shorter in length than the general California Bar Exam, it is graded using the same standard and passing threshold.
Here’s how it works:
- Each of the six written components (five essays and one performance test) is graded on a 100-point scale.
- Raw scores are then converted to a scaled score to ensure consistency across administrations.
- The total written score is then scaled to the same metric as the full bar exam, where a minimum passing scaled score of 1390 is required.
In other words, even though attorney applicants are not required to take the MBE, their written exam must meet the same 1390 passing standard used for all California bar candidates.
This means performance on the written portion carries full weight—strong writing, precise analysis, and mastery of California law distinctions are key to success.