California Bar Exam Checklist

Everything You Need to Take the California Bar Exam

You've heard California is broke. And then you decided to take the Bar Exam.

The California Bar Exam is not a fun experience, but it's a necessary evil. But before you even take the bar, 3L students need to make sure they complete all of the pre-test requirements. We've provided this checklist because if you were like us during our 3L* year, you didn't have a clue about what was required to take the bar. We hope to demystify the process.

We'll talk about every requirement in detail, but here's a summary up front:

(1) Sign up for a professional bar course
(2) Pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE)
(3) Get yourself fingerprinted
(4) Complete the Moral Character Application
(5) Sign up for a test center
(6) Complete the laptop certification procedure
(7) Be current on all court-ordered child or family support obligations

Estimated Costs (not including bar course): $1,351 
Estimated Costs (including typical bar course): $3,491-$5,486

Costs are subject to yearly increases.

Note: Some of these requirements do not necessarily have to be completed in this order. The California Bar (CalBar) itself also provides a brief summary. Be warned, this process is long and expensive. 

*We're assuming that as a 3L, you've either taken the First Year Bar Examination, or waived out of it by going to an accredited institution. Passing the "Baby Bar" is technically another requirement.

Sign Up for a Professional Bar Course 

Trust us. You'll feel this way too.

This first step is not required by CalBar of course, but it might as well be a requirement. You are infinitely more likely to pass the bar exam on your first try if you invest in a professional bar exam course than if you try and study on your own. The bar exam courses are expensive, but they provide a structured environment, as well as study materials, test strategies, and rule outlines that will keep you focused during the summer before you take the exam. 

The merits of the various bar courses are the topic of another post. Most students choose either BarBri or Kaplan. Some students may even have signed up as early as their 1L year. We signed up for Barbri early and received a significant discount as a result.

At some point during the school year, you'll receive a notice that your course books are ready for shipping. As much as it may pain you, go ahead and order this heavy package right away. This way, you don't have to worry about the books potentially arriving after you've already started the course. 

Cost (before discounts)

BarBri: ~$4,135 (in-person lectures/online lectures)

Kaplan: ~$2,140 (online only)

Pass the MPRE 

The MPRE is a 60 question, 2 hour multiple choice test administered by the National Committee of Bar Examiners (NCBE). This organization also administers the multiple choice section of the California Bar Exam. 

The MPRE tests students on the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (note, unlike your PR class or the bar exam, the MPRE only requires you know the Model Rules!). In other words, you better know your ethics. 

Before you register for the test itself, you need to acquire an NCBE number. You can get one for free by registering at this site.  Once you have your NCBE number, you can register for the MPRE here. 

Why you have to take the MPRE.

The MPRE is not a particularly difficult exam, but you will need to study for it. One way to study is to take an MPRE course offered by one of the professional bar courses. When we took the MPRE, we used BarBri's MPRE course, which was only an additional $15. The BarBri MPRE course featured a video lecture by the legendary Prof. Erwin Chemerinski, who greatly simplified the ethical rules. 

You will also want to do lots of practice MPRE questions, which a course will provide you. Alternatively, you can find various sample questions for free online. We recommend getting questions from a course because you'll get a lot of them, they are high quality, and provide sample answers (why choice C was right, while A, B, and D are wrong). 

If you want to practice law immediately after you get your bar results, you will need to make sure the MPRE and Moral Character Application requirements are fulfilled before you take the bar. In our case, we took the MPRE in the fall semester of our third year. However, we do know of students who either failed the MPRE or neglected to take it, and had to go back to take that exam after they took the bar! Don't be that person.

Cost

Normal Cost: $73

Late Fee Cost: $146 (so you better apply on time!) 

Get Fingerprinted 

The fingerprint requirement isn't spelled out on CalBar's summary, but it is a vital requirement. You are REQUIRED to get your fingerprints processed before you can do the Moral Character Application. Your fingerprints are only good for 90 days, so you must complete the Moral Character Application within that time. 

Alas, CalBar's fingerprint system is not as high tech or sexy.

Fingerprint Services

Most likely you'll be using the LiveScan services. You can do one of two options: (1) Search for a LiveScan operator in your area and make an individual appointment; or (2) determine if a LiveScan operator will come to your school. In our case, the LiveScan operator came to school and fingerprinted students while on campus. Check with your school to see if a LiveScan operator will be on campus.

Timing 

As mentioned above, the fingerprints are only good for 90 days. Ideally, this means if you want to sit for the July 2014 Bar Exam, you should get your fingerprints in Late Fall (mid-late October) and complete your Moral Character Application by December. 

Cost 

$25 

Complete the Moral Character Application 

The Moral Character Application sounds ominous, but it's more time-consuming than anything else. While the CalBar Secret Police won't be snooping around your email, NSA style, you will need to fill out and pass an expensive background check. This is arguably the most critical step of the whole process, so do this step carefully and double check everything! An incomplete application could delay your ability to practice law. 

You can start the application here.

Getting a thumbs down from CalBar is a buzzkill. Make sure your application materials are all in order!

What You'll Need Before You Fill It Out 

It is highly recommended that you read this information sheet provided by CalBar before you fill out the application. The information sheet spells out what you'll need to provide in the application. Having all this information ahead of time will save you time and prevent frustration down the road. 

Here are the most important things you'll need: 

• Name Changes
• Addresses You've Lived in for the Past 8 Years (including college dorms)
• List of all Colleges Attended (including community colleges for summer school purposes)
• List of all places of employment, including supervisor contact information for: 
• Law Related: All Law Related Places of Employment since your 18th birthday and
• Non-law Related: All employment that lasted longer than six months since your 18th birthday 
• 5 Personal References, including at least one member of the bar 
• All the bad stuff: Arrests, convictions, bankruptcies, etc. 

Yeah, that's a lot of stuff, and pulling it all together sucks. But better you take some time and gather it before you fill out the application, than to suddenly discover you need yet another reference. 

The Personal References

As noted above, you'll need 5 personal references. In our case, we used two supervisors from our legal internship, one non-law school friend, and two law school colleagues. Each of your references will receive a questionnaire in the mail asking about your personal history, including their opinion on whether you are fit to practice law. 

Don't be surprised if your references receive the same questionnaire more than once, this is known to happen (a result of the vast CalBar bureaucracy). As a professional courtesy, be sure to inform your references ahead of time that you would like to use them as references. 

It Takes a LONG Time, so File Early! 

CalBar recommends that you file your Moral Character Application at least six months before you intend to sit for the Bar. But the results of the Moral Character Exam could potentially take up to ten months, depending on CalBar's backlog and if any issues arise. So the earlier you submit the application the better!

In our case, we took the July 2013 Bar Exam. We filed our Moral Character application on December 13, 2012. CalBar finished processing the application and gave final approval on July 3, 2013! We definitely were a little nervous, but now that you know the processing takes awhile, you don't have to be. 

At some point, CalBar will send you a letter (note, almost all Moral Character updates are sent snail mail), informing you that an analyst has received your application. If you have any questions, feel free to contact that analyst. 

Cost (take a deep breath and think happy thoughts)

$500. Yes, you read that right. 

Sign Up for a Test Center/Register for the Bar

You won't be able to register for a bar exam right away, but check this page to determine when registration opens. In general, registration for the February Bar opens in October, while registration for the July Bar opens in March. Make sure to register for a test center the day registration opens! This way, you likely will find a test center closest to you.

Time to fall in line, boys. 

Note, if you are using a laptop, you'll have to look for a Laptop Supported Test Center and pay an additional "Laptop Certification Fee." 

Cost (again, deep breaths) 

General Filing Fee: $614
Additional Laptop Charge: $139 

Complete the Laptop Certification Procedure 

Approximately six weeks before you take the bar, you'll receive an Exam Ticket via email. This ticket is important for two reasons. First, you'll need to print it out and bring it with you on the day of the bar. Second, it provides you with links and further instructions regarding the Laptop Certification Procedure. 

The procedure itself is pretty easy, but you should do it early so you are not doing it the day of the bar itself!

Instructions

(1) Download Examsoft from this site (you will need to uninstall your school's version of Examsoft, as CalBar uses its own licensed version). You will need to input the User name and password provided by CalBar's admittance ticket. 

(2) Download each of the bar exam questions from the Examsoft website. 

(3)  Download the Mock Exam, open it up, type something in it, and then upload back to Examsoft. Once you've done this, the process is complete. 

(4) Make sure that you've received confirmation emails for each exam file you've downloaded, and that Examsoft received the Mock Exam. 

Be Current on All Court-Ordered Family/Child Obligations

It's easy to get away with avoiding child support when you rule the galaxy and don't have to take the Bar Exam! 

Don't be a deadbeat. It's not attractive. If you're behind on your payments, this will jeopardize your ability to practice law. 

And that's it! Please let us know if we've overlooked anything or want to hear more about a particular requirement in detail.