The California Bar Exam has gone through a genuine upheaval since early 2025 - and the story didn't end the way many expected. The changes to the California Bar Exam that took effect in February 2025 broke away from the national exam format, then reversed course within months after that exam turned into one of the most widely reported testing failures in recent memory. Here's what actually happened, where things stand now, and what's coming next.

What Happened to the February 2025 California Bar Exam

In February 2025, California became the first state to administer its own multiple-choice questions instead of using the National Conference of Bar Examiners' (NCBE) Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), in a cost-cutting move announced the previous summer. The results were widely described as a disaster. A large share of test-takers reported the exam software froze or crashed during the multiple-choice portion, and many said copy-and-paste functions failed entirely during the written sections. The State Bar later acknowledged that some multiple-choice questions had been developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence, and that a meaningful share of the scored questions had been pulled from an unrelated exam never designed to assess entry-level attorney competence.

The fallout was swift. Law school deans and faculty publicly called for relief for affected applicants, and the California Supreme Court ultimately ordered scoring adjustments and a lowered pass score for the February 2025 exam, along with a return to an in-person testing format. The state also faced litigation from examinees over the exam vendor's handling of the test.

California's Return to the National Exam

By July 2025, California had reverted to using the NCBE's Multistate Bar Examination for the multiple-choice portion of the exam, paired with the state's own essay questions and a performance test - the same structure used for decades before the brief 2025 detour. That format continued into the February 2026 administration, with results released in May 2026 showing a 30.8 percent pass rate on the General Bar Examination, notably lower than February 2024's 33.9 percent and far below February 2025's artificially elevated 63.6 percent rate, which had reflected the remedial scoring adjustments ordered in the wake of that exam's failures.

The July 2026 exam is scheduled for July 28–29, administered in person at designated test sites statewide, again using the NCBE's Multistate Bar Examination for multiple-choice questions alongside the state's written components.

Where the California Bar Exam Goes From Here

California's Committee of Bar Examiners voted in April 2026 to recommend that the California Supreme Court adopt the NCBE's NextGen Uniform Bar Exam beginning in July 2028, when the NCBE plans to phase out the traditional Multistate Bar Examination and Uniform Bar Exam format nationwide. The committee also recommended seeking the Court's guidance on whether to layer a California-specific component onto that national exam in future administrations.

Nothing is final yet. The State Bar's Board of Trustees was set to weigh in at its May 2026 meeting, and under California law, the state must give at least two years' notice before making substantial changes to the bar exam's content or format — meaning any shift to the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam still needs to clear the California Supreme Court with enough lead time before a 2028 rollout. For now, the Multistate Bar Examination remains the multiple-choice backbone of the California Bar Exam.

What This Means for Legal Education and Bar Prep

For law schools, bar prep providers, and recent graduates, the practical upshot is stability after a turbulent year: the exam format that's in place for July 2026 looks much like the exam that existed before February 2025, not the redesigned, practical-skills-focused version California briefly attempted. That doesn't mean preparation is static, though. Legal education providers are watching the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam closely, since its skills-based, integrated question format differs meaningfully from the traditional MBE structure once it eventually arrives in California.

California's Bar Exam in Context

California's bar applicant pool reflects just how varied the state's legal profession is — from small firms near Yosemite National Park serving rural communities to large practices in Santa Clara and throughout Silicon Valley, plus a substantial share of attorneys who go on to represent local governments across the state's hundreds of cities and counties. An exam that reliably measures baseline competence matters across that entire range of practice settings, which is part of why the February 2025 exam's failures drew such sustained attention from across the profession, not just from the affected applicants themselves.

How NBI Helps Attorneys Stay Ahead

Whether you're newly licensed, preparing for a future administration, or simply keeping up with how bar admission and legal education continue to evolve, NBI offers resources to help:

1. Comprehensive Legal Education — A broad range of CLE courses covering core practice areas and the latest developments across California law.

2. Skill-Based Training — Programs in legal writing, contract drafting, trial advocacy, and client counseling that build the real-world competencies bar exams increasingly aim to test.

3. Regulatory Compliance and Ethics Courses — Ethics and professional responsibility programming that keeps you current with the State Bar of California's standards.

4. Convenient, Flexible Learning Options — Live webinars, on-demand courses, in-person seminars, and CLE-accredited podcasts that fit a busy schedule.

5. Insights on Emerging Legal Issues — Coverage of legislative updates, court rulings, and bar admission developments that affect your practice.

Frequently Asked Questions About California Bar Exam Changes

Did California go back to the national bar exam?

Yes. After the troubled February 2025 administration, California returned to the NCBE's Multistate Bar Examination for the multiple-choice portion of the exam beginning in July 2025, and has continued using it through the February and scheduled July 2026 administrations.

What went wrong with the February 2025 exam?

Widespread technical failures, software crashes during testing, and the revelation that some multiple-choice questions were developed with AI assistance and that other questions were drawn from an unrelated exam not designed for entry-level attorneys. The California Supreme Court ordered scoring adjustments and a lowered pass score in response.

Is California adopting the Uniform Bar Exam?

Not yet, but it's moving in that direction. California's Committee of Bar Examiners has recommended adopting the NCBE's NextGen Uniform Bar Exam starting in July 2028, pending Board of Trustees review and California Supreme Court approval.

How did the February 2026 exam compare to prior years?

The February 2026 General Bar Examination pass rate was 30.8 percent, lower than February 2024's 33.9 percent and well below February 2025's 63.6 percent, which had been inflated by remedial scoring adjustments tied to that exam's failures.

What format will the July 2026 California Bar Exam use?

An in-person exam using the NCBE's Multistate Bar Examination for multiple-choice questions, combined with California's own essay questions and performance test.

Does NBI offer help preparing for these bar exam changes?

NBI focuses on continuing legal education and skills training for practicing attorneys rather than bar exam prep itself, but its courses in legal writing, ethics, and core practice areas help newly admitted attorneys build on the foundation the bar exam is meant to test.

Stay Prepared, Stay Informed

The California Bar Exam's path over the past year and a half has been anything but predictable, and more change is still likely as the state moves toward the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam later this decade. NBI is committed to helping attorneys navigate what comes next, with high-quality CLE / MCLE programs and training resources to keep you at the top of your field. Let NBI be your trusted partner in legal education.

Looking for more information about CA CLE / MCLE Rules? Check out our comprehensive California CLE Requirements page.