California Bar Exam Pass Rate, Scoring, and Passing Requirements

The California bar exam pass rate was 54.8% on the most recent July 2025 administration, with 4,032 of 7,362 test-takers passing.1State Bar of California. July 2025 California Bar Examination General Statistics That headline number hides big swings underneath. First-time takers passed at 69.7%; repeat takers passed at just 12.4%. Where you went to law school and which sitting you take move the number even further.

Recent July Results

The July sitting is the larger of the two annual administrations and the one most first-time takers sit for. The three-year trend on the July exam looks like this:

Roughly half of everyone who sits for the July exam fails. That is worth internalizing before looking at any of the more encouraging subgroups below.

February vs. July Pass Rates

February historically produces significantly lower pass rates than July. The February pool contains a heavier proportion of repeat takers, which pulls the overall number down. In February 2024, only 33.9% of general exam takers passed, compared with 51.5% the preceding July.4State Bar of California. February 2024 California Bar Examination General Statistics

February 2025 broke sharply from that pattern. The overall pass rate came in at 63.5%, nearly double the February 2024 figure and higher than the July 2025 rate that followed.5State Bar of California. February 2025 California Bar Examination General Statistics Every school category saw its numbers jump. Whether that reflects a lasting shift or an unusual cohort will take another cycle or two to sort out, so treat February 2025 as an outlier for planning purposes rather than the new normal.

First-Time vs. Repeat Takers

The single biggest predictor of whether someone passes is whether they’ve sat before. On the July 2025 exam:

That gap holds across every administration. It’s wider in California than in most states. California places no limit on how many times you can retake the exam, and there is no waiting period beyond registering for the next sitting.6The State Bar of California. California Bar Examination But the numbers say plainly that additional attempts do not, on average, become easier. Repeaters who pass typically change their preparation substantially between attempts.

Pass Rates by Law School Type

Where you earned your legal education correlates strongly with your odds. The July 2025 breakdown by school category:1State Bar of California. July 2025 California Bar Examination General Statistics

  • ABA-accredited California schools: 84.4% of first-timers passed; 77.3% overall including repeaters.
  • Out-of-state ABA-accredited schools: 78.0% of first-timers passed; 66.8% overall.
  • California-accredited (non-ABA) schools: 35.1% of first-timers passed; 19.7% overall.
  • Unaccredited California schools: 10.2% overall, from a small pool of 127 takers.
  • Foreign-educated applicants (with the required year of U.S. legal education): 13.4% overall.

The gap between ABA and non-ABA California schools is roughly four-to-one for first-time takers. That is a material consideration for anyone weighing law school options, particularly given the tuition involved.

What Counts as Passing

The minimum passing score is 1390. The California Supreme Court lowered it from 1440 in July 2020, effective with the October 2020 exam, a 50-point reduction.7The State Bar of California. California Bar Exam Grading Pass rates rose after that change. The written portion and the Multistate Bar Examination each count for 50% of the final scaled score, and scaling is designed so that 1390 represents the same competency level regardless of which administration you sat for.8The State Bar of California. Scaling Explained

Passing the exam is one requirement among several for California licensure. Applicants also need to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination with a scaled score of at least 86 and clear the State Bar’s moral character review, which itself typically runs six to eight months or longer.9The State Bar of California. Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination10The State Bar of California. Moral Character

Why 2028 Numbers May Not Look Like Today’s

Anyone reading current pass rate statistics with a 2028 or later sitting in mind should know the exam itself is changing. In 2026, the State Bar’s Board of Trustees approved the Committee of Bar Examiners’ recommendation to ask the California Supreme Court to adopt the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam, developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, starting with the July 2028 administration.11The State Bar of California. Board Recommends NextGen Uniform Bar Exam in 2028 and Added California Component Soon After

The switch is partly forced: the current MBE will be phased out as a standalone option after the February 2028 administration, so California has to move to something new.12The State Bar of California. CBE Recommends the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam and Consideration of Future California Component The Board also approved developing a California-specific component to be added as soon as practicable after the 2028 administrations. The California Supreme Court still has to sign off, but the direction is set. Pass rates on a new exam typically take several cycles to stabilize, so the percentages above describe the exam as it exists now, not necessarily the one a 2028 taker will face.