California Bar Exam News & Format Changes

Bar Exam Project wiki article. Part of the California Bar Exam cluster.

A living timeline of changes to the California Bar Examination: cut-score history, format changes, vendor changes, and major news events. Most relevant recent items are the 2020 cut-score reduction, the failed February 2025 Kaplan/Meazure administration, and the return to the NCBE Multistate Bar Examination beginning July 2025.

One-line summary

California has changed its bar exam more in the last six years than in the prior thirty. Track the changes here so your study plan reflects what is actually being tested in your cycle.

October 2020: Cut score lowered to 1390

Effective the October 2020 online administration, the Supreme Court of California lowered the passing score from 1440 to 1390 of 2000. The change followed years of public pressure regarding disparate impact and the relative difficulty of the California exam. October 2020 also marked the first online administration during COVID. Pass rates rose immediately and have stayed in the post-2020 baseline.

August 2024: Move away from the NCBE MBE

The State Bar announced that beginning February 2025, California would replace the NCBE Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) with a Kaplan-developed proprietary multiple-choice section, administered by Meazure Learning. The change was framed as a cost-cutting measure and an opportunity for California-specific question content.

February 2025: The Kaplan / Meazure debacle

The February 2025 administration suffered widespread technical failures. Candidates reported dropped connections, unsaved work, lockouts, conflicting instructions from the State Bar and from Meazure, and significant time lost to platform issues. The State Bar offered refunds or a free July 2025 retake. The California Supreme Court issued a public apology. Litigation followed. National news coverage was extensive (ABA Journal, JD Journal, Daily Journal, Law.com).

July 2025: Return to the NCBE MBE

The State Bar reverted to the NCBE’s Multistate Bar Examination for the multiple-choice section beginning July 2025. Kaplan continued to provide the essays and Performance Test. The July 2025 administration ran without comparable technical issues, and the headline pass rate (54.8%) was the highest summer rate in three years.

Going forward: 2026 administrations

The July 2025 format (NCBE MBE + California essays + 1 PT) carried into February 2026 and is in place for July 2026. The State Bar has not announced further structural changes for 2026. Watch the State Bar of California news page for cut-off announcements; minor changes (PT instructions, software vendor configurations, test-center logistics) often appear on a per-cycle basis.

Why this matters for your study plan

Bar review courses lag administration changes by one or two cycles. Confirm the current format on the State Bar’s official cycle page before you commit to a course or study plan, especially if you are working from older materials. The MBE/written 50/50 weighting and the 1390 cut score have been stable since 2020.

Companion pages

• California Bar Exam Hub
• California Pass Rate Statistics Hub
• Repeat Taker Strategy (California)
• How to Prepare for the California Bar Exam

Sources

California Supreme Court Order setting cut score at 1390 (effective October 2020); State Bar of California news page and cycle pages (July 2025, February 2026, July 2026); ABA Journal, JD Journal, Daily Journal, and Law.com coverage of the February 2025 administration.