Fail this week's California bar exam? Retake the July test for free
The State Bar of California will allow those who fail or withdraw from this week's scheduled bar exam, which is set to launch the test written by Kaplan Exam Services, to take the July exam for free. (Image from Shutterstock)
The State Bar of California will allow those who fail or withdraw from this week’s scheduled bar exam, which is set to launch the test written by Kaplan Exam Services, to take the July exam for free.
Friday’s decision by the state bar’s board of trustees came “after a tumultuous few weeks,” according to a state bar press release. The board approved $3.1 million to support fee waivers for the eligible February 2025 examinees to take the July 2025 test.
“This new exam has not rolled out the way it should have,” Brandon Stallings, the board’s chair, said in the press release. “The continued issues with testing locations, scheduling, technical issues and communication lapses have distracted applicants from their studies and created confusion. These problems are deeply concerning.”
The move follows the Feb. 14 offer of refunds for those who withdrew from the February exam, acknowledging that information from the state bar and testing company Meazure Learning was not aligned. Since the 100% refund policy was announced, the state bar had received about 600 requests to withdraw, according to a spokesperson, who updated the figure Feb. 20.
But on Sunday, the state announced that the issues impacting the ability to input answers into the testing platform’s spaces for answers, use the backspace or delete functions, and cut and paste information have been resolved.
Unlike the widely used Uniform Bar Examination and its components administered and developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, the new test can be taken remotely and at test centers.
California tests the second-highest number of bar examinees, according to the NCBE, behind only New York. In 2024, 3,944 examinees took the California bar exam in February. But 5,100 signed up for this month’s test, according to a state bar spokesperson, 13% more than anticipated.
Other attempts by the board to resolve issues around the new test include:
• Adding three California test center sites—one in Los Angeles, one in Bakersfield, California, and another in Fresno, Californiamdash;plus more in-person sites in other states, including those in the Central and Eastern time zones.
• Offering reimbursements of travel expenses for test-takers who moved test sites.
• Providing full refunds to applicants impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires.
Initially, the state bar’s board of trustees had estimated that the new exam could save the California bar up to $3.8 million in exam-related expenses, according to an August 2024 press release.
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