Per-state guide
California Bar Exam Prep
California bar exam (California): fees, deadlines, tested subjects, and recommended prep for the July 2026 and February 2027 administrations.
Key dates & fees
Pulled from NCBE charts and state board pages, last checked July 6, 2026. Some later dates are estimates. Confirm with your board before filing.
February 2027 administration
Checked against board page| Exam type | California exam (not UBE) |
|---|---|
| Timely deadline | 2026-11-02 |
| Final deadline | 2027-01-04 |
| Late deadlines | Nov. 3 to Nov. 30, 2026 ($50 late fee); Dec. 1, 2026 to Jan. 4, 2027 ($250 late fee) |
| Standard fee | $878 |
| Attorney fee | $1,650 |
| Repeater fee | $878 (non-attorney repeaters) / $1,650 (attorney repeaters) |
| Late fee | $50 first late tier / $250 final late tier |
| Laptop fee | $153 |
Laptop fee remains listed as $153 in official fee schedules; written sessions use personal laptops with ExamSoft.
July 2027 administration
Dates not yet published| Exam type | California exam (not UBE) |
|---|---|
| Timely deadline | Not published |
| Final deadline | Not published |
| Late deadlines | Not published |
| Standard fee | $878 |
| Attorney fee | $1,650 |
| Repeater fee | $878 (non-attorney repeaters) / $1,650 (attorney repeaters) |
| Late fee | $50 first late tier / $250 final late tier |
| Laptop fee | $153 |
Laptop fee remains listed as $153 in official fee schedules; written sessions use personal laptops with ExamSoft.
Turn California dates into a daily practice plan
Use the guide to plan your filing and subject coverage, then create a free account for short MBE-style reps, saved progress, and weak-area routing tied to your jurisdiction.
Tested subjects
California essays, one performance test, and a multiple-choice component.
California remains its own exam path. The safest study split is national doctrine first, then California essay subjects such as community property, remedies, professional responsibility, trusts, and wills.
National / MBE overlap
Civil Procedure
Constitutional Law
Contracts / Sales
Criminal Law & Procedure
Evidence
Real Property
Torts
Business Associations
Professional Responsibility
Trusts / Estates
State-specific or local focus
Community Property
Remedies
Wills and Succession
California Civil Procedure
California Evidence
Cycle-specific cautions
Trusts / Estates
Board note: California has announced the NextGen UBE beginning July 2028. Subject scope is published by the State Bar of California and should be checked for the specific administration.
Practice the subjects California is likely to test
Use the guide to plan your filing and subject coverage, then create a free account for short MBE-style reps, saved progress, and weak-area routing tied to your jurisdiction.
National resources to pair with California
Official sources
- State Bar of California dates and deadlines
- State Bar of California bar examination page
- State Bar of California Appendix A schedule
- State Bar of California Refund of Fees Policy
- NCBE CA non-UBE fees and deadlines chart
- NCBE jurisdiction indexOfficial NCBE entrypoint for jurisdiction-specific admission information.
- State Bar of California scope of the California Bar ExaminationOfficial California subject scope for essays, performance test, and MBE topics.
- NCBE help: legacy and NextGen content differencesOfficial NCBE help article noting July 2026 MEE removals and the MPT treatment of family law and trusts and estates.