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California Bar Exam: Home

Commerical Bar Review Courses

For more information, visit OASIS's Commercial Prep Courses page. 

Introduction

The California Bar Exam is a two-day test with three components:

  • The Multi-state Bar Exam (MBE) 
    • The MBE is a six-hour test made up of 200 multiple-choice questions.  The topics covered by these questions include subjects typically taught in Constitutional Law, Contracts, Torts, Property, Criminal Law/Procedure, and Evidence.  As of February 2015, Civil Procedure will now be included in the MBE exam.
  • Performance Test
    • One 90-minute performance test. The performance test questions are designed to test an applicant's ability to understand and apply a select number of legal authorities in the context of a factual problem.  Applicants will be given a file and library with instructions on what tasks is expected. The Georgia State Bar has MPT questions and sample answers for 2000-present that can be helpful to prepare for the new California format.
  • Five Essay Questions
    • One morning session with three one-hour essay questions and one afternoon session with two one-hour essay questions.  Answers are expected to demonstrate ability to analyze the facts of the question, to distinguish between material/immaterial facts, and to discern the points of law and fact upon which the question turns.  Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in applying and using legal principles.

The MPRE

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam is administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners and the Law School Admission Council. The MPRE is required for admission to the California Bar and the bars of all but three U.S. jurisdictions (Maryland, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico). The purpose of the MPRE is to measure the examinee’s knowledge and understanding of established standards related to a lawyer’s professional conduct. The MPRE consists of 60 multiple-choice questions. There are 50 scored questions and 10 nonscored pretest questions. Since the pretest questions are indistinguishable from those that are scored, it is important that examinees answer all questions in the examination. Examinees will have two hours to answer all questions. 

MPRE Subject Matter Outline (via NCBEx)
MPRE Sample Test Questions (via NCBEx)
Kaplan offers a free MPRE Online Review Course (registration required)
Barbri offers a free MPRE Review Course (registration required)