How do you get California bar exam results?

Waiting for California Bar Examination results is stressful.

The California Bar Examination is the culmination of years of hard work by law students, or for current practitioners transitioning to California, a substantial hurdle. It is arguably one of the most difficult professional examinations in the United States. After enduring the expense of the exam and study materials and three full days of testing, the wait for results can be up to 17 weeks. Nevertheless, when the result release date rolls around, accessing bar examination results is simple.

Things You'll Need

• California Bar File Number
• California Bar Examinee Number
• Mail box

Instructions

1. Access the results only after the date they become available. For example, the California bar exam was administered from July 27 to July 29, 2010 and the test result date is Nov. 19. Though most states issue bar exam results in September and October, California is the last to issue results. The bar exam pass list is not available to those who took the exam until 6 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2010. Results are also mailed to applicants the same day.

2. Access the bar exam pass list on the California Bar Examiners' website. Once the list is available, those who took the exam can enter personal information, such as their bar applicant file number and bar examinee number to determine whether they passed. The list becomes available to the general public a few days later.

3. Get your results in the mail. Bar examination results are mailed to applicants the same day that results are made available electronically. Mail is an option in the event that computer and Internet access are not available.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient. Obviously, with thousands of bar examinees attempting to access the pass list website right when its available, the server will be overloaded. Constantly clicking the refresh button on your browser will only make the problem worse. Wait five to 10 minutes before pressing refresh. If you are certain you did not pass, go ahead and apply for the next examination while awaiting results. Unfortunately, California does not coordinate its exam application deadline with the bar exam results deadline. The deadline to apply for the next exam is before results are given.

• Do not call the California Bar office. They will not give you results over the phone.

References

• National Conference of Bar Examiners: Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements
• State Bar of California: Examination Pass List
• Law Student Journal: A Professional Bar Exam Tutor & Mentor Shares His Bar Exam Prep Advice
• State Bar of California: Dates & Deadlines
• State Bar of California: Release of results