Choosing a Relevant CA Bar Exam Tutor

by Paulina Bandy, Esq.

The California Bar Exam is different today, in subject matter, scope, scoring and timing, than it was years ago when most bar review instructors passed the exam, and their preparation materials were created. Taking a look at the California Bar Exam history provides understanding why bar reviews and tutors are sometimes out-dated and insensitive to the needs of Repeaters.


California Bar Exam Format History:

Prior to 1972- Essay Only, able to throw a question out

1972- Multi-States Added

1975- First state to add Professional Responsibility Exam

1980- MPRE Instituted

1983- First Performance Exam Added to measure Practical Skills

1987- New Grading Procedure "Scaling"

2007- Business Associations, CA Code of Civ Pro, CA Code of Evidence Added to Essays


The addition of Multi-States and Performance Exams caused new challenges for bar candidates including three areas to prepare for and new exam timing constraints. The Performance Exam tested Practical Skills for the first time on a bar exam. Prior to 1983, the test only focused on memorized law and its analysis.

Before hiring a tutor, you may want to find out if the tutor passed the CA Bar Exam since this bar exam is known to be the most difficult.

If it matters to you whether the tutor you are considering passed the Performance Exam, ask the tutor, or conduct a search on The State Bar of California website to find out when they were admitted to the California Bar. If the instructor was admitted to the CA Bar before 1983, they did not pass the California Performance Exam, and did not take the same exam you are taking today.

The grading method of "Scaling" was instituted in 1987. Your scaled score today does not directly compare with what a tutor scored 23 years ago.

As a CA Bar Candidate in 2012, your exam instruction should be relevant to the demands of today's California Bar Exam.


For further help finding an appropriate tutor for your needs, click on link below:
Guidelines to Selecting Bar Exam Preparation



History provided by The State Bar of California, Office of Media and Information Services.