California’s new bar exam, launching on February 25, 2025, has faced significant issues in its early stages, including scheduling problems, technical glitches with remote proctoring, and limited in-person test locations. As reported by Reuters, 67% of examinees have struggled with the system, causing frustration for the 5,300 test takers. Communication breakdowns and errors in registration have only added to the challenges, leaving many uncertain about the exam’s rollout despite efforts to resolve these issues.

California’s new bar exam, set to launch on February 25, 2025, has encountered significant challenges in its early stages, causing frustration for many of the 5,300 examinees. Issues with scheduling, technology glitches, and limited in-person testing locations have plagued the rollout of the redesigned exam, raising concerns about its effectiveness and accessibility.
Scheduling and registration challenges
With just weeks left before the exam, examinees have reported difficulties in securing their test locations, particularly for in-person testing. The State Bar of California, which introduced the new exam to cut costs and streamline the process, initially planned to offer a wider array of testing centers. However, test takers have found that there are only four large in-person testing sites, located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Sacramento, leaving many with the burden of long travel.
In addition, scheduling issues have exacerbated the problem, as numerous examinees have been unable to book their test slots due to malfunctioning registration systems. As reported by Reuters, some test takers were forced to wait for hours on hold or encounter errors on the online platform managed by Meazure Learning, the vendor contracted to administer the exam.
Technical glitches in online proctoring
Another key issue revolves around the new remote testing option, which allows examinees to take the exam from home under the supervision of online proctors. However, the remote setup has been plagued with technical problems. A significant number of test takers have reported experiencing disruptions, such as frozen screens, poor connections, and distracting proctors.
“I know people say the bar exam is supposed to be tough, but this is getting to a point of absurdity,” said Gino Mazzoni, a Santa Clara law graduate, as quoted by Reuters. He described his frustration with the online proctoring system, which led him to abandon remote testing altogether.
Communication breakdowns and further complications
Examinees have also expressed dissatisfaction with the communication from both the State Bar of California and Meazure Learning. As noted by Reuters, many have found responses to their inquiries to be slow, contradictory, and unhelpful. This lack of clarity has contributed to rising anxiety as the exam date approaches.
The new exam, which was designed to save the state up to $3.8 million annually by eliminating large venue rentals, has now become a source of concern for thousands of aspiring lawyers. Despite these setbacks, the State Bar has assured test takers that efforts are being made to address the problems, with many issues reportedly resolved by the end of January. However, the ongoing glitches have left examinees uncertain about what to expect on exam day.