California Baby Bar Pass Rate, Format & Study Guide

The State Bar scope and grading page states that from June 2024 the exam has 100 multiple-choice questions in Contracts, Criminal Law and Torts, and the essay questions were eliminated. Ninety of the 100 questions are scored, 30 per subject, equally weighted; the equated raw score is scaled on a 0-800 scale and the passing score is 560. Contracts, Criminal Law and Torts each count for about one third of the exam.

The State Bar of California explains which students must pass the FYLSX; check its pages to see whether it applies to you.

First-year law students at California law schools that require the FYLSX.

The certifying body does not publicly publish an official pass rate for this exam. Be wary of third-party sites citing a specific number here — treat any pass-rate claim you see elsewhere for this exam as unverified.

The State Bar of California offers the exam on set dates and sets the rules for repeating it; check the State Bar FYLSX pages for the current rules.

The passing score is 560 on a 0-800 scaled score; a scaled score is not a percentage of correct answers, so the percent score in the portal mock is only a self-check. Format: 100 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours; the portal mock uses 100 questions in 180 minutes. No official pass rate is available for this exam, so none is quoted here.

The State Bar scope and grading page states that from June 2024 the exam has 100 multiple-choice questions in Contracts, Criminal Law and Torts, and the essay questions were eliminated. Ninety of the 100 questions are scored, 30 per subject, equally weighted; the equated raw score is scaled on a 0-800 scale and the passing score is 560. Contracts, Criminal Law and Torts each count for about one third of the exam. 100 multiple-choice questions · 3 hours · three subjects · scaled score of 560 on 0-800 to pass. The passing score is 560 on a 0-800 scaled score; a scaled score is not a percentage of correct answers, so the percent score in the portal mock is only a self-check.

• Contracts33.3%
• Criminal Law33.3%
• Torts33.3%

The content outline spreads questions across 3 areas: Contracts (33.3%); Criminal Law (33.3%); Torts (33.3%).

The State Bar of California explains which students must take the FYLSX and how to apply. Read the current rules on the State Bar FYLSX pages before you register.

The State Bar charges an application fee and may charge late or option fees. The amounts change, so no figure is quoted here; confirm them on the State Bar site.

The exam is a one-time requirement and is not itself a credential; the State Bar explains how a pass is recorded.

Split your time evenly across Contracts, Criminal Law and Torts, practise rule statements with the flashcards, and finish with timed 100-question runs.

This guide follows the State Bar of California scope and grading page and the October 2024 FYLSX FAQs, checked October 31, 2026. Dates, fees and rules can change.