The Supreme Court of California just ruled that first-time test takers who withdrew from or failed California’s troubled February 2025 Bar Exam will have the option to work under the supervision of an experienced attorney while they wait to retake the attorney licensing exam.

The Court approved a request by the State Bar of California to extend an existing provisional licensure program enacted in 2020 when the bar exam was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program allows first-time examinees who withdrew or failed to work under supervision for two years as they prepare to retake the test, but the Court denied the state bar’s request to extend eligibility to exam repeaters who failed or withdrew.

The Court also granted the State Bar permission to “impute” performance test scores for those unable to complete that test section due to technical problems—a process that involves using submitted answers to project their performance on sections that were missing.

The Bar estimates that imputing performance test scores will result in 79 more people going from failing to passing and bump up the overall pass rate from the current 63% to 65%—which is nearly double the average 35% rate in recent years.

More than 200 people moved from failing to passing earlier this month when the State Bar signed off on a separate grading change, which moved the overall pass rate from 56% to 63%.

Some Bar trustees have expressed concern about some of the exam’s proposed remedies and the higher pass rate, citing the Bar’s duty to protect the public from unqualified lawyers. At the Bar’s request, the California Supreme Court already lowered the raw score needed to pass the exam and imputed scores for both the multiple-choice and essay portions of the February exam.

California’s February Bar Exam—the first not to use any components of the national test—was plagued with technical and logistical problems, including software crashes and interruptions from proctors. That exam has sparked several lawsuits, including at least two filed by test takers and one filed by the State Bar against the testing company that administered it. State Bar Executive Director Leah Wilson said she will step down in July, citing the bungled rollout of the new exam.

While it approved the bulk of the State Bar’s petitions, the California Supreme Court denied a request to explore proposals for admitting attorneys licensed in other states without requiring them to take and pass the California Bar Exam. That would require a change in state law, which requires bar passage for admission, the Court noted.

You can read more about this evolving situation  here.

If you are studying for the July 2025 Bar Exam and are having any study issues, please reach out to us. Marino Legal is dedicated to helping  students pass and encourage you to contact us right away, as the sooner we speak, the sooner we can help you set up a game plan for success on the upcoming exam. Just submit your score report here or email us at info@marinolegal.com.