Information about The First-Year Law Students' Exam
The June 2026 First-Year Law Students’ Exam (FYLSX) will take place on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions that measure the content areas of Contracts, Criminal Law, and Torts.
There will be two exam sessions throughout the day; applicants may choose to schedule and take the exam in either the morning or afternoon session. There is one set break in each session. For both the morning and afternoon sessions, the exam will be administered with the following schedule:
- Multiple-Choice Questions 1-50 (90 minutes)
- Break (20 minutes)
- Multiple-Choice Questions 51-100 (90 minutes)
The State Bar is contracting with Prometric to be the exam delivery vendor for the FYLSX. In-person test takers will test at a Prometric test center using a computer provided by the test center. Handwriters will test in person and will be provided printed question books and will write their responses on paper. Test takers who are approved to take the exam remotely will use Prometric’s ProProctor™ software on their personal laptop computer for online testing and proctoring.
Applicants testing in a test center will be provided with physical scratch paper to take notes. Scratch paper will be destroyed at the test center and any contents on the scratch paper will not be graded. Applicants testing remotely will not be allowed any physical scratch paper during the exam. Applicants will use the "virtual scratchpad" in Prometric’s ProProctor™ platform.
Beginning May 26, applicants who are approved to sit for the exam will be contacted by email with instructions on how to schedule their exam. Applicants must schedule their exam by no later than June 14.
For more information on what to expect on test day, learn more about preparing for the exam and the test center experience.
For more important Exam Deadlines and Dates, visit the State Bar's webpage.
Testing in person at a Prometric test center
Prometric offers a network of standardized computer-based test centers. Testing at these locations is administered on Prometric-provided computers using Prometric’s easy-to-use test-taker interface.
Applicants must schedule an exam appointment for a specific time and test center location. Availability is first-come-first-served. Start time for the exam will be based on the scheduled exam appointment time.
On test day, upon arrival at the test center, you will be greeted by a Prometric Test Center Administrator (TCA). During the check-in process, applicants will be required to present valid, government-issued identification, and store all personal items in the provided lockers. Applicants testing in person will also go through a security check prior to every entry into the test room. If you are wearing eyeglasses, you will be required to remove them for visual inspection to ensure they don’t contain a recording device. You might also be asked to remove any contents from your pockets. In addition, large jewelry items must be stored in your locker due to concerns over concealed recording devices. You must sign out each time you leave the test room. On-site Prometric personnel will inform you what is permitted during scheduled or unscheduled breaks.
Permitted items: In-person testing at a Prometric test center
Please refer to the list of permitted items in the State Bar's Admittance Ticket Bulletin. Only those items will be allowed in the exam room without prior approval. All items are subject to inspection. Items that have been approved through the testing accommodations request process will also be permitted.
Schedule Your Exam
Applicants must complete the State Bar of California’s First-Year Law Students’ Examination application and be approved to sit for the exam prior to scheduling an appointment. Applicants who are approved to sit for the exam will receive an email from the State Bar confirming so or they can log into the Applicant Portal to view the status of their application.
Beginning May 26, applicants approved to sit for the exam will receive an email from the State Bar of California with instructions on how to schedule their exam appointment with Prometric.
Applicants must schedule their exam appointment no later than June 14. Applicants who do not schedule their exam appointment by this deadline will not be allowed to sit for the exam.
Cancellation or Rescheduling an Exam
All exam schedule changes must be made directly with Prometric online or by phone. A voice mail message is not an acceptable form of requesting an appointment be rescheduled or cancelled. Rescheduling is only permitted within the same exam administration.
A $30 fee is required to cancel or reschedule your appointment 30 or more calendar days prior to the exam appointment date. Applicants who cancel in this period can make a new exam appointment for the same administration.
A $60 fee is required to cancel or reschedule your exam appointment between 29 and 5 calendar days prior to the exam appointment date. Applicants who cancel in this period can make a new exam appointment for the same administration.
Within 5 days of the appointment date, appointments cannot be rescheduled.