Changes to the CA FYLSX/Baby Bar

CHANGES TO THE FYLSX/BABY BAR

Earlier this year, the State Bar announced a forthcoming change to California’s FYLSX or Baby Bar.

The exam would exclusively consist of 100 total multiple choice questions - in two sessions of 50 questions each - covering CRIMINAL LAW, TORTS, CONTRACTS.  Further, that 25 of the 100 total questions would be created by the State Bar - versus the traditional source.

The long-standing essay section of the Baby Bar - traditionally consisting of four (4) 60-minute questions - would be discontinued.

TAKEAWAYS

• Having tutored Baby Bar students for over 45 years, ‘changes’ are nothing new to the configuration of this exam - typically required for law students attending unaccredited CA law schools or LOSP candidates - and, in passing - a prerequisite for continuing the balance of their law school curriculum.

In this regard, you may consult my accompanying article re the probable changes coming to California’s General Bar Exam (GBX) in 2025.

Key, however, with these new changes, is to be sure you commence your Baby Bar preparation sooner than later.

This will permit more repetitions through each of the Baby Bar subjects - both substantively and practically - as you identify specific areas of test-taking needs.  Most of my students, for example, may spend up to a year in preparation - but no less than 4 months.  The goal is to enable yourself to consistently achieve 70% passing scores in successive practice sessions - including simulated practice exams - involving all 3 subjects.

• Don’t forget the need to develop your essay writing skills.  While the essay section of the Baby Bar may have been discontinued, it still currently accounts for about 37% of your overall scaled score for the GBX.

Learning both essay issue-recognition and analysis skills - which you will need for the 14 GBX subjects (including the 3 Baby Bar subjects) - should be prioritized as you take each law school course.  There will also be the need to perfect your performance test writing skills - valued at about 13% of the GBX’s Written section - or, for the essay and performance exam - 50% of the total scaled score of the GBX.

In other words, look ahead, in progressively ‘building’ your overall writing skills - rather than waiting to identify and reinforce them closer to graduation.  Failing to do so, in part, accounts for the approximate overall FEB/JULY GBX CA passing rate of about 50%.  Having taught Bar-passing writing skills - as noted - for over 45 years - it can be more challenging to learn the full range of timed, issue-recognition and analysis skills - with less time to prepare. Many of those I work with spend more than the (typical) 3 months that a more generically prepared candidate might spend.

Regardless, all success with whatever course of action you engage to pass the Baby or General Bar. Have faith, work hard, study smart.