Testing Accommodations

Requesting Testing Accommodations Frequently Asked Questions: Testing Accommodations

Testing accommodations are provided to ensure that an applicant who has a disability can access the exam and is afforded an equal opportunity to obtain the same result, gain the same benefit, or reach the same level of achievement as that provided to others.

These webpages are intended to help test candidates, evaluators, educators, and others involved in documenting a request for testing accommodations. The State Bar and the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) will use the information you provide to understand the nature of the accommodation you are seeking and its relationship to the specific task of taking the exam. This information will assist the State Bar in making a fair determination regarding your request for testing accommodations.

In situations when the State Bar cannot make provisions for a candidate’s request because of operational or technical reasons, staff will attempt to engage with the candidate to seek a mutually agreeable solution. Candidates are expected to participate in this interactive process in a timely and professional manner.

Recent revisions to the testing accommodations rules: The State Bar of California has revised its rules regarding testing accommodations. Please review the key updates.

What is a reasonable accommodation?

A reasonable testing accommodation is an adjustment to or modification of standard testing conditions that addresses the functional limitations related to an applicant’s disability by modifications to rules, policies, or practices; removal of architectural, communication, or transportation barriers; or provision of auxiliary aids and services, provided it does not:

  1. Compromise the security or validity of an examination or the integrity of the examination process;
  2. Impose an undue burden on the State Bar; or
  3. Fundamentally alter the nature of an examination or the Committee of Bar Examiners’ ability to assess through the examination whether the applicant:
    1. Possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities tested on an examination; and
    2. Meets the essential eligibility requirements for admission.

What is a disability?

Testing accommodations are available to those with disabilities as defined in Title 4, Division 1, Chapter 7 of the Rules of the State Bar of California (Admissions Rules). The State Bar is compliant with relevant accessibility laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Applicants with temporary medical conditions, such as a pregnancy or broken leg, and persons who are nursing may also file requests for temporary accommodations.

What accommodations are available?

Test accommodations are adaptations to the exam that can help ensure that the test measures what it is designed to measure. The purpose of test accommodations is to provide candidates with access to the test and an opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the practice of law. Test accommodations are individualized and considered on a case-by-case basis.

Depending on the nature of the disability, accommodations may include things such as screen-reading software or personal health care assistants, wheelchair access, permission to dictate to software, customized timing, customized exam materials (Braille, large print, etc.), extended testing days, and permission to bring and use specific items or medical aids.

Filing deadlines

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to file their request for testing accommodations well in advance of an examination they intend to take. Applicants are encouraged to submit their testing accommodations application no later than six months prior to the examination they wish to take. Applicants who wait to file their requests near the final filing deadline for the examination they intend to take are generally not able to exhaust all administrative remedies before the exam, such as requesting review of a denial of some or all of the requested testing accommodations.

A request for testing accommodations must be completed and received no later than:

  1. January 1 for the February California Bar Exam.
  2. June 1 for the July California Bar Exam.
  3. May 15 for the June First-Year Law Students’ Exam.
  4. September 15 for the October First-Year Law Students’ Exam.

If a deadline falls on a non-business day, the deadline will be the next business day. Deadlines are not extended or waived for any reason except as permitted in State Bar Rule 4.87.

Summary of key changes to the testing accommodations rules

The following updates reflect key revisions approved by the Board of Trustees and the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) regarding the testing accommodations process for State Bar–administered exams. These changes are largely procedural, and most have already been integrated into the State Bar’s process. Below are the notable updates that may affect applicants.

  • Streamlined approval process: Prior testing accommodations approved for a high-stakes exam will be approved by the State Bar without the need for further documentation if certain criteria are satisfied.
    • If a request does not qualify for the streamlined approval process, the applicant must submit the Qualified Professional Certification Form and any supplemental documentation.
  • Limited documentation: Supporting documentation is limited to that which is reasonable, limited, and narrowly tailored to the information needed to determine the applicant’s disability-related functional limitations, their specific access needs, and how those needs relate to the testing accommodations requested.
    • The applicant and their qualified professional have flexibility in the type and source of supporting documentation that may be provided.
    • Considerable weight is given to documentation of past testing accommodations approved for college or law school exams.
  • State Bar response: A notice of denial or partial approval for a request for testing accommodations shall include a report from a disability accommodations expert explaining why the request was modified or denied and advising the applicant of the right to request review by the CBE.
    • The State Bar will notify an applicant within 30 days of receipt of a request for testing accommodations if additional information is required.
    • The State Bar will notify an applicant within 60 days of a request for testing accommodations being deemed complete if the request is approved, partially approved, denied, or action is pending.
  • Testing accommodations request for review: If an applicant receives a denial or a modified approval of their request for testing accommodations, they may request a review by the CBE.
    • Applicants requesting review by the timely filing deadline for the exam have thirty (30) days from the date of the decision to submit their request.
    • All other requests for review must be submitted within fourteen (14) days of the date of the denial or modified approval, unless an examination schedule requires a shorter time for CBE review.
    • To assist the CBE, a disability accommodations expert will present a recommendation to help inform the decision. This shall be a different expert than the disability accommodations expert who recommended the initial denial or approval with modifications.
    • The decision on a request for review is final and is not subject to further review by the State Bar or the CBE during the same exam cycle. If the request is not approved, applicants may submit a new appeal for a future exam.

*To ensure that all applicants are afforded a full opportunity to request review for the February 2026 exam, implementation of this rule will be delayed until the February exam has concluded. Accordingly, applicants who submit more than one request for review in connection with the February 2026 exam cycle will continue to have those requests reviewed.

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What Is a Reasonable AccommodationWhat Is a DisabilityWhat Accommodations Are Available Filing Deadlines Key Changes to the Testing Accommodations Rules Related Links