California Bar Exam

Study Smarter. Optimize Your Bar Prep.

Smart study tools that optimize your study time by helping you learn faster, practice more effectively, and prioritize the highly tested topics and rules.

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Trusted by 25,000+ examinees

★★★★★ 200+ Reviews

Our 3-Step Method to Study Smarter

1. Prioritize

Our signature color-coded Priority Outlines, Attack Sheets, & Frequency Charts streamline the mountain of information you need to know for the bar exam.

2. Optimize

Learn faster with Smart Flashcards that use cognitive science & adaptive learning to accelerate the learning experience.

3. Practice

Real questions licensed from the bar examiners along with our smart strategy to practice more effectively for the Multiple-Choice, Essays, and Performance Test.

As featured in:

“Smart Bar Prep is a great way for you to easily identify the subject areas and rules where you should focus the majority of your time and attention.”

See our Study Tools

Step 1. Prioritize

CA Essay Priority Outline

This incredible outline will become your go-to resource while you study for the exam. Covering all the essay rules tested since 2001, it’s organized to prioritize your studying, showing you each rule’s importance at a glance.

It’s our student favorite long-form product giving you detailed model rule statements with exam cites, tips, and room for personal notes so you can learn, add to, and keep by your side till exam day. We have packed this outline with:

569 rules tested in the last 50 exams.
Each rule’s Frequency with the specific exam the rule was tested – for quick reference.
A color-coded Priority Rating (High/Med/Low) for each rule to focus studying.
Model rule statements to 569 rules tested (covering 282 essays over 20 years), drafted how examiners test them so you know exactly what they are looking for.
PLUS, it’s updated to reflect: (1) the new CA Rules of Professional Conduct effective on Nov. 1, 2018; (2) the Aug. 2018 changes to the ABA advertising rules; (3) the recent 2020 & 2023 amendments to the ABA Rules; and (4) the recent 2020-2023 amendments to the CA Rules of Prof. Conduct, including Rule 8.3 requiring a lawyer to report misconduct.
Is written so it’s simple to understand with important legal phrases, concepts, and terms emphasized to create memory triggers.
Provides the detail required to adequately answer an essay question.

CA Priority Outline - Partnerships Page - Sample

MBE Smart Sheets

“Smart” Attack Sheets for the MBE Multiple-Choice Subjects
Concise breakdowns of the law for each subject that were created for memorization & review in the weeks and days leading up to the exam. Designed to be used in tandem with our Priority Outline, these Smart Sheets help you quickly memorize the important rules and topics with our signature priority color-coded system.

Within these condensed pages you will find:

Clear and concise rule statements.
6 to 10 pages of succinct explanation per subject.
The most important rules at a glance with a color-coded Priority Rating (High/Med).
A focus on the highly tested MBE topics and rules.

Not only that, these sheets quickly condense rule statements into clusters, helping you spot and analyze issues likely to be tested together thereby reinforcing your memory and triggering connections on test day.

MBE Smart Blocks™

Ultra-Condensed Visual Outlines

The “MBE Smart Blocks” were created to visually organize the MBE Multiple-Choice Subjects, Topics, & Rules in an ultra-concise format. These were designed to easily allow you to make connections between related bar exam Topics, thus making the rules easier to memorize.

Their visual and concise nature helps to create a mental framework of the law tested for any given Topic, as well as to create a set of triggers for rule memorization that can be drawn upon on exam day. We find these are best utilized in the weeks and days before the exam.

In the Smart Blocks you will find:

Each subject organized visually into “Topic Blocks” that contain the related rules for a given topic.
Ultra-short rule statements for easy memorization.
Key legal issues to consider when working through practice questions.
Color-coded Priority Ratings to focus on the most frequently tested rules.
Visual elements to show how to apply specific legal concepts.
Important Exam Tips.

Frequency Charts

for the CA Essay, PT, & MBE sections
Our Frequency Charts catalog the number of times each rule or item has appeared on the bar exam, and helps to further identify topics that are worth devoting your precious study time on.

The Frequency Charts:

Are sorted from most to least tested.
Include bar charts to visually see how often items are tested.
Can be used as a checklist to make sure you’re studying ALL of the important subjects & rules.

Plus, each Frequency Chart contains unique features.

CA Essay Frequency

Contains cross-references to the page numbers in our Priority Outline to provide easy access to refresh your memory on the extended model rule statements.
Is sorted from most to least tested, BOTH overall and within each subject area.

MBE Frequency

Shows the testing frequency of each subject & topic category.
The number of questions to expect for each topic (based upon the official MBE subject matter outline).

CA PT Frequency

Bar chart of how often each PT Task has been tested.
Breakdown of the Tasks tested on every California PT since 2002.
Is sorted by overall frequency (from most to least tested).

As featured in:

“Concise breakdowns of the law for each subject with a focus on highly tested [Multiple-Choice] and Essay rules.”

Step 2. Optimize

Smart Flashcards

Flashcards are a key component to bar prep, but not just any cards will do. We believe in optimizing your learning with smart technology. That’s why we partnered with Brainscape to offer our flashcards in a mobile study platform that accelerates your learning results, using a “smart flashcards” algorithm rooted in cognitive science.

Covering both the CA Essay & MBE Multiple-Choice subjects, the Smart Flashcards:

Show key concepts in question & answer format for 740+ cards.
Are ideal for memorizing rules with multiple elements.
Adapt to your strengths & weaknesses, and apply decades of cognitive science research to make studying as efficient as possible.
Optimize memory by repeating legal concepts at the optimal interval for faster learning and longer retention.
Useful for reinforcing your knowledge of rules and committing them to memory
Are consistent with our Priority Outline and Smart Sheets, plus contain each rule’s Priority Rating (High/Medium/Low).
Can be used online or on your mobile device (iPhone, iPad, or Android) for memorizing legal concepts on the go.

Printable Flashcards

A printable version of the flashcards is also available in PDF format for those who like to study in a paper hard-copy format.

Step 3. Practice

The Perfect Practice Materials. Use the most current & relevant practice materials for YOUR bar exam study.

Studying the law is one thing, but you’ll also need practice to pass. To that end, we have developed smart study tools and licensed real Multiple-Choice, Essay, & PT Questions straight from the NCBE and California Committee of Bar Examiners.

California Essay Practice

Real Practice Essays

You must actually practice writing essays to do well on the Essay Section! No matter how painful. We recommend writing at least 1-2 essays per subject area.

SmartBarPrep gives you access to actual Past California Bar Essays. Use these to practice writing essays under timed conditions.

Includes:

Real CA Essay Questions for 22+ years (over 250 essays spanning Feb. 2000 – July 2025).
Two full Sample Answers for every essay. These answers received high grades by passing examinees, and are perfect to grade yourself to see how your answer measures up.
Clickable table of contents to easily find a particular Subject, Essay Question, or Answer. The Essays are organized in reverse chronological order by subject tested. That way you can see the most recent essays first or click on a particular essay for a subject you want to work on.

California PT Practice

Real Practice PT’s

The California Performance Test (PT) is often an overlooked section of the exam, despite the fact that it accounts for decent portion of your score. With that in mind, we encourage practicing at least 1 question per Task type.

In our PT Practice Materials, we’ve made that easy by organizing past PT’s by Task so you can easily jump into practice.

Includes:

Real newer current-format California PT exams (17 questions from July 2017 – July 2025).
Plus two Selected Examinee Answers for each California PT included.
Real MPT exams for 22+ years (over 100 questions from July 1997 – February 2026). These mimic the current newer-format California PT’s and are excellent for practice.
MPT Point Sheets that the bar exam graders use to score MPT questions so you can grade yourself.
A clickable Table of Contents to easily find a particular Task Type, PT Question, Selected Answer, or Point Sheet. The PT questions are organized by Task in reverse chronological order, so you can start with the newest questions first.

MBE Multiple-Choice Practice

800+ Real Multiple-Choice Questions (from past MBE exams)

These are the most current & recently released questions from the NCBE – released from 2014 to 2022.

We’ve taken all the guesswork out of finding the best MBE Multiple-Choice questions, so that you can practice with the closest thing to the real exam.

What You’ll Receive in this MBE Question Pack:

MBE Complete Practice Exam
(200 Questions + Explanations)

The MBE Complete Practice Exam is a new full-length simulated MBE, and includes:

200 MBE questions selected from recent exams;
updated items consistent with current law; and
annotations for each question, explaining why the answer is correct and the distractors are wrong.

All 200 questions are from actual past administrations of the MBE bar exam, PLUS answer explanations are provided so you can review why an answer is correct or incorrect.

This is the only full-length simulated MBE offered by NCBE (just released in September 2021)… and SmartBarPrep has licensed access to it, so you can be the most prepared for the MBE section of the bar exam!

Four Practice Exams

Each Practice Exam includes 100 questions from six MBE subject areas:

Constitutional Law
Contracts
Criminal Law and Procedure
Evidence
Real Property
Torts

Note: Civil Procedure was not tested on the MBE until February of 2015, and for that reason is not included in this study set. But rest assured, we have you covered with our Civil Procedure Mini Practice Exam (see below).

Detailed Explanations for the
400 Practice Questions

Explanations are essential to effective MBE Practice. If you do tons of questions, but never review explanations of why your answer was correct or incorrect, then you’re missing the point of doing the practice questions in the first place.

Knowing why your answers were incorrect or incorrect will propel your studying to the next level. This will not only solidify your MBE knowledge, but also eliminates any wild guess (that resulted in a correct answer) from being bypassed and not reviewed.

Civil Procedure Mini Practice Exam

Test your knowledge of Civil Procedure with 56 Official MBE Questions, including the first ever actual used Civil Procedure questions released.

PLUS, included are the official answer explanations written by the NCBE for each question – including the ones just released in 2019 and 2020.

Mini Practice Exams by Subject

Each mini-exam includes 30 MBE Questions drawn from recent exams. The mini-exams are grouped individually by subject area, followed by an Answer Key.

Each group of questions is prefaced by the official Subject Matter Scope Outline released by the NCBE.

There are no explanations for these sets, but they are the most recent questions released by the NCBE and are the closest thing to the actual MBE questions still used on the test today.

PRE-ORDER THE FEBRUARY 2027 STUDY TOOLS NOW!

The Bar Exam Gets Closer Every Day

Don’t wait. Optimize your studying today with our Smart Study System.

STANDARD

California Bar Exam

^$149

INSTANT DOWNLOAD

Add To Cart

CA Essay Priority Outline

MBE Smart Sheets

MBE Smart Blocks

MBE Frequency Chart

CA Essay Frequency Chart

CA PT Frequency Chart

CA/MBE Smart Flashcards

CA/MBE Printable Flashcards

CA Practice Essays & Sample Answers
(250+ essays)

CA PT Practice Materials (100+ PT’s)

MBE Practice Questions
(800+ multiple-choice questions)

Add To Cart

DELUXE

California Bar Exam

^$249

INSTANT DOWNLOAD

Add To Cart

CA Essay Priority Outline

MBE Smart Sheets

MBE Smart Blocks

MBE Frequency Chart

CA Essay Frequency Chart

CA PT Frequency Chart

CA/MBE Smart Flashcards

CA/MBE Printable Flashcards

CA Practice Essays & Sample Answers
(250+ essays)

CA PT Practice Materials (100+ PT’s)

MBE Practice Questions
(800+ multiple-choice questions)

Add To Cart

The Secret Behind SmartBarPrep

The problem with most preparation materials is that they don’t do enough hard research using ACTUAL exams. The typical bar exam outline or study guide tells you every rule imaginable but does not provide any clear guide as to what rules matter most.

It got us thinking…could we do better?

Our answer, SmartBarPrep’s Priority Outline, is based on the analysis of past California Bar Exam essays. It would take you over 1,000 hours of reading, analyzing, compiling, and drafting to equal the information at your fingertips in our outlines and study guides.

Here is the method used to create the Priority Outline:

The California Committee of Bar Examiners releases past exam questions along with student answers for each question approximately 3 months after the exam. This has allowed us to compile statistics from the last 50 California Bar Exams (July 2001 to February 2026) by analyzing every issue and rule that was tested.

Every topic tested on those California Bar Exam essays is compiled here!

The 80/20 Rule in Action

We are a firm believer in the 80/20 Rule developed by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. In short, the rule says that in almost anything in life, only a few things (the 20%) are essential, while the rest (the remaining 80%) are trivial.

After thousands of hours in review, the SmartBarPrep team proved that this rule can be applied to the bar exam. In line with the 80/20 Rule, patterns emerged. The most noticeable was that the bar examiners tested some material more frequently than others.

For example, whenever an Evidence question appeared we found that over 80% of the time a component of the question dealt with the “General Hearsay Rule”. Since this rule is tested frequently, it makes sense to spend more time memorizing it than, say, the rule of “Prohibition Against Jury Investigations”, which appeared only once in the last 20+ years.

Also in line with the 80/20 Rule, focusing 80% of your time and energy on the 20% of the rules of law that are tested most frequently will maximize your chances of passing. Don’t just work hard; work smart by focusing on the right things.

That is exactly what our study materials do: They show you what is most important and where to focus your efforts.

Here is a chart that shows just how often rules are repeated:

February 2026 86% 86%
July 2025 92% 92%
February 2025 98% 98%
July 2024 87% 87%
February 2024 97% 97%
July 2023 97% 97%
February 2023 93% 93%
July 2022 93% 93%
February 2022 98% 98%
July 2021 97% 97%
February 2021 89% 89%
October 2020 91% 91%
February 2020 95% 95%
July 2019 89% 89%
February 2019 82% 82%
July 2018 95% 95%
February 2018 96% 96%
July 2017 90% 90%
February 2017 92% 92%
July 2016 92% 92%
February 2016 90% 90%
July 2015 85% 85%
February 2015 93% 93%
July 2014 85% 85%
February 2014 84% 84%
July 2013 69% 69%
February 2013 75% 75%
July 2012 83% 83%

Are You Ready to Study Smarter?

STANDARD

California Bar Exam

^$149

INSTANT DOWNLOAD

Add To Cart

CA Essay Priority Outline

MBE Smart Sheets

MBE Smart Blocks

MBE Frequency Chart

CA Essay Frequency Chart

CA PT Frequency Chart

CA/MBE Smart Flashcards

CA/MBE Printable Flashcards

CA Practice Essays & Sample Answers
(250+ essays)

CA PT Practice Materials (100+ PT’s)

MBE Practice Questions
(800+ multiple-choice questions)

Add To Cart

DELUXE

California Bar Exam

^$249

INSTANT DOWNLOAD

Add To Cart

CA Essay Priority Outline

MBE Smart Sheets

MBE Smart Blocks

MBE Frequency Chart

CA Essay Frequency Chart

CA PT Frequency Chart

CA/MBE Smart Flashcards

CA/MBE Printable Flashcards

CA Practice Essays & Sample Answers
(250+ essays)

CA PT Practice Materials (100+ PT’s)

MBE Practice Questions
(800+ multiple-choice questions)

Add To Cart

Model Rule Statements for Each Rule

Knowing the frequency of each rule allows you to focus your precious study time. But what about how to answer? Our Essay Priority Outline also provides model rule statements for each rule. So, you’ll know exactly what to write on the day of the exam. The model answers are to the point, so you’ll have just what you need. Walk into exam day armed with confidence that you can ace the essay portion of the exam…

And it’s all in a concise format that keeps you focused and organized.

Here is an excerpt from the SmartBarPrep Essay Priority Outline:

Integrate Our Guides With Your Bar Review Course

While our study guides are intended to be your go-to resource for passing the bar, they are also designed for integrated use along with popular courses like BarBri, Themis, BarMax, and Kaplan.

Our Priority Outlines, Smart Sheets, and study tools integrate well with review courses because each is arranged in terms of frequency and topic, saving you the hassle of trying to figure out which rules are the most important to study.

SmartBarPrep has helped thousands of examinees pass the bar exam since 2011!

“Passed CA on first attempt. I found your materials so incredibly helpful for the essays. I am recommending them to everyone. My essays went from being my worst nightmare, to being easier than the MBEs, thanks to memorized rule statements all located in one place. The rules in order of percentage tested (%) was also super valuable.”
Jason. Santa Clara University School of Law (Passed California bar exam on 1st try using SmartBarPrep).

“I passed the bar! I wanted to thank you for the amazing outline. Your outline was all I read for the essay portion, and it really helped me out. It was very organized and it had all the rules that I needed for the essays. Thank you again and have a great day.”
Arezoo B. Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (Passed California bar exam using SmartBarPrep).

“I began studying for the February 2019 California Bar Exam in September of last year. After extensive self-study, I still felt unsure of myself three weeks before the exam. I downloaded your outline and found it incredibly helpful. The rules were accurately and clearly laid out. I really do believe that I was able to pass because of the materials you provided for a reasonable price. Thank you again.”
Nathan S. (Passed California bar exam using SmartBarPrep).

Ready to get started?

STANDARD

California Bar Exam

^$149

INSTANT DOWNLOAD

Add To Cart

CA Essay Priority Outline

MBE Smart Sheets

MBE Smart Blocks

MBE Frequency Chart

CA Essay Frequency Chart

CA PT Frequency Chart

CA/MBE Smart Flashcards

CA/MBE Printable Flashcards

CA Practice Essays & Sample Answers
(250+ essays)

CA PT Practice Materials (100+ PT’s)

MBE Practice Questions
(800+ multiple-choice questions)

Add To Cart

DELUXE

California Bar Exam

^$249

INSTANT DOWNLOAD

Add To Cart

CA Essay Priority Outline

MBE Smart Sheets

MBE Smart Blocks

MBE Frequency Chart

CA Essay Frequency Chart

CA PT Frequency Chart

CA/MBE Smart Flashcards

CA/MBE Printable Flashcards

CA Practice Essays & Sample Answers
(250+ essays)

CA PT Practice Materials (100+ PT’s)

MBE Practice Questions
(800+ multiple-choice questions)

Add To Cart

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see a sample?

Sure… you can see samples of our California bar exam study materials here.

Is there a guarantee?

Yes… If after reading through our outlines and study guides, you aren’t happy for any reason, just email us within 30 days of purchase and you’ll receive a full refund.* We obviously don’t think it’ll come to that, but if you’re even the least bit worried, then put your mind at ease.

*When 30-Day Guarantee is Not Applicable

NO REFUNDS are given under any circumstances for the portion of any purchase relating to MBE Practice Questions because of the nature of the materials. We unfortunately cannot issue refunds for the MBE Practice Question amount, as substantial per student licensing fees must be paid to the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) for providing access to such materials.

When will the February 2027 materials be released?

The updated February 2027 bar exam study materials will be released in early-to-mid December 2026. [Note: The exact release date depends on when the most recent exam is released, so that we can update the priority & frequency statistics.]

If you purchase the current July 2026 version now, we will automatically send you the February 2027 materials for FREE when they are released.

If I purchase now, will you send me the February 2027 materials?

Yes, we will automatically send you the February 2027 materials for FREE when they are released. You will immediately receive the July 2026 materials to get a head start studying.

What is the access period (how long can I access the materials)?

Smart Flashcards – Access Period

Access Period

Feb Exam: Aug. 1st – Feb. 29th
July Exam: March 1st – July 31st

Access Period for All Other Study Materials

With the exception of the Smart Flashcards, all of our study materials are delivered in standard digital PDF format. Once downloaded, you can use the materials as long as you wish.

However, the link to download the materials usually expires at 6 months from your purchase (for security reasons) – we can reactivate the download links in certain circumstances if you email us. For that reason, we suggest that you download the materials on your computer or device.

What is the format?

With the exception of the Smart Flashcards, all of our study materials are an instant digital download in PDF format. Unfortunately, we do not provide any materials in hard-copy paper format. However, there are no restrictions on printing, so you would be able to print the outlines and study guides yourself.

You can use any PDF reader software to view the PDF files. If you need a PDF reader software, you can download Adobe Reader for free here.

Can I print the outlines?

Yes, there are no restrictions on printing out copies of the materials for your personal use.

How long will it take to get access?

Immediately, since the files are downloadable. After your purchase, you will be emailed a unique link to access and download the files.

What subjects are covered?

SmartBarPrep’s study materials cover the subjects tested on the California Bar Exam Essays and Multistate Bar Exam (MBE). See the full list of subjects below:

California Essay Subjects

Agency
Partnerships
Corporations
Civil Procedure
Community Property
Constitutional Law
Contracts
Criminal Law
Criminal Procedure
Evidence
Professional Liability
Real Property
Remedies
Torts
Trusts
Wills & Estates

MBE Subjects

Civil Procedure
Constitutional Law
Contracts
Criminal Law & Procedure
Evidence
Real Property
Torts

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Study Smarter. Optimize Your Bar Prep.

Our 3-Step Method to Study Smarter

Step 1. Prioritize

CA Essay Priority Outline

MBE Smart Sheets

MBE Smart Blocks™

Frequency Charts

Step 2. Optimize

Smart Flashcards

Printable Flashcards

Step 3. Practice

Civil Procedure Mini Practice Exam

The Secret Behind SmartBarPrep

The 80/20 Rule in Action

Model Rule Statements for Each Rule

Integrate Our Guides With Your Bar Review Course

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see a sample?

Is there a guarantee?

*When 30-Day Guarantee is Not Applicable

When will the February 2027 materials be released?

If I purchase now, will you send me the February 2027 materials?

What is the access period (how long can I access the materials)?

What is the format?

Can I print the outlines?

How long will it take to get access?

What subjects are covered?