In a move to cut costs and address its budget shortfall, the California State Bar’s Board of Trustees is looking into the adoption of its own licensing examination, a departure from the long-standing practice of using a national standardized test. The Board is scheduled to decide on this matter later this week. Bloomberg Law reported this development recently.
The state bar plans on approving a $1.475 million, five-year agreement with Kaplan North America LLC for the potential replacement. This new approach is aimed not just at cutting costs, but also at making the examination administration more flexible. The engagement of a private vendor for the provision of multiple-choice and written questions could allow the state bar to execute the examination either fully remotely or at small, vendor-owned testing centers.
The state bar’s admissions fund reportedly faces insolvency by 2026, adding a greater sense of urgency to these new cost-cutting measures.