What to Bring to the California Bar Exam (July 2026)

If you're sitting for the California bar exam this summer, knowing exactly what to bring to the California bar exam can save you a lot of stress on a morning when you have zero to spare. The July 2026 exam runs two days, Tuesday July 28 and Wednesday July 29. Day 1 is the written session (five essays plus a Performance Test), and Day 2 is the 200-question Multistate Bar Exam. The essays are where a big chunk of your score lives, so if you've been running timed practice through BarScore this cycle, keep that up. First, though, let's get you through the door with a clean, room-by-room packing list.

What Do You Have to Bring to the California Bar Exam?

Two things are non-negotiable, and you need both at every single session:

• Your printed Admittance Ticket. It becomes available in the Applicant Portal starting June 30, 2026. Print it on paper and keep it clean. Any extra writing on the ticket can trigger a Chapter 6 conduct notice, so don't jot notes on it.
• A valid physical government photo ID. No digital IDs, no photos of your license.

Your ticket lists your assigned test center and your report time. You can only test at the site printed on your ticket, so read it carefully the day it drops.

You also need to bring your own #2 pencils (non-mechanical) and pens (blue or black ink only, non-digital). California does not hand these out, and this catches people off guard every cycle.

What Does California Provide?

Less than you'd think, so plan around it. For the written session, you get hard-copy question books and physical scratch paper distributed before each session. Need more paper? Raise your hand. Tissues are provided inside the exam room, which is why you can't bring your own.

For the MBE session on Day 2, you get a hard-copy multiple-choice question book and a Scantron answer sheet. There's no scratch paper for the MBE at all. Your only workspace is the margins of the question book.

What California does not provide: pencils, pens, laptop power cords, or water in the exam room. And to clear up a common myth, there are no erasable note boards and no board-supplied pencils. Bring your own everything.

What You Can Pack in Your Clear Bag

Permitted items travel in one small clear plastic bag, no larger than one gallon, and that bag may stay on your desk. Larger permitted items like a pillow don't need to fit in the bag. Everything is subject to inspection. Here's what makes the cut:

• Personal: cash (no writing on it) and credit/debit cards, keys, religious headwear.
• Health and wellness: unwrapped cough drops or lozenges, diabetes-related equipment, eyedrops (no labels), eyeglasses (no cases, no sunglasses), face masks (no writing), foam earplugs (not connected to each other), lip balm (no labels), menstrual products, OTC and prescription medication and inhalers.
• Water: one unlabeled clear bottle or cup with a lid, no larger than 40 oz, water only.
• Timekeeping: a silent analog watch, or an analog timer or clock that's 4 by 4 inches or smaller.
• Comfort and medical: one back support (no cover), one orthopedic cushion or standard pillow (no case), one footrest, casts, splints, braces, crutches, wheelchairs, hearing aids.
• Written-session stationery and computer accessories: one document holder or bookstand, erasers (no writing), highlighters (for marking questions only, not answers), a wired or wireless keyboard and mouse, a laptop riser no higher than 4 inches, a solid-color mouse pad (no writing), paper clips, a manual clear pencil sharpener with an attachable shavings container, and rulers.

What to Leave at Home

If it isn't on the permitted list, assume it's banned. Being caught with a prohibited item can mean confiscation, a Chapter 6 notice, a score of zero for that session, and more. The specific no-list includes:

• Bags, backpacks, purses, and laptop sleeves (other than the one clear bag) and wallets.
• Cell phones, headphones, media players, language translators, and any picture-taking device.
• Digital, programmable, or noise-emitting electronics: smartwatches, digital watches, activity trackers (Fitbit, Oura Ring), smart glasses, and digital timers.
• Caps, hats, and hoods worn on the head (religious apparel excepted).
• Mechanical pencils, e-cigarettes and vaping products, silicone or wax or electronic earplugs.
• Food or drinks other than water, including candy and gum. And your own tissues, since those are provided.

The MBE session adds more bans on top of the above: no computer, mouse, keyboard, laptop riser, document holder, rulers, pens, highlighters, mechanical erasers, or any scratch paper, books, or notes. Day 2 is genuinely just you, a pencil, and a Scantron.

Laptop and Software Rules

California uses ExamSoft's Examplify for the written session only. There's no laptop for the MBE. A few things you can't skip:

• Uninstall any old version of SofTest or Examplify and install the version built for the July 2026 exam. Registration and download instructions are emailed starting June 30, 2026.
• The mock exam is mandatory for all laptop users, and the deadline to complete and upload it is July 24, 2026. You can take it up to five times, but you must upload the mock answer file and get email confirmation. Miss it and you'll be required to handwrite.
• Hardware limits: laptops only (Windows or Mac), max screen size 17.3 inches. Desktops and tablets with detachable keyboards like the iPad and Surface Pro are not allowed. No backup laptops without an accommodation.

You can review the full official rules on the State Bar's July 2026 exam page. ExamSoft support runs 24/7 at 1-888-816-3065 if setup goes sideways.

What Should You Wear?

There's no dress code, but there's a real reason to think about it. Exam rooms often heat up as applicants fill them, so official guidance strongly encourages dressing in layers you can remove to stay comfortable in both cool and warm temperatures. Skip anything you can't quietly adjust. Caps, hats, and hoods can't be worn on your head during the exam (hooded clothing is fine as long as the hood stays down), and sunglasses are prohibited.

Key Deadlines and Report Times

Mark these now:

• June 1, 2026: last day to change between the General Bar Exam and the Attorneys' Exam.
• June 30, 2026: Admittance Ticket and ExamSoft registration open.
• July 6, 2026: deadline to request a change to handwriting.
• July 24, 2026: mandatory mock exam completion and upload deadline.
• July 30, 2026 at noon Pacific: deadline to upload both answer files. A late upload within two weeks costs 10 scaled points; not uploading within two weeks means a zero. No waivers.
• November 6, 2026: results by 4:00 p.m. PT.

On exam mornings, per the most recent official notice, you must be seated by 8:20 a.m., so confirm the exact time on your admission ticket. Instructions begin around 8:30 a.m. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early to check in and set up. Everyone must leave the building during the lunch break, and if you exit the secure area mid-session you can't get back in until it ends. For a broader packing routine, here's the general exam day checklist.

In the days before July 28, timed practice essays do more for your score than another read-through of your outlines, and you can paste one into BarScore for a score plus detailed feedback in seconds on a free trial, so you walk into Day 1 knowing exactly where your writing stands.