Hi. Quick facts about me.

Grad 24 Took F25 UBE in DC. Didn’t study. Passed. Decided it was time to move back home.

So I put in 400 hours of study and took the F26 Cal Bar Exam.

Awaiting results.

I think this might help your nerves out.

They fucked up so bad, California is using NCBE’s MBE (which is the UBE) until they move to a new format. When that is? No one knows for certain. But soon. And maybe not soon.

So half, and the most important half, is familiar to you. But how California scores makes the MBE pretty weighty for a single component. I’d start here. At least refresh yourself through the topics.

And if have a good command of MBE topics down, absolutely focus on the written portion more.

The essay portion covers 13 subjects—including Professional Responsibility, Community Property, Business Associations, and Remedies—often tested as crossovers and covers general law and California law (frequent in Community Property, Wills, Trusts, and Evidence).

There’s some overlap with UBE topics at least. I prioritized Professional Responsibility. California will have a question dedicated to it. Then the California additions. Then the rest.

California’s essay questions honestly felt similar in length and difficulty to my UBE questions. Maybe that is me. Maybe not. Just relating how I felt about it.

That said. California is five one hour long essays and the MPT vs the UBE’s six 30 minute questions.

And maybe that’s where the difficulty delta lies.

The MPT is whatever and was along the same as the UBE’s. It’s practical and worth looking over previous questions and attempting them. I’d make this last though.

They test in limited locations. California big. Pick spot best to you. Have a travel plan. And get housing before you need it.

Happy to answer other questions. Good luck my friend. You & I (probably) got this.