What is the FYLSE? (How to Pass the Baby Bar Exam)
One requirement to become a lawyer without law school is the Baby Bar
Hi! I’m Shoshana and I help aspiring lawyers become lawyers without going to law school.
In this article, I’ll break down what the FYLSE (First Year Law Students Exam) is and what you need to understand before you try to take the exam.
Who Needs to Take the First Year Law Students Exam
The First Year Law Students Exam (FYLSE or FYLSX) is commonly known as the Baby Bar.
There are three types of people that will need to take the Baby Bar:
1. Law Students completing their first year at an Unaccredited Law School
2. Students entered in the Law Office Study Program, which are those that enroll in a four year law study program, without having to go to law school.
3. Those without two years of college work attending a Committee of Bar Examiners — or an American Bar Association-accredited law school which includes online law schools.
After one full year of study, you will be eligible to take the FYLSE!
You are generally exempt from taking the exam if you have attended ABA or California-accredited law school and completed a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter units of undergraduate work.
For more questions on who needs to take the baby bar, email me at info@lawprentice.com
What Topics Are Covered on the FYLSE / Baby Bar?
The Baby Bar is very similar to the format of the California Bar that is offered to all applicants that want to practice law.
There are only 3 topics that are covered in the First Year Law Students Exam: Torts, criminal law, and contracts. While this test is offered in California, it is not on California specific subjects.
California baby bar exam sample questions and past exams
Passing the baby bar is going to be a tough feat and you will need all the help you can get. If you need help preparing for this, contact me at info@lawprentice.com
What is the baby bar like?
The Baby Bar is a one-day, seven-hour exam made up of four essays and 100 multiple-choice questions in the topics of Contracts, Criminal Law, and Torts. In order to pass, you must have a 70% accuracy rate or more.
The Exam begins at 7:20 am. The morning essay session is 4 hours long and the afternoon multiple choice session is 3 hours long. Don’t worry, you will get breaks in between each session and exam!
When and where is the Baby Bar offered?
You can take the baby bar in either Los Angeles or San Francisco and is only offered in June and October. Make sure you apply 3 months in advance or you will face fines. Contact me at info@lawprentice.com if you have any questions regarding this.
How many times can you take the baby bar?
First-year students must pass the Baby Bar within three consecutive attempts in order to receive credit for one year of law study. Ex: If you take the Exam in June 2020, you can try the exam again in October 2020 and try for a final time in June 2021. If you don’t pass, you will have to restart and study for another year before taking it again.
Cost of the Baby Bar
Unfortunately the cost of the Baby Bar is a hefty fee for many people. The Exam itself costs $624 and if you would like to use your own laptop it will cost another $153.
Although the laptop fee is pricey, imagine trying to write the exams by hand! The laptop fee is well worth the added price.
Grading Rubric of the Baby Bar
The grading process is through a process known as equating for multiple choice scores and scaling for essay scores.
In layman’s terms, what this means is the grading takes into account all the differences between the exam’s questions and difficulty of the questions so you can be sure that your test is fairly graded.
What is the Baby Bar Pass Rate?
Despite its cute name, the Baby Bar is one of the toughest exams you can take. Overall the pass rate is 22%.
Don’t let this grim statistic get in the way of you passing! For more tips on how to ace the baby bar, email me at info@lawprentice.com
When do you get the results of the Baby Bar Exam?
You will get the Results of the Baby Bar Exam online, 3 months after taking the test.
What To Do Next
If you’re wondering what to do next, make sure that you know if you’re required to take the Baby Bar, understand what is required for the exam and Pass the Baby Bar.
Once you know the requirements, you’ll be able to Pass the Baby Bar with hard work and dedication!
I help aspiring lawyers become lawyers without going to law school. If you have any questions if you would like my help on what it takes to pass the Baby Bar, email me at info@lawprentice.com
