Why California’s Bar Exam Remains Brutal — Even for Kim Kardashian

The July 2025 California bar exam once again proved to be one of the toughest professional tests in the United States.

According to the State Bar of California, only 54.8% of the 7,362 applicants passed, maintaining the state’s long-standing reputation for strict grading and demanding standards.

The latest results also drew attention after the inclusion of AI-assisted multiple-choice questions and reports of software glitches, which led to formal reviews by the Committee of Bar Examiners.

Among those who failed was media personality Kim Kardashian, who has been pursuing a law career since 2018. Her experience mirrors that of thousands of other test-takers who face the emotional and financial toll of repeated attempts.

The results underscore an ongoing debate about whether the bar exam accurately measures readiness to practice law in a modern context increasingly shaped by technology and alternative legal education paths.