The figure that frequently appears online is inaccurate, or at the very least lacking. Kim Kardashian is said to have failed the bar exam three times. The truth is more nuanced than that, and if you want to know what this story is really about, you have to get it right.
This is the real record: Before passing the California First-Year Law Students’ Examination, also known as the “baby bar,” on her fourth try in 2021, Kardashian failed it three times. That wasn’t the main event; rather, it was a requirement to continue her legal apprenticeship. Then, in July 2025, she took and failed the official California State Bar Exam for the first time. Over the course of her six-year journey, which started in 2018 when she began an apprenticeship at a San Francisco law firm, she has failed both exams four times in total. It makes sense that there would be confusion between the two tests, especially since Kardashian herself has occasionally blurred the lines in public, using terms like “baby bar” and “full bar” interchangeably, leaving viewers unsure of her precise position.
However, passing the baby bar was a noteworthy accomplishment in and of itself. First-year students at unaccredited schools take the California FYLSE, which consists of multiple-choice questions and essays covering three subjects in a single demanding day. There is no walk-through. Kardashian failed it in 2019, failed it again, and failed it a third time before passing away in November 2021. She shared the news on social media with an apparent sense of relief that seemed completely sincere. She wrote, “OMFGGGG I PASSED THE BABY BAR EXAM!!!!” and mentioned that it wasn’t given to her. The skeptics fell silent for a moment.
A minimum score of 1390 is needed to pass the two-day California bar exam, which consists of 200 multiple-choice questions, five essay questions, and a performance test. The bar in California is consistently rated as one of the hardest in the nation. After finishing her law apprenticeship program in May of that year, Kardashian took it in July 2025 and failed. In November, she made the announcement herself on Instagram, stating that although she wasn’t yet a lawyer, she was “still all in.” She also acknowledged that the outcomes had undermined her confidence, in a candid moment that felt surprisingly raw for someone so skilled at managing her public image. “I didn’t feel good about it right away when I got my results,” she said to Time Magazine. “I was really uncomfortable and not confident for a while.”
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kimberly Noel Kardashian |
| Born | October 21, 1980, Los Angeles, California |
| Profession | Businesswoman, Reality TV Personality, Aspiring Attorney |
| Education | Briefly attended Pierce College, LA; no bachelor’s degree; law apprenticeship (2018–2025) |
| Law Path | California Law Reader / Apprenticeship Program (San Francisco law firm) |
| Baby Bar Attempts | Failed 3 times; passed on 4th attempt in 2021 |
| Official California Bar Exam Attempts | Failed once (July 2025) |
| Total Exam Failures | 4 (3 baby bar + 1 official bar) |
| Current Status | Reportedly on pause; skipped February 2026 sitting; no plans until 2027 |
| Notable Statements | “No shortcuts, no giving up — just more studying and even more determination” (Instagram, Nov. 2025) |
| Unusual Study Choices | Used ChatGPT for preparation; consulted psychics |
It’s difficult to ignore how the public discourse surrounding her bar journey has consistently carried two different currents at once: sincere appreciation for someone trying something genuinely difficult without a traditional law school background, and ongoing doubt about whether her commitment is sincere or merely content. On her reality show, she sobbed and talked about having a “mental breakdown” while preparing for her studies. She accused ChatGPT of misguiding her preparation. After seeking advice from psychics regarding her exam results, she reportedly called them “all f—ing full of s—.” The idea of someone confined to a quiet study space for sixteen hours at a time isn’t exactly conveyed by these details.
Her decision to pursue an apprenticeship in California is genuinely uncommon and challenging. Every year, a small number of people finish it and pass the test, but those who do usually say that it takes months of complete, unwavering focus. Bar prep is described by attorneys who have experienced it as a full-time job with overtime—sixteen subjects, hundreds of rules, no shortcuts. The question that keeps coming up is whether someone who runs a fashion empire, films reality shows, attends red carpet events, and has four kids can actually give that exam what it requires. Eventually, under the correct circumstances, the answer might be yes. It’s also possible that those circumstances have never really come to pass.
According to current reports, Kardashian will not take the July exam and skipped the February 2026 sitting. According to sources, she intends to give it another go in 2027. It’s unclear if that’s a quiet retreat or a true strategic pause. She hasn’t made an official announcement that she’s finished, and if she does, it will probably be a very public announcement.
