Format and time
How many questions the exam has, and how long you get
The time is official: three and a half hours. The question count isn't — and it's worth understanding why before you trust any number.
Time
3 hours 30 minutes per exam (official)
Questions
~115, as widely reported. CSLB doesn't publish it.
Format
Multiple choice, four options, one BEST answer
Materials
Closed book. PSI provides the calculator.
Why nobody can confirm the number
The official 13E-LAW (03-2026) study guide lists the seven sections and their weights, says the exam is closed book and multiple choice, and stops there. It gives no question count. Neither does CSLB's examination FAQ, nor PSI's information guide.
About 115 is what schools and candidates report, and it's a sensible number for three and a half hours. But it's second-hand, which is why you'll never see us call it official.
A pacing plan by section
At 115 questions in 210 minutes you get about 1 min 50 s each. Here's how that time falls if the exam follows the official weights. Use it as a mental clock: if you're not at question 58 by halfway, speed up.
The official weights are approximate, so your form may differ slightly. See the seven sections and the topics in each.
Exam day, minute by minute
- Arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment. Arrive after the start time and you can lose your seat and your exam fee.
- Bring valid, non-expired government photo ID. Without it, it counts as a missed appointment.
- Leave everything in the truck: phone, food, drinks, notes, your own calculator, hats and sunglasses are all banned from the room.
- Before you start there's an on-screen tutorial with sample questions. Its first 15 minutes don't count against your time.
- You see one question at a time, with the minutes remaining at the top of the screen.
- When you finish you return to the desk and are handed your printed score report.
What’s on that report? Less than you’d expect. And if you don’t pass, here are the retake rules.
FAQ
How long is the Law and Business exam?
Three and a half hours. CSLB puts it plainly: you will be given 3-1/2 hours to complete each examination. If you sit Law and Business and your trade exam on the same day, each gets its own 3.5-hour block.
How many questions are on it?
CSLB doesn't publish it. The figure most often repeated is about 115 questions, but it appears in no official publication. We build our timed exams at 115 so the pacing you practice is no easier than the real thing.
How much time do I get per question?
At 115 questions that's about 1 min 50 s each. It's plenty for recall questions — the risk is getting stuck on the maths.
Does the tutorial at the start eat my time?
No. PSI runs an on-screen tutorial before you begin, and the first 15 minutes of it do not count as part of your examination time.
Is it closed book? Do they give you a calculator?
It's closed book — no reference materials at all. A calculator is provided; you can't bring your own, because calculators are on the prohibited-items list.
Should I answer everything even when I don't know?
Yes. There's no penalty for guessing, so a blank answer just throws away a chance.
Practice the pace, not just the material
20 free questions spread like the real exam. With the full pass you sit 115-question exams timed to 210 minutes.
Official sources: CSLB study guide 13E-LAW (03-2026) · CSLB Examination FAQ · PSI Examination Information Guide