What the California Law & Ethics Exam Is
The California Law & Ethics Exam is a standardized exam required of every associate registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. It is delivered and administered by Pearson Vue, the BBS's testing vendor, and Pearson Vue publishes the official Candidate Handbook for the exam at home.pearsonvue.com/cabbs.
The exam applies to all three associate registration types issued by the BBS:
- Associate Marriage and Family Therapists (AMFTs)
- Associate Clinical Social Workers (ASWs)
- Associate Professional Clinical Counselors (APCCs)
Regardless of which path you are on, the Law & Ethics Exam is part of your associate years. For an overview of where it fits in the bigger picture, see our guides on how to become an MFT in California, how to become an LPCC in California, and the ASW-to-LCSW path.
This guide explains the process — how the exam fits into your associate years and how to request it. It is not exam-prep material and does not cover exam content or strategy. We do not recommend prep vendors.
When You Have to Take It
There are two separate timing rules to understand, and they work independently of each other.
1. You must take it annually to renew — until you pass it
To renew your associate registration each year, you must take the California Law & Ethics Exam. This applies whether or not you have passed it yet — in other words, until you pass, you have to sit for the exam during each renewal period. Once you pass the exam, you are finished with it: you do not take it again, and it is not part of future renewals.
2. You must pass it before the BBS issues a subsequent registration
Associates can hold a registration for a limited number of years before it expires and they must obtain a new (subsequent) registration number. The BBS will not issue you a subsequent associate registration — a second or third registration number — until you have passed the Law & Ethics Exam. So even though you can renew an existing registration just by taking the exam, you cannot move to a fresh registration cycle without passing it.
The practical takeaway: most associates aim to take and pass the exam early in their associate years rather than letting it hang over multiple renewal cycles. Sitting for it sooner removes the annual obligation and keeps the door open to a subsequent registration if you need one.
Track your registration dates alongside your hours
Your associate registration expiration and renewal dates run on their own clock, separate from your supervised-hour milestones. Keeping both in one place — the way our 90-day rule guide describes for post-degree hours — helps you avoid a renewal surprise.
How to Request the Exam: Initial vs. Re-Examination
There are two routes to the exam, depending on whether you are taking it for the first time or retaking it.
Taking it the first time
You submit a Request for Initial Law & Ethics Exam to the BBS:
- AMFTs and ASWs: use the online form at bbs.ca.gov/exams/initial_lawethics_app.html
- APCCs: use the form
registrant_initial_law-ethic_exam_request.pdffrom the BBS
Once the BBS approves your eligibility, you schedule your exam appointment with Pearson Vue. The Pearson Vue Candidate Handbook covers how scheduling works, what to bring, and the testing experience itself.
Retaking it
If you do not pass, you submit a Request for Re-Examination at bbs.ca.gov/exams/re_exam_acknowledge.html (the re-exam form is re-exam_app_37a-298.pdf). Re-exam scheduling can be done online through the BreEZe portal — that is the one part of this process that runs through BreEZe. (Initial-exam requests go through the BBS forms above, not BreEZe.)
The Law and Ethics Examination FAQ
The BBS maintains a Law and Ethics Examination FAQ at bbs.ca.gov/pdf/publications/law_ethics_faq.pdf. It is the authoritative source for questions about eligibility, retaking the exam, and how the requirement applies to your situation. Check it before submitting any exam request.
The Exam vs. the 3-Hour Law & Ethics CE Requirement
These are two entirely separate requirements, and conflating them is one of the most common sources of confusion among associates.
| Law & Ethics Exam | 3-Hour Law & Ethics CE | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A standardized exam administered by Pearson Vue. | A continuing education course (3 hours of California law and ethics content). |
| When | Take it annually to renew — until you pass; then never again. | Complete it during each renewal period, before renewing. Effective January 1, 2023. |
| Who | All registered associates (AMFTs, ASWs, APCCs). | All registered associates — whether or not you have passed the Law & Ethics Exam. |
| Source | Pearson Vue Candidate Handbook & BBS Law and Ethics Examination FAQ. | BBS Registrant continuing education brochure. |
In short: passing the exam does not exempt you from the CE requirement, and completing the CE hours does not satisfy the exam requirement. They live on the same renewal cycle but are checked independently.
The 3-hour Law & Ethics CE applies to every registered associate during every renewal period, even after you have passed the exam. Don't assume passing the exam takes care of it.
Passing Score, Fees, Question Count, and Content
For the current passing score, number of questions, time limit, content outline, fees, and accommodations, see the California Law & Ethics Exam Candidate Handbook (Pearson Vue, at home.pearsonvue.com/cabbs) and the BBS Law and Ethics Examination FAQ at bbs.ca.gov.
We deliberately do not reproduce those figures here. Exam parameters and fees change, and the official sources are the only ones you should rely on. There are also many exam-prep companies that publish their own summaries and study materials — this guide does not endorse or rank any of them, and prep strategy is outside its scope.
Exam details and fees change — always confirm current requirements directly with the BBS at bbs.ca.gov and with Pearson Vue before you plan around any number you read online, including older versions of the official handbook.
A Simple Way to Stay On Top of It
The exam itself is not complicated to manage — the risk is forgetting it as a renewal obligation. Here is a short checklist.
Plan to take it early in your associate years
Taking and passing the exam sooner removes the annual take-it-to-renew obligation and keeps a subsequent registration available if you need one.
Submit the right request form
First time: Request for Initial Law & Ethics Exam (AMFT/ASW online form; APCC PDF form). Retaking: Request for Re-Examination, schedulable in BreEZe.
Read the Pearson Vue Candidate Handbook before scheduling
It covers passing score, question count, time limit, content outline, fees, and accommodations — the things this guide intentionally does not state.
Keep the exam and the 3-hour CE separate in your planning
Both ride the renewal cycle; both are checked independently. Passing the exam does not cover the CE, and the CE applies even after you pass.
Re-confirm requirements before each renewal
Check bbs.ca.gov and the Law and Ethics Examination FAQ each renewal period — fees and rules change.
How HourJourney Fits In
HourJourney is built for California pre-licensed therapists. It does not administer the Law & Ethics Exam — that is Pearson Vue — but it keeps the rest of your associate years in order so the exam is one less thing competing for your attention.
- A/B/C hour tracking — Log direct clinical (A), non-clinical (B), and supervision (C) hours in the exact BBS categories.
- Supervision-week tracking — HourJourney counts your supervision weeks toward the BBS minimums automatically.
- BBS form export — Export your weekly logs and experience verification in the official BBS formats, ready to file.
For where the exam fits in the broader licensure path, see our guide on the AMFT registration process in California.
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FAQ: California Law & Ethics Exam
Who has to take the California Law & Ethics Exam?+
All three associate registration types issued by the California BBS must take it: Associate Marriage and Family Therapists (AMFTs), Associate Clinical Social Workers (ASWs), and Associate Professional Clinical Counselors (APCCs).
When do I have to take the Law & Ethics Exam?+
You must take the exam each year in order to renew your associate registration until you pass it. Once you pass, you do not take it again. Separately, you must pass the exam before the BBS will issue you a subsequent (second or third) associate registration number.
How do I request the Law & Ethics Exam for the first time?+
Submit a Request for Initial Law & Ethics Exam to the BBS. AMFTs and ASWs use the online form at bbs.ca.gov/exams/initial_lawethics_app.html; APCCs use the registrant_initial_law-ethic_exam_request.pdf form. After the BBS approves your eligibility, you schedule with Pearson Vue, which administers the exam.
How do I retake the Law & Ethics Exam if I do not pass?+
Submit a Request for Re-Examination at bbs.ca.gov/exams/re_exam_acknowledge.html (re-exam form re-exam_app_37a-298.pdf). Re-exam scheduling can be done online through the BreEZe portal. Consult the BBS Law and Ethics Examination FAQ at bbs.ca.gov for current details.
Is the Law & Ethics Exam the same as the 3-hour Law & Ethics CE requirement?+
No. They are two separate requirements. The exam is a one-time exam you must take annually until you pass it. The 3-hour California Law & Ethics continuing education requirement, effective January 1, 2023, must be completed by every registered associate during each renewal period before renewing, whether or not you have passed the exam.
What is the passing score and how many questions are on the Law & Ethics Exam?+
For the current passing score, number of questions, time limit, content outline, fees, and accommodations, see the California Law & Ethics Exam Candidate Handbook from Pearson Vue at home.pearsonvue.com/cabbs and the BBS Law and Ethics Examination FAQ at bbs.ca.gov. This guide explains the process, not the exam content.
Related guides
How to Become an MFT in California: Step-by-Step
The complete path from MFT degree to LMFT license.
How to Become an LPCC in California
Education, the APCC years, hours, and exams for the LPCC path.
From ASW to LCSW in California
How the social work associate years work, from registration to licensure.
AMFT Registration Process in California: Step-by-Step
Live Scan, the application, fees, and the full timeline.
The BBS 90-Day Rule for AMFTs, APCCs, and ASWs
How to protect post-degree hours earned before your number arrives.
Start tracking your hours free
Log A/B/C hours, count supervision weeks, and export BBS forms.
This guide explains the process — how the California Law & Ethics Exam fits into your associate years and how to request it. It is not exam-prep material and does not cover exam content or strategy. For the current passing score, number of questions, time limit, content outline, fees, and accommodations, see the California Law & Ethics Exam Candidate Handbook (Pearson Vue, at home.pearsonvue.com/cabbs) and the BBS Law and Ethics Examination FAQ at bbs.ca.gov. Exam details and fees change — always confirm current requirements directly with the BBS and with Pearson Vue.
This guide is for informational purposes only. Always verify requirements directly with the BBS at bbs.ca.gov.