Career upgrade: Learn practical AI skills for better jobs and higher pay.
Level up
PracticeVideosBlogFlashcardsEspañol
All Practice Exams

200+ Free CA CLS Estate Planning Practice Questions

Pass your California Certified Legal Specialist — Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card✓ No hidden fees✓ Start practicing immediately
~50–60% Pass Rate
200+ Questions
100% Free
1 / 200
Question 1
Score: 0/0

FRE 803(8) public records exception:

A
B
C
D
to track
Same family resources

Explore More Legal Specialty Certifications

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

CA Certified Specialist — Admiralty & Maritime Law

Practice Questions

CA Certified Specialist — Appellate Law

Practice Questions

CA Certified Specialist — Bankruptcy Law

Practice Questions

CA Certified Specialist — Criminal Law

Practice Questions

CA Certified Specialist — Family Law

Practice Questions

CA Certified Specialist — Franchise & Distribution Law

Practice Questions
2026 Statistics

Key Facts: CA CLS Estate Planning Exam

75 MC + 4 essays

Exam Format

California Board of Legal Specialization

6 hours

Total Exam Time

California Board of Legal Specialization

5 years

Minimum Practice Required

California Board of Legal Specialization

45 hours

Required CLE in Specialty

California Board of Legal Specialization

$950

Total Application + Exam Fee

California Board of Legal Specialization (2026)

100+

Practice Questions Here

OpenExamPrep question bank

The CA CLS Estate Planning exam tests California Probate Code, trust law, federal estate/gift tax, advanced planning vehicles (ILITs, QPRTs, GRATs, CRATs/CRUTs, IDGTs), health care directives and conservatorships, California community property at death, and probate procedure. Format: ~75 multiple-choice + 4 essays over one day (6 hours total). Eligibility: active CA Bar license, 5 years practice, 25% specialty practice, 45 hours CLE, and peer references. Open-reference. Passing score is scaled by the Board of Legal Specialization. Approximately half of candidates pass on first attempt.

Sample CA CLS Estate Planning Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your CA CLS Estate Planning exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 200+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under California Probate Code §6110, what are the minimum execution requirements for an attested will?
A.Signed by the testator, notarized, and recorded with the county
B.Signed by the testator (or another in testator's presence at testator's direction) and witnessed by at least two persons present at the same time who saw the signing or acknowledgment
C.Signed by the testator and three witnesses, one of whom must be an attorney
D.In writing, signed by the testator, and witnessed by one disinterested witness
Explanation: PC §6110 requires that an attested will be in writing, signed by the testator (or by another person in the testator's presence and at the testator's direction), and witnessed by at least two persons who were present at the same time and who saw either the signing of the will or the testator's acknowledgment of the signature or of the will. PC §6110(c)(2) also permits a non-conforming will to be admitted under California's harmless-error rule if the proponent shows by clear and convincing evidence that the testator intended the document to be a will.
2Hilda dies intestate in California, survived by her spouse and one adult child from the marriage. She owned $400,000 of community property and $300,000 of separate property. Under PC §§6401-6402, how is her separate property distributed?
A.The surviving spouse takes all separate property
B.The surviving spouse takes one-half and the child takes one-half
C.The surviving spouse takes one-third and the child takes two-thirds
D.The child takes all separate property
Explanation: Under PC §6401(c)(2)(A), when the decedent leaves only one child (or issue of one deceased child), the surviving spouse takes one-half of the decedent's separate property and the child takes the remaining one-half. The spouse always takes all of the community property under PC §6401(a). The spouse takes one-third only when there are two or more children, or one child plus issue of a deceased child (PC §6401(c)(2)(B)).
3Under California Probate Code §6111, a holographic will must:
A.Be signed by the testator and two witnesses
B.Have the signature and material provisions in the testator's handwriting
C.Be entirely in the testator's handwriting including the date
D.Be notarized to be valid
Explanation: PC §6111 provides that a holographic will is valid if the signature and the material provisions are in the handwriting of the testator. Unlike many states, California does not require the entire document to be handwritten — only the material provisions and signature. The will need not be witnessed or notarized. Dates are not required for validity, although a date can be important if there are multiple wills.
4Margaret executes a will leaving her estate to her two children. Five years later, she physically tears the will in half with intent to revoke it. Under PC §6120, the will is:
A.Still valid because she did not execute a new will
B.Revoked by physical act
C.Revoked only if witnessed by two persons at the time of destruction
D.Revoked only as to the persons present when she tore it
Explanation: Under PC §6120, a will or any part of it is revoked by either (a) a subsequent will that revokes the prior will or part expressly or by inconsistency, or (b) being burned, torn, canceled, obliterated, or destroyed, with the intent and for the purpose of revoking it, by either (1) the testator or (2) another person in the testator's presence and by the testator's direction. Margaret's act of tearing with revocatory intent suffices.
5A will contestant alleges undue influence. Under California's PC §86 and Bernard v. Foley (2006), what is the primary effect of a 'care custodian' designation as beneficiary?
A.The bequest is automatically void
B.A presumption of fraud or undue influence arises under PC §21380
C.The contestant must prove undue influence by clear and convincing evidence
D.The bequest is reduced to a statutory share
Explanation: Under PC §21380, transfers to 'care custodians' and certain other persons in a fiduciary or dependent-relationship category are presumed to be the product of fraud or undue influence. The presumption is rebuttable by clear and convincing evidence of independent representation and lack of fraud or undue influence (PC §21384). This is one of the strongest statutory protections against elder financial abuse in California estate law.
6Decedent's will leaves $100,000 to a witness who attested the will. Under PC §6112, what is the consequence?
A.The entire will is void
B.The witness receives only the portion they would have received by intestacy, unless there are two other disinterested witnesses
C.The witness is disqualified from testifying but may still take the bequest
D.The bequest is reduced to one-half
Explanation: Under PC §6112, an interested witness creates a rebuttable presumption that the devise was procured by duress, menace, fraud, or undue influence. If the witness fails to rebut the presumption, the devise is limited to what the witness would have received by intestate succession — but only if there are not two other disinterested witnesses. The will itself remains valid. This rule discourages but does not bar interested witnesses.
7Under PC §6110(c)(2), California's harmless-error doctrine requires the proponent of a non-conforming will to prove what?
A.By preponderance of the evidence that the testator was competent
B.By clear and convincing evidence that the testator intended the document to constitute his or her will
C.Beyond a reasonable doubt that the will was not the product of fraud
D.By substantial evidence that the will was witnessed by at least one person
Explanation: PC §6110(c)(2), added in 2008, allows a will that does not comply with the attestation requirements to be admitted to probate if the proponent of the will establishes by clear and convincing evidence that, at the time the testator signed the will, the testator intended the will to constitute the testator's will. This is California's adoption of the harmless-error rule under Uniform Probate Code §2-503.
8Testator's will leaves 'my Tesla Model 3' to Daughter. Testator sells the Tesla before death and replaces it with a Model S. Under PC §21133, what does Daughter take?
A.The Model S because it replaces the Model 3
B.Nothing — the specific gift is adeemed by extinction
C.The cash value of the Model 3 at the time of execution
D.One-half the value of the Model S
Explanation: Under California's doctrine of ademption by extinction, codified in PC §21133, when a specific testamentary gift is no longer in the estate at death, the gift is adeemed and the beneficiary takes nothing — unless statutory exceptions apply (e.g., insurance proceeds for the property, condemnation awards, or sale-with-pending-installment). The replacement vehicle is not the same item. The intent-based ademption rule does not apply where the testator voluntarily sold the asset.
9A petition for probate is filed in the wrong California county. Under PC §7051, the proper remedy is:
A.Dismissal of the petition
B.Transfer to the proper county on motion of any interested person
C.The petition is automatically deemed filed in the proper county
D.Probate proceeds in both counties simultaneously
Explanation: Under PC §7051, if a petition is filed in an improper county, the court may, on its own motion or the motion of any interested person, transfer the proceeding to the proper county. Proper venue is the county of decedent's domicile (PC §7050), or for a non-resident decedent, any county in which property is located. Venue is not jurisdictional, so dismissal is not the remedy.
10Decedent's 2020 will leaves everything to Spouse. Decedent and Spouse divorce in 2023, and Decedent dies in 2026 without revising the will. Under PC §6122, the gift to Spouse is:
A.Still valid
B.Revoked by operation of law unless the will or court order provides otherwise
C.Reduced to one-half the original gift
D.Revoked only as to community property
Explanation: Under PC §6122, dissolution or annulment of marriage revokes any disposition or appointment of property made by the will to the former spouse, any provision conferring a general or special power of appointment on the former spouse, and any nomination of the former spouse as executor or trustee — unless the will expressly provides otherwise. The former spouse is treated as having predeceased the testator for purposes of the will.

About the CA CLS Estate Planning Exam

The California Certified Legal Specialist — Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law exam certifies experienced California attorneys as specialists in this practice area. Administered by the California Board of Legal Specialization, the exam features approximately 75 multiple-choice questions plus 4 essay questions covering the California Probate Code, trust law, federal estate and gift taxation, advanced planning vehicles, health care and elder issues, California community property, and probate procedures. Candidates must already meet substantial experience, CLE, and peer-reference requirements before sitting for the exam.

Questions

75 scored questions

Time Limit

6 hours (3 hrs MC + 3 hrs essays)

Passing Score

Scaled (~70% equivalent)

Exam Fee

$150 (plus $800 application fee) (California Board of Legal Specialization (State Bar of California))

CA CLS Estate Planning Exam Content Outline

20%

Probate Code & Wills

Intestate succession (PC 6400+), will execution requirements (PC 6110), holographic wills (PC 6111), revocation by physical act or subsequent will, will contests on grounds of lack of capacity, undue influence, fraud, and mistake; probate administration framework (PC 1001-1820)

18%

Trusts

Trust creation requirements (PC 15200+), revocable living trusts and the pour-over will, irrevocable trusts, trust modification and termination (PC 15400-15414), trustee fiduciary duties (PC 16000+), spendthrift provisions, trust contests, and the no-contest clause (PC 21310-21315)

16%

Estate & Gift Tax Planning

Federal estate tax computation (IRC §2001), gift tax (§2501), §2503(b) annual exclusion ($19,000 in 2026), §2503(e) medical/tuition exclusion, §2056 unlimited marital deduction, §2055 charitable deduction, portability of DSUE, basic exclusion amount, step-up in basis under §1014

14%

Special Planning Vehicles

Irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs) and Crummey withdrawal rights, qualified personal residence trusts (QPRTs), grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), charitable remainder annuity and unitrusts (CRATs/CRUTs), intentionally defective grantor trusts (IDGTs), dynasty trusts and GST tax, family limited partnerships (FLPs)

12%

Health Care & Elder Issues

Advance health care directives (PC 4700+), durable powers of attorney for health care, capacity determinations, LPS conservatorships (W&I 5350+) versus probate conservatorships (PC 1800+), limited conservatorships, CA POLST forms, surrogate decision-making hierarchy

10%

California Community Property

Community property presumption (Family Code 760, Probate Code 100), separate property exceptions, transmutation requirements (FC 850 — express written declaration), commingling and tracing, CP at death (PC 100 — automatic ½ vests in surviving spouse), spousal property petitions

10%

Probate Procedures

Petition for probate, letters testamentary/of administration, independent administration (IAEA), creditor claims (PC 9000-9304), inventory and appraisal, accountings, distribution petitions, small estate procedures (PC 13000+), spousal property petitions (PC 13500+)

How to Pass the CA CLS Estate Planning Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Scaled (~70% equivalent)
  • Exam length: 75 questions
  • Time limit: 6 hours (3 hrs MC + 3 hrs essays)
  • Exam fee: $150 (plus $800 application fee)

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

CA CLS Estate Planning Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorize the Probate Code intestate succession scheme (PC 6400-6414) — surviving spouse takes all community property and a 1/2 or 1/3 of separate property depending on issue; if no spouse, descent follows the per capita with right of representation rule under PC 240
2For wills, master PC 6110 execution requirements (signature + 2 witnesses) and PC 6110(c)(2) — California's harmless error rule allows a defective will to be probated if proponent shows by clear and convincing evidence the testator intended the document as a will
3On trusts, distinguish trustee duties under PC 16000+ (loyalty, prudence, impartiality, no commingling) from the trustee's powers under PC 16200+ — exams frequently test whether a trustee's act was within power AND consistent with duty
4For federal estate tax, build a one-page worksheet: gross estate (§2031) − deductions (§§2053, 2054, 2055, 2056) = taxable estate; + adjusted taxable gifts = tentative tax base; tentative tax − unified credit × DSUE adjustments = estate tax due
5Know each advanced vehicle's primary benefit: ILIT removes life insurance from gross estate; QPRT removes residence at discounted gift value; GRAT zero-out leverages low §7520 rates; CRT splits between charity and income beneficiary; IDGT freezes value while grantor pays income tax (an additional gift)
6For California community property, memorize FC 850 transmutation rule — a transmutation of marital property must be in writing, signed by the adversely-affected spouse, with an express declaration that the character is being changed (Estate of MacDonald (1990) 51 Cal.3d 262)
7On conservatorships, distinguish LPS (Lanterman-Petris-Short under W&I 5350+) for grave mental disability from probate conservatorships (PC 1800+) for general incapacity, and limited conservatorships (PC 1801) for developmentally disabled adults

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to sit for the CA Certified Specialist Estate Planning exam?

Candidates must be active California Bar members in good standing for at least 5 years, have devoted at least 25% of their practice to estate planning, trust, and probate law during the 3 years preceding application, completed at least 45 hours of approved CLE in the specialty, demonstrated task experience across will drafting, trust drafting, probate, and tax planning, and submitted peer references from judges and attorneys.

What is the format of the CBLS Estate Planning exam?

The exam is administered in one day, typically each October. It consists of approximately 75 multiple-choice questions (3 hours) and 4 essay questions (3 hours), for a total of 6 hours. The exam is open-reference: candidates may bring printed materials including the California Probate Code, Internal Revenue Code, and treatises. Passing scores are scaled by the California Board of Legal Specialization.

How is the California Probate Code organized for this exam?

Key Probate Code divisions tested include: Division 2 (general provisions including PC 100 on community property at death), Division 4 (guardianships and conservatorships, PC 1400+), Division 4.5 (powers of attorney, PC 4000+), Division 4.7 (health care decisions, PC 4670+), Division 6 (wills and intestate succession, PC 6100+), Division 7 (administration of estates, PC 7000+), Division 8 (disposition of community/quasi-community property, PC 13500+), Division 9 (trust law, PC 15000+), and Division 11 (construction, PC 21100+).

What estate and gift tax rules are tested?

Candidates must master federal estate tax (IRC §2001), gift tax (§2501), the §2503(b) annual exclusion ($19,000 per donee in 2026), §2503(e) unlimited medical and tuition exclusion, §2056 unlimited marital deduction, §2055 charitable deduction, portability of deceased spousal unused exclusion (DSUE), the basic exclusion amount, and §1014 step-up in basis at death. California does not impose its own estate or inheritance tax, but federal rules apply.

Is the exam open-book?

Yes. The CBLS Estate Planning exam is open-reference. Candidates may bring printed copies of the California Probate Code, Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations, and reference treatises. Electronic devices are generally prohibited. Despite being open-reference, the time pressure (especially on essays) makes preparation and rapid issue-spotting essential.

How should I structure my study plan?

Most candidates spend 150-250 hours over 6-9 months. Allocate approximately 40% to the California Probate Code (wills, intestate succession, trusts, probate procedure), 25% to federal estate and gift tax planning, 20% to advanced planning vehicles (ILITs, QPRTs, GRATs, CRTs, IDGTs, FLPs), 10% to health care directives and conservatorships, and 5% to California community property at death. Practice timed essays under open-reference conditions to simulate the actual exam.