Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 2538.29

A trainee licensed under Section 2538.28 shall take the licensure examination within the first 12 months after the trainee license is issued. Failure to take the licensure examination within that time shall result in expiration of the trainee license, and it shall not be renewed unless the trainee licensee has first taken the licensure examination. The board, however, may in its discretion renew the trainee license if the licensee failed to take the licensure examination due to illness or other hardship.