What to do if you feel like you failed the bar exam?

Asked by: Prof. Kira Emard  |  Last update: October 1, 2023
Score: 4.5/5 (73 votes)

If you think you failed the bar exam, it's probably all you are thinking about. Try to get your mind off your exam scores by exercising, spending time with family, or spending time on a favorite hobby. Implement some of the healthy coping mechanisms you used during law school to manage stress.

What to do if you think you failed the bar exam?

Here are a few tips to help refocus and ensure the next time you take the bar exam will be your last.
  1. Don't underestimate the foundation you've created. ...
  2. After failing the bar exam, do an honest assessment. ...
  3. Know your strengths and weaknesses. ...
  4. Move forward. ...
  5. Watch this webinar replay, “Retaking the bar exam”

Do most people feel like they failed the bar exam?

You probably will not feel the same way walking out of the bar exam. Remember, however, that feeling is normal because the bar exam is hard. A passing score for the bar exam is the equivalent of somewhere between 65% and 75%. In most jurisdictions, you need around a 266/400, which is 66.5%.

What does it feel like to fail the bar?

If you fail the bar exam, you are probably feeling a lot of things. One of the frustrating things about failing the bar exam is that it is hard to sort through feelings. A lot of feelings go unacknowledged (“it's just a test – you can retake it!”) or ignored (“time to start studying again”).

How do you know you will fail the bar?

Nonetheless, here are some indications that you should prepare for unfortunate news when you receive your results:
  1. You did not finish the MBE portion of the exam. ...
  2. You did not finish the essays or MPTs. ...
  3. You could not identify the issues tested in the essays. ...
  4. You did not put enough time into studying.

What To Do If You Failed The Bar Exam - How To Get Motivated As A Repeat Bar Exam Taker

25 related questions found

How many people never pass the bar?

According to the National Conference of Bar Examiners, 42% of those who took the bar exam nationwide in 2019 did not pass.

Why do so many people fail the bar exam?

Students especially struggle with timing when it comes to the performance test portion of the bar exam. Students often fail to practice performance tests under timed conditions before they take the exam. Then, they are surprised on exam day when they run out of time.

Why do people fail the bar the first time?

They don't memorize.

One of the most common problems we see among examinees who fail the bar exam is that they did not memorize the information. Instead, they attend lectures and then immediately start working on practice questions. This approach misses a crucial intermediate step: memorization.

How hard is the bar really?

The bar exam is viewed as difficult for several reasons. First, it is two full days of intense testing, one day of multiple-choice questions, and the second day dedicated to essay questions. The test covers a very wide range of legal topics.

What is the hardest state to pass the bar exam in?

1. California

Law students across the US may be familiar with the famed “impossible” California bar exam. But why is the California bar exam so hard? For starters, the cut score (the score needed to pass the test) of the California bar is 1390 out of 2000, which is 40 points above the national average.

What is the hardest bar exam subject?

Contracts. Navigate any online forum where law students confer with one another, and you'll soon realize that Contracts is often reported as the most complicated MBE subject. These fact patterns tend to be lengthy, for starters, so there's a lot to read and read carefully.

What are the hardest sections of the bar exam?

Most people regard the MBE as the hardest portion of the bar exam. The questions are rarely easy or straightforward. They can be tricky and sometimes worded in a way that guides you to the wrong answer.

Can you see who failed the bar exam?

California:: Yes, but only for people who registered with the State Bar of California and have log in credentials to their website. Results are posted online and include successful applicants first and last names as well as their city and state.

Can you fail the bar too many times?

No Set Limit: Most of the states in the country have no limit on the number of attempts a student can give to pass the bar exam. There is no set number defined, and it does not affect the candidate's eligibility in any way.

Is failing the bar exam bad?

Failing the bar exam can be a huge blow to your confidence. It's completely fine to take some time off from studying and just allow yourself to feel upset. However, remember that how you react to failure is part of what defines your ultimate success. As stated above, this is a minor setback and nothing more.

Is it easier to pass the bar the second time?

If you are on your second time taking the exam, you are more likely to pass than if you are on your ninth try (though we did just have a ninth-time taker pass so it is definitely possible!). The numbers given by the NCBE do not distinguish between second time takers and other repeat takers.

Who is the youngest to pass the bar exam?

Gabrielle Turnquest is used to breaking records. She is the youngest person to be called to the Bar in over 600 years, passing the exam at the age of 18—almost a decade earlier than the average BPTC graduate.

Do most lawyers pass the bar first time?

(Reuters) - Just over 78% of U.S. law school graduates who took the bar exam for the first time in 2022 passed the mandatory licensing test, the American Bar Association said Friday.

What state has the easiest bar exam?

What State has the Easiest Bar Exam to Pass in the Country? If we look at bar passage rates alone the answer is South Dakota, which had a 93% pass rate last year.

Which state has the lowest bar exam pass rate?

California. The California Bar Exam has one of the lowest pass rates in the country. The exam takes full days, including a performance test to evaluate your ability to handle several legal challenges involving a client.

What is the average number of times it takes to pass the bar exam?

The vast majority of law school graduates, 85 percent, take the bar exam once, according to a study by the National Conference of Bar Examiners that looked at data over five years. About 9 percent took the test twice.

Is Barbri harder than the bar?

The Barbri invented questions are harder than the real MBE questions. (Real MBE questions are still difficult though.) The Barbri MBE compares you to how others score on the Barbri simulated MBE.

Can the average person pass the bar exam?

This makes passing the bar on your first try difficult, but not impossible. According to the American Bar Association, 74.82% of law students that took the bar exam within two years of graduating passed on their first try. While this is well above 50%, the passing rate has been on a steady decline.