I Handed the Bar Examination — This Is What I Want I Knew Earlier than Finding out

I graduated close to the highest of my class in regulation college (ranked #21 out of 209 in my graduating class), so after I was learning for the bar examination (the take a look at to get licensed as an legal professional in America), virtually everybody advised me one thing like “you’ll move simply.” I additionally did effectively on the Legislation College Admissions Take a look at (LSAT), and people two knowledge factors had been extremely related to a excessive likelihood of passing.

However in my learning and preparation, the bar examination introduced me to my knees and gave me vital angst. I doubted I’d move a number of occasions, particularly after unhealthy apply take a look at scores. I freaked out perhaps as soon as each week throughout a interval of frustration, desirous about worst-case situations of whether or not I’d move the bar.

I waited precisely three months to listen to my rating, and I’d get nervous desirous about it — regardless of feeling good in regards to the examination and placing the likelihood of passing at 90–95% primarily based on my preparation, I nonetheless thought of what I ought to do if I failed, whether or not I’d retake it once more or fully reorient my life to return to my earlier profession of instructing.

I acquired the outcomes yesterday. I handed with loads of cushion. The passing rating in my jurisdiction, which makes use of the Common Bar Examination (UBE), is 266. The very best passing rating in different UBE jurisdictions is 270, so I scored excessive sufficient to move in any UBE jurisdiction.

I acquired a 313, so I handed by 47 factors. I did above common on the a number of alternative (the MBE) and effectively above common on the writing part (MEEs and MPTs), so it was a fairly strong rating as effectively. I thought of how I want I did higher on the a number of alternative, however this was one of many first exams in my life the place the grade didn’t matter, and a move was a move.

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Screenshot from the creator from the District of Columbia Courtroom of Appeals

Rationally, I shouldn’t have been so frightened and freaking out at factors: in addition to my regulation college grades and LSAT rating, I’m (normally) a fairly good take a look at taker, studied extraordinarily laborious, and acquired by way of 100% of my bar course on BARBRI. Even when I didn’t research as laborious as I did, I had basis of authorized data within the examined topics by way of regulation college.

I didn’t need to say I used to be 100% positive I handed as a result of you may by no means be 100% positive about something, notably an unsure end result sooner or later. Plus, I are usually considerably superstitious, so I didn’t need to jinx myself out of passing within the final couple of weeks. Something may occur — I may have skipped a query on the scantron and circled the incorrect solutions.

However I feel the bar examination and the issue of the take a look at taught me a variety of issues. It was actually the best stakes take a look at I’ve taken in a my life — you do get a number of tries like different standardized exams just like the MCAT (Medical Faculty Admissions Take a look at), SAT, and ACT, however the bar examination determines whether or not, as a lawyer, you may transfer on along with your profession or whether or not you need to put your profession on maintain for an additional six months or so. I’m no stranger to high-stakes exams, however this one actually was the best of stakes.

I used to assume the bar examination can be straightforward. When different attorneys who had been a yr or two above me in regulation college talked about how tough the bar examination was, I assumed that wouldn’t be me and I didn’t must get mired in any negativity. I used to be assured sufficient in my regulation college efficiency that I may assist me get by way of the bar examination with not that a lot learning, however I used to be not going to likelihood it and would research laborious anyway.

Boy, was I incorrect that the bar examination wouldn’t be tough for me. On my first apply take a look at, about three weeks into my learning, I did horribly. The rating I acquired would have failed the a number of alternative part by a number of factors. My bar prep program, BARBRI, advised me I used to be projected to fail. There have been nonetheless about two months till the take a look at, which was a variety of time, however I began freaking out about how I used to be going to fail if I replicated that very same efficiency.

For sure, my early phases of preparation humbled my earlier unwarranted confidence. Regardless of what my bar passage likelihood seemed like on paper, it was not at all a positive factor. I needed to battle tooth and nail for months to move this take a look at.

I didn’t understand on the time that failing that apply take a look at was top-of-the-line issues that occurred to me. First, it wasn’t the true factor, so at the very least I didn’t bomb the precise take a look at. Second, as a result of I did so poorly and was so dismayed, I totally reviewed every reply and watched the reply explanations a number of occasions to ensure I understood the rule and why precisely I acquired it incorrect.

Once I was in highschool, it was quite common for pals to humble-brag about how they didn’t research or barely studied and nonetheless did effectively on the take a look at. I attempted to not examine myself to them, however I usually did worse than these pals after learning loads.

The lesson I took away was that I used to be making an attempt too laborious and I may do higher simply by not learning. I’m not saying there wasn’t advantage to this takeaway — I usually tried and studied too laborious and overthought loads, notably on a number of alternative questions.

This might result in altering reply decisions too usually, so a lesson I realized in a while within the course of was to go along with my intestine and never change reply decisions until I had some clear and convincing proof or clearly missed one thing within the immediate. My intestine wasn’t proper on a regular basis, however it was proper extra usually than the half that second guesses and psychs myself out. Plus, I needed to simply transfer on sooner or later so I had time for different questions.

On the essays, which had been my stronger topic, I’d strive laborious and write considerably complete essays on my apply exams. However my program was telling me I used to be scoring 1/6 or 2/6, a failing grade. I initially thought these essays weren’t unhealthy, however the graders clearly thought in any other case.

This additionally led to a second of freaking out, however I later realized that that is an especially frequent expertise and likewise is smart from a take a look at preparation firm perspective: give tougher questions and grade extra strictly so the true factor is simpler for the test-taker. Getting unhealthy scores led me to review tougher and extra, however it didn’t do something useful for my confidence.

In durations of despair, I usually turned to Reddit or different fellow test-takers for July 2025 to commiserate briefly in regards to the bar examination. I noticed previous Reddit posts about individuals who thought they failed however handed by fairly a bit, posts of people that had related scores to me, and what they did to enhance. I knew early on, it was regular to attain poorly, however it nonetheless was not reassuring and I wished to be a lot additional forward than I used to be at that time.

If I felt like I used to be going to fail, at the very least there appeared to be 1000’s of individuals on the Web in addition to classmates who felt the identical means.

I took breaks and occasional days I didn’t research a lot to keep away from burnout, however largely stored grinding day after day with no days off. Regularly, my scores began getting higher. As a substitute of scoring 1/6 or 2/6, I began to get 3/6 from the graders, which I acknowledged was truly fairly good given the harsher grading from the bar prep program. My a number of alternative scores began to be within the passing vary, with some days higher than others.

I wouldn’t say there was one single factor that made the bar examination click on for me, however months of strenuous apply. I did about 2,700 multiple-choice questions, with quantity of them in my weakest topic (property regulation).

I wrote roughly 40–50 essays and put ahead religion effort, understanding that take a look at day adrenaline would kick in to extend my focus and make the solutions extra complete and thorough. On a number of alternative, I usually practiced three-hour apply exams each different day to construct stamina to have the ability to sit by way of two three-hour a number of alternative classes (which you need to do on the bar examination), and likewise to apply time administration. Once more, I knew adrenaline would kick in on take a look at day to let me focus for six hours, however I did need to construct in some baseline stamina in case I acquired a poor evening’s sleep.

A number of alternative on the bar examination is exclusive in that many, many questions usually have two solutions that appear proper. Take a look at-takers usually are in a position to make use of strategy of elimination to take out two reply decisions that don’t make sense, however then it’s a matter of selecting the most effective reply of the 2 remaining. I felt like 50% of questions had been these questions that actively tried to trick the test-taker, and I must learn very rigorously after which simply give my greatest guess or go along with my intestine. Since there are 100 questions in each MBE part, these choices needed to be made shortly.

In my preparation, I’d be inconsistent and streaky. I’d get 10 questions in a row right, assume I used to be the person and completely passing the take a look at. However then I’d get 7 or 8 questions incorrect and assume I used to be positively failing the take a look at. Sure, I used to be in all probability overreacting to a really small pattern dimension, however seeing that many consecutive incorrect questions was at all times demoralizing.

One factor that always helped was avoiding the fast suggestions — I usually discovered I did higher on apply units after I didn’t know if I acquired the query proper and incorrect immediately and noticed the outcomes in a while. That inconsistency usually bled into 100 query apply exams — within the final month earlier than the take a look at, I had a number of apply exams the place I examined within the excessive 70 or low 80% vary, which was effectively above passing. On different days, I scored barely 60% or barely decrease, which was barely passing. There are pure causes for this — variance, poor sleep, day, a nasty day, however the unhealthy days would actually ship me into darkish ideas about attainable failure.

One factor I may have finished extra of and higher was to evaluation my solutions. I began to totally evaluation the questions I acquired incorrect and actually perceive why, forcing myself to jot down down the entire reply rationalization. But when I acquired the query proper, I usually thought, “I’m good! I don’t must evaluation this!” Whereas that’s a pure response, the character of the 50/50 questions on the bar examination multiple-choice meant I may have gotten the precise reply by guessing and nonetheless not likely know why. I ought to have additionally reviewed these 50/50 questions I acquired proper as an alternative of breezing by way of my right solutions.

One other drawback I had within the early and mid phases of my prep was rigidity. Three hours for 100 questions averaged to imply I used to be presupposed to spend one minute and 48 seconds on common per query. I caught to that rule to a fault, and infrequently acquired fairly stressed after I fell behind on time.

Nonetheless, there are some questions the place the immediate is 2 sentences, and one other one the place the immediate is 5 paragraphs. Usually, the questions on proof regulation had been two to a few sentences, whereas the questions on property and contracts regulation had been 5 paragraphs, the place it was straightforward to lose focus, need to re-read, and simply don’t have any clue what was happening.

I didn’t perceive when first beginning that it was regular, and doubtless fairly sensible, to spend 20–30 seconds on the 2 sentence questions and two and a half to a few minutes on the 5 paragraph questions. I needed to stability that point administration with simply letting go and going with my intestine on a tough query to maneuver on to the following one, however early on, falling behind and spending too lengthy on a query usually made me panic.

The bar examination wasn’t only a take a look at of authorized data, utility, and writing potential. It was extra a take a look at of psychological toughness, adaptability, and resilience. It was an train in letting go, stress-free expectations, and staying the course. As a marathon runner, I can say the bar examination has all of the peaks and valleys of a marathon. It’s not nearly authorized data and understanding guidelines — half of the examination is studying questions appropriately, having good comprehension expertise, and never getting rattled by tough questions.

Flexibility trumps rigidity in lots of respects, and on the free response, it’s regular and customary to return throughout prompts on topics the place you don’t have any clue what’s happening. This might normally are available topics few individuals took in regulation college, like wills and trusts.

There’s one basic rule I needed to embrace on free-response questions the place I had no clue what was happening: make up a solution. I realized that solely a portion of the reply was getting the query proper. A big portion of grading was additionally reasoning and evaluation. On the very first essay query, I got here throughout a weak topic of mine the place I had no clue what the reply was, so I simply took a deep breath and thought, “okay, what would frequent sense say would apply right here?”

I proceeded then to make up a rule about this subject material and tailor my evaluation to that rule. The subsequent 5 questions went significantly better, however I got here throughout one other query the place I didn’t know the topic effectively in a while I simply needed to do the identical factor to a lesser diploma.

The bar examination’s quantity of areas examined makes it unattainable to know every part. It’s unattainable to know each rule, to know the precise reply to each query. On a broader stage, it’s unattainable to be excellent, and that took me a very long time to actually internalize. The bar examination is a take a look at of minimal competence the place all it’s essential do is move, not be excellent. I could be obsessive and neurotic, and getting unhealthy apply take a look at scores despatched me down the deep finish of catastrophizing.

I additionally needed to remind myself it was only a take a look at, in any case. If I failed, it wasn’t the top of the world. Like everybody else, I may simply take it once more. There are a lot of worse issues that may occur than failing the bar examination, and I do know that’s straightforward for me to say now that I’m on the opposite facet and have handed. However within the weeks main as much as the outcomes being launched, I ready for a scenario the place I would fail and thought of a plan if that occurred. I’m not the kind of one that will get complacent about an unsure future end result, and regardless of being assured I handed, I used to be not sure.

I’m completely satisfied I handed, and I’m completely satisfied it’s over. I do know individuals who didn’t make it the primary time, and that checklist consists of distinguished politicians like JFK. I at all times admired retakers’ potential to bounce again and take a look at once more after an unfavorable end result. I don’t know if I may have finished it and gone by way of the prep course of once more — I in all probability would have finished so begrudgingly, having no alternative, however that was clearly not what I wished.

The bar examination was a psychological and psychological battle as a lot as it’s a technical or educational one. I feel the take a look at made me harder, extra versatile, extra cognizant of indicators of burnout, and extra keen to let go of perfection. My rating on the bar examination means I acquired round 30% of a number of alternative questions incorrect, and that was nonetheless effectively above the passing vary.

Like my efficiency on the bar examination, I’ll by no means be excellent in something, however I can nonetheless attempt laborious to do the most effective I can. I want I had been extra constant in my prep and didn’t take unhealthy days as reflections of my total potential, however there are unhealthy days in life as effectively, the place it’s necessary to contextualize and simply hold going. Even after I felt prefer it was the top of the world, I by no means stop and nonetheless stored going, and I’m very happy with that. Passing was removed from computerized and much from straightforward, however I’m grateful I’ve achieved this as an alternative of the bar examination holding up my life for an additional six months.

Within the authorized career, virtually everybody acknowledges that the bar examination and learning for it are a ceremony of passage. It’s virtually a type of hazing — my dean emphasised the significance of however it’s what everybody has to undergo at our commencement speech.

On the 2 days of the bar examination, I used to be nervous, however I talked and chatted with fellow test-takers throughout breaks. We talked fairly a bit, as I realized what they did for enjoyable, the place they had been working after regulation college, and what their prep expertise was like. I linked with a number of of them on LinkedIn and through breaks, seemed across the room — there have been virtually two thousand different individuals at my testing website, lots of whom went by way of the identical gauntlet I did.

At that second, move or fail, I noticed that at the very least I used to be not alone. Now, past being completely satisfied about passing, I’m extra proud that I labored very laborious and constantly, by no means acquired complacent, and stored shifting ahead even on days of freaking out.

To anybody who has to take the bar examination sooner or later, what I want I knew is that I ought to have had the precise expectations. It’s going to be grueling, psychologically difficult, and you’ll take nothing without any consideration, regardless of how effectively you probably did in regulation college or how good a test-taker you’re. For lack of a greater time period, it’ll simply suck.

Others may not fear as a lot as I and 1000’s of individuals on Reddit did, however the most effective a part of the bar examination is the satisfaction of it being over. I didn’t cry or scream in pleasure and elation after I discovered I handed — I took a deep breath and felt an enormous sense of reduction, like an albatross was off my neck.

It was a sense higher than graduating from regulation college, higher than celebrating my accomplishments of six years as a instructor, and one I hope each aspiring lawyer will get to expertise.

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This put up was beforehand printed on MEDIUM.COM.

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