FROM www.barexammind.com

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FAIL THE BAR EXAM

• It is natural to be upset.– Embrace the emotions. Cry or scream if you need to.

• Take a pause of at least a few days to a week before you make any decisions related to re-taking the bar exam.

• Be happy for your friends who did pass the bar exam.

• Consider whether you will re-take the bar in the next administration.– How much time do you have to prepare?

– Can you be mentally ready?

Finding out you failed

There are two parts to learning why you did not pass the bar exam:

1. Reviewing the process by which you studied; and

2. Reviewing the test results themselves.

Evaluating Your Bar Exam Results

• Many people just go straight to their test results, which are returned when you do not pass.

• But, it is probably more important to review the process by which you studied to ensure that you were studying effectively.

• The next two slides will give you some questions to ask yourself.

Evaluating the testing process

• How many practice essays, PTs and MBE questions did I do?

• Did I take the time to evaluate my practice answers to learn from my mistakes?

• Did I study in a focused manner, or was I constantly distracting myself with the internet or something else?

• Did I maintain a good study schedule or was it hit-and-miss?

• Did something catastrophic happen in my life during the study period that made it difficult to study?

Questions to ask yourself about your bar exam study process

• Did I find it difficult to be alert first thing in the morning?

• Did traveling to the testing site each morning stress me out?

• Was I eating well?

• How was my sleep?

• Did something unfortunate happen at the testing center to throw off my rhythm (e.g., laptop crashed, extended power outage, etc.)?

• Did I have an anxiety attack during the test?

• Did my mind go blank?

Questions to ask about your bar exam test day performance

Once you receive a copy of your bar exam answers, you should:

1. Determine which section(s) were your strongest, and which your weakest.  This will help you allocate your study and practice time for the next bar exam.

2. Compare your scores to the percentage each section is valued.  Prioritize your studies as a function of the value of each section and your results on each section on the prior bar exam.

3. If you have any very strong or very weak areas, figure out why and make necessary studying changes for the next exam.

Evaluating Bar Exam Results

• This slideshow is based on a three-part series of blog posts at BarExamMind.com.

• If you would like to read more to help you understand why you failed the bar exam, head over to the first post in the series at http://www.barexammind.com/failing-the-bar-exam/

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