How Richard Passed the UBE by Adding 28 Points to His Score (and Finding the Courage to Stray from The Plan)

Richard passed the February 2025 Illinois Bar Exam (UBE) with a score of 283 on his second attempt.

Now he can practice in 41 jurisdictions in the U.S.

πŸ’¬ β€œI’m excited to say I passed the Illinois bar with a 283, and I truly believe your materials were a big part of that. I’d previously scored a 255, and this time around I made a huge jump.”

πŸ’¬ β€œBy the time the exam rolled around, I felt more grounded, more in control, and honestly, more optimistic. And sure enough, I went from a 255 to a 283.”

Let’s see how Richard added 28 points to his score, going from ineligible to practice anywhere to eligible in any UBE state.

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Bar Prep Is Overwhelming: How to Make Independent Choices for Yourself

You have questions about the bar exam. How to study. When to study. Whether you’re on the right track. Picking the right bar prep supplements out of all the resources out there.

"Yes, it is very overwhelming and the amount of resources out there to help are also overwhelming lol"

Here’s how a lot of questions go on social media:

β€œWhat’s the BEST program/tutor/outline?”

When you say you want the β€œbest” answers to these questions, it makes me wonder:

Is it the feeling of certainty that you’re really looking for? Someone to just tell you what the hell to do? Or do you actually want the objective best answer?

If you crowdsource the answer, by definition, you won’t know which one is best. Advice is autobiography.

How would you even trust which is the one that rules them all?

In fact, the more options you have, the more hesitant you get because there are pros and cons to every option. By saying yes to something, you’re saying no to other things.

But there are no secrets and there are a million ways to pass. You have it in you already. It’s always been up to you.

Sounds scary but also freeing, right?

Sure, sometimes you want to vent and don’t want to consider the pedantic interpretations of what’s β€œbest.” You simply want to get some support from others.

But I want to encourage you to listen to yourself a little more instead of blindly being influenced by what someone else says you β€œneed” to do (not just with bar prep but with everything else in life).

That’s where the danger lies in the landscape of bar prep. You shop around and yet end up where you started. Everyone who passed suddenly has an opinion (and sometimes a tutoring service).

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Why You Feel Exhausted Studying for the Bar Exam

Let me guess. Does your bar prep regimen look something like this?

  • Listen to lectures while sitting still like a statue
  • Pause to take notes and fill in the blanks (doubling the time it takes to finish the lectures)
  • Read giant outlines (and reread paragraphs you thought you already read)

Eventually falling asleep with the lights on.

It’s like you’re experiencing the most annoying part about travelingβ€”sitting for hours staring at a tiny screen next to someone who takes up the armrest even though they got the window seat.

And repeating this every day. Is this what Limbo is like?

You’re drained and demoralized because you’re trying to β€œstudy” but aren’t feeling a real sense of progress.

Why are you trying to do this the hard way?

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Lessons from Passing the UBE (Utah Bar Exam) with a 314

β€œN” passed the February 2025 Utah Bar Exam (UBE), scoring a whopping 314 on her first attempt.

πŸ’¬ β€œJust got my results yesterday! I passed the UBE with a score of 314!!!”

Epic!

For context, most UBE jurisdictions require a score 266 or 270 to pass, and scores over 300 are rare. So N really outdid herself.

Of course, I had to ask how she pulled it off so I can share it with you.

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What If You Failed the Bar Exam? Should You Retake a Bar Review Course?

So you find yourself in an unbelievable situation: You failed the bar exam.

Procedure in case you failed the bar exam

Reality is undeniable. You dust off your tears. It’s time to take action.

You wonder: What’s the next step?

Should you retake your bar prep course? What’s the alternative? 

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