Bar Exam Success Stories
If you want to pass the bar exam, study the passers. Build belief from seeing others win.
There’s no need to be discouraged. These are stories of transformation from REAL bar exam passers who have nothing to hide anymore.
Rather than give you platitudes, I want to show you indisputable proof that you can do it too. Get un-stuck and un-frustrated by the bar exam with these inspirational stories. Audit your limiting beliefs.
They were in the same position as you. Some were first timers or multiple repeaters. Some had jobs. Some had families. All of them decided to do what it took to MOVE ON with their lives.
Are you next?
Tap to scroll to stories from California / UBE States / Elsewhere
Jinnyi
Passed the 2020 February California Bar Exam (26.8% pass rate, the lowest on record)
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 2 times
- Weakness: Essays ("I did not even know how to START any essays")
- Unique challenge: Mental and emotional insecurities, panic, doubts. Drained by big bar course
“I honestly felt like Kaplan was making me dumber and I was just wasting my time. . . . I was able to find a more effective plan that ultimately DID indeed work for me.”
Sam
Passed the 2023 February California Bar Exam
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 2 times
- Weakness: MBE
- Unique challenge: UK lawyer reacquainting with the process of studying for an unfamiliar exam
“Statistically I shouldn’t have passed this exam (a repeater, taking the February exam, who didn’t attend a US law school), but I did. I did because I took control and did what worked for me.”
Juliana
Passed the 2023 July California Bar Exam while working full-time as a foreign attorney
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 1 time
- Weakness: No bar exam experience or even a concept of one
- Unique challenge: Foreign-trained attorney (Argentinian), balancing full-time work and study
“Seek advice on how to study but lastly decide based on your OWN needs and experience. Be prepared to incorporate new study techniques, but check in on yourself constantly to see what is working and what is not, and change whatever is not working, FAST.”
Laura
Passed the 2023 July California Bar Exam while working full-time as a senior lawyer
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 1 time
- Weakness: Essays
- Unique challenge: Foreign-trained attorney (Australian), balancing full-time work and study
“By the time the exam came around, I was very excited. I was so proud of myself for getting to a position where I could actually answer questions.”
Cara
Passed the 2023 July California Bar Exam with everything riding on her 3rd attempt
“C”
Big law partner who passed the 2023 July California Attorneys' Exam while juggling a busy practice and family life
- Attempts: California Attorneys' Exam 1 time
- Weakness: Some rusty subjects, no knowledge of California law
- Unique challenge: Limited bandwidth from a busy work-family-study schedule, 20-year gap since last bar exam
“Now having done this twice in two different states, I would say the bar exam cares about nothing but the time you put into learning the material. Which is painful, but simple. Consistency is key!”
Bella
Made a 180+ point jump and passed the 2024 February California Bar Exam on her 6th attempt despite health issues
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 6 times
- Unique challenge: Debilitating physical illness (gastrointestinal issues), mental health, loss in confidence and will to live
“If you are your only competition, NOTHING, not health, not feeling like you have a spiritual curse on you, not embarrassment or failure will stop you.”
Grace
Passed the 2024 February California Bar Exam after scoring 85-90% on AdaptiBar in the last two weeks of bar prep
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 2 times
- Unique challenge: Overwhelmed by one-size-fits-all model of bar review course
“I now look back and realize I was woefully underprepared just hoping that the one size fits all model also worked for me.”
Esme
Passed the 2024 February California Bar Exam on her second attempt after a devastating first attempt
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 2 times
- Weakness: MBE
- Unique challenge: Avoiding her weakness because of mental inability to face it
“The main differences this time around: ditching my traditional bar prep company I used the first time (Barbri), getting AdaptiBar (I didn’t use any MBE supplements the first time…big mistake), and about a month into studying again, getting Magicsheets and regular encouraging emails from you (I also didn’t use MTYLT the first time…even bigger mistake).”
Anonymous Redditor
Passed the 2023 July California Bar Exam after being “negative, anxious, and depressed”
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 3 times
- Weakness: MBE (especially Real Property)
- Unique challenge: Mental health, difficult period in life
“As I progressed through the bar prep course, I realized I was only completing assignments to get the progress bar closer to the ‘100% complete’ mark. I felt like the pace was too quick and the passive learning of watching videos and reading outlines was not for me!”
Ceren
Passed the 2023 July California Bar Exam
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 2 times
- Unique challenge: Needing time for general logic of American law to sink in as foreign-trained attorney (Turkish), studying while working full-time
“This meant that had I not given up, I probably would have passed the first time around! Huge life lesson – never give up on something just because you think you might not make it. Give it your absolute best shot, regardless of what your mind tries to tell you – and it will probably work!”
Brian
Passed the 2024 February California Bar Exam as a graduate of a non-accredited online law school
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 1 time
- Weakness: Core subjects not seen in 5 years
- Unique challenge: Went to a non-accredited online law school
“R”
Passed the 2024 February California Bar Exam with a “STEM brain”
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 2 times
“There were no surprises. I just knew the issue clusters. I knew the law cold. I knew the answers. The exam days were like break days compared to my practice days!”
Jared
Passed the 2023 July California Bar Exam
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 1 time
- Weakness: Essays
- Unique challenge: Balancing full-time work, family, and bar exam studies
“Trust your instincts and focus on your weaknesses, don’t worry about swimming up stream and deviating from the standard plan. You are the author of your success!”
John
Passed the 2023 July California Bar Exam
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 1 time
“I would say that you know how you, personally, best study, and if a certain method isn’t working and another method seems like it might be better, don’t be afraid to try it!”
Corina
Passed the 2023 February California Bar Exam (32.5% pass rate)
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 2 times
- Weakness: Weak subjects and the MBE
- Unique challenge: Time constraints, higher stakes than most, financial stress, family duties
“If you are facing the bar exam beast, please understand yourself and remember the mind game is everything. Do what works for you. Seek advice but have the confidence to know when to ignore it. Above all, DON’T GIVE UP.”
Tanvi
Passed the 2023 February California Bar Exam (32.5% pass rate)
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 1 time
- Weakness: Multiple choice
- Unique challenge: Lack of familiarity with U.S. law (as a Canadian attorney with an LLM), lack of time
“I don’t think I passed this bar … just [being] realistic”
“I will probably take it again in July, and I will be using your methods and materials again”
“I was completely prepared to treat it like a practice exam, learn from my mistakes, etc.”
“S”
Passed the 2023 February California Bar Exam (32.5% pass rate) while accommodating her work schedule
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 2 times
- Weakness: Essays and PTs
- Unique challenge: Low GPA making her feel doomed by the statistics, studying while working
“I don’t think I passed this bar … just [being] realistic”
“I will probably take it again in July, and I will be using your methods and materials again”
“I was completely prepared to treat it like a practice exam, learn from my mistakes, etc.”
Doreen
Passed the 2022 February California Bar Exam (33.9% pass rate) after preparing for 6 weeks
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 2 times. February 2021 (remote), February 2022
- Weakness: Essays, getting enough memorization done, learning the black letter law in enough detail, and practicing essays (“practicing essays was a struggle from start to finish”)
- Unique challenge: ADHD, major anxiety when it comes to studying, being a night owl
“I don’t think I passed this bar … just [being] realistic”
“I will probably take it again in July, and I will be using your methods and materials again”
“I was completely prepared to treat it like a practice exam, learn from my mistakes, etc.”
James
Passed the 2022 July California Bar Exam
- Attempts: California Bar Exam
- Weakness: Essays, PTs
- Unique challenge: Condensing and mastering the volume of new material as a foreign-trained attorney (Australian)
“You really have to erase what you think you know about law and start from scratch.”
Drew
Passed the 2021 February California Attorneys' Exam
- Attempts: California Attorneys' Exam 2 times
- Weakness: Essays and PTs, doing the mental work
- Unique challenge: Working full time with parental responsibilities
“Essentially, I think I was trying to minimize brain damage, though not passing turned out to be far more brain damage than going through the pain up front.”
Lars
Passed the 2018 July California Bar Exam (40% pass rate)
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 2 times
- Weakness: Essays
- Unique challenge: Foreign attorney (Canadian), not used to closed-book exams, worked full time
“I came to the understanding I wanted to be able to have gone through . . . enough practice essays for every topic that there wouldn’t be anything that blindsided me.”
Stan
Passed the 2020 October California Bar Exam
(first online/remote administration)
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 5 times
- Weakness: Select subjects
- Unique challenge: Financial difficulties, average background, mental/emotional/ego fatigue, conquering inner demons, middle of pandemic
“If you have the will, resources that work for you, and discipline, you can pass. You just have to be ready for it.”
Samantha
Passed the 2018 July California Bar Exam (40% pass rate)
- Attempts: California Bar Exam 3 times
- Weakness: MBE
- Unique challenge: Caretaker duties, non-accredited school with 9% chance of passing, worked full time
“I studied less this time than I did the other two times, but I studied smarter.”
Tom
Passed the 2018 July California Bar Exam after MANY attempts
- Attempts: California Bar Exam ## times (he wanted to keep the number between us)
- Weakness: Essays, MBE, Performance Tests
- Unique challenge: Many-time repeater, took a year off, worked full time, dad duties
“Every moment that I was using, I’m asking myself: Am I doing something that’s helping me prepare?”
Notice that many of these passers DIDN'T have the most time.
It wasn't about spending the most time... but studying more EFFICIENTLY and EFFECTIVELY.
Ready to do the same?
UBE Stories
Navi
Passed the 2022 July New York Bar Exam with a score of 295
- Attempts: New York Bar Exam 1x
- Weakness: Weak subjects shifted throughout bar prep, had to learn Family Law or Secured Transactions (heavy topic!) in 3 days
- Unique challenge: 8-week schedule, only completed 30% of Themis workload, had to relearn how to take closed-book exams
“Consistency over intensity.”
“I love myself and my life too much to have to do this again. One and done. For me, love was the greatest motivator. Love for myself.”
Ashley
Passed the 2024 February New York Bar Exam after a “seven year feeling of defeat”
- Attempts: New York Bar Exam 3x
- Weakness: 7 years since last attempt
- Unique challenge: Working full time, temptation to stick to The Program
“Don’t be afraid to ditch or avoid altogether commercial bar prep courses if they don’t work for you, because it’s not you – it’s them.”
Salma
Passed the 2023 July New York Bar Exam
- Attempts: New York Bar Exam 1x
- Weakness: Balanced
- Unique challenge: Foreign-trained attorney (going through a lot of nervousness)
“If you are going to waste 8 hours staring blank into your screen or notes, take that time and do something more useful. Study for 4-5 hours, but make sure that it’s the kind of studying that will benefit you.”
Nocona
“Partner/Mom/Grandma/Kindergarten teacher” who passed the 2022 Oklahoma Bar Exam (UBE) with a score of 270
- Attempts: Oklahoma Bar Exam 5 times (2x after adopting the UBE)
- Weakness: MEE, MPTs
- Unique challenge: Family woman with a job, insecurities, reframing past bar exam experiences
“Your weekly emails reminded me how much I love learning and helped me reframe my past bar exam experiences.”
Nat
Passed the 2024 February UBE on her second attempt while working full time
“I think the ability to learn about the process, look critically at how I was approaching the process, and then apply it was what changed. For example, I had planned to take a full practice exam at the beginning of studying. I thought I was supposed to do that as I had done it last time. But I watched a video you did, and I realized that I didn’t need to do it and a modified version would be better for me.”
Roxanneh
Passed the 2024 February Washington Bar Exam on her first try
(after switching from California)
“Enjoying the process really will make it go much better for you. This is already an all-encompassing endeavor, so you’re going to lose your mind if you don’t try to make it somewhat pleasant for yourself.”
Rebecca
Passed the 2024 February DC Bar Exam on her second try, going from 256 to 269
“Respect the exam and be humble and brutally honest with how you need to organize study for YOUR success. Don't be scared of low AdaptiBar scores or whatever. Review, repeat.”
“A pass is a pass.”
Mercedes
Passed the 2023 July Colorado Bar Exam as a busy mom with a 3-year-old
- Attempts: Colorado Bar Exam 1 time
- Weakness: MEE and MPT
- Unique challenge: Time management, prior intern/clerking experience interfering with writing what bar examiners want
“I do not think that the bar prep companies programs are bad or useless. I just think that one has to look at the price and what you get out of it and then think whether it makes sense for you.”
Joe
Passed the 2018 July Kansas Bar Exam
- Attempts: Kansas Bar Exam 1 time
- Weakness: MEE
- Unique challenge: Essay topics that were new to him, started preparation with 7 weeks to go
“I really saw myself picking up a lot more issues that way and scoring a lot higher. After that, I think that’s when I finally, finally started to feel like there’s a chance I was gonna pull it off.”
Other Stories
Samantha
Passed the 2018 July Georgia Bar Exam
- Attempts: Georgia Bar Exam 1 time
- Weakness: MBE
- Unique challenge: Mom duties, worked full time, 30% chance of passing
“I don’t learn by watching lectures all day. I didn’t learn like that in law school, at any point in my life did I learn like that. So why would I do that for the most important test in my life?”
Want to join their ranks?
If you’re serious about passing the bar exam, I've shown you PROOF that it's possible for anyone, with hard work and smart work.
It’s not all doom and gloom. This isn’t unrealistic. It’s easy to let pass rates take the blame, but plenty of people do pass.
And you can be one of them—if you make it a priority.
Don’t shy away from success.
“If you want success, figure out the price, then pay it.”—Scott Adams
I'm offering these tools so that you can become another success story instead of another statistic: