California Bar Exam | Page 8 of 9 | Make This Your Last Time

February 4, 2021November 6, 2022 - 2 Comments

How Stan Finally Passed the Bar Exam Using Proven Bar Preparation Strategies (Anyone Can Do This!)

I recently had a back-and-forth with Stan, yet another reader who passed the (online/remote) 2020 October California Bar Exam on his 5th try.

When I asked to showcase his incredible personal journey, Stan offered to rewrite his emails into a more comprehensive story with approaches he discovered, his realizations, and specific study tips to help others join him beyond the bar.

Some of my favorite impressions among many:

✅ Respecting the exam is important but so is enjoying the process

✅ Practice as if it were the real thing. Do the real thing as if it were practice—with confidence

✅ Bar prep doesn’t have to be expensive

✅ Use the right approach to focus on what’s important

✅ The mental aspect (discipline, grit, fear, and doubt) can be what hinders you more than anything

Enough about my impressions. It’s time for yours. Here’s Stan’s story on what he did to finally pass the bar exam.

No substantive edits made except adding relevant links and [comments in brackets] and writing out some abbreviations.

One for Five: How I Finally Passed the Bar Exam

After I told Brian about my journey to passing the Oct 2020 California bar exam, he was gracious enough to offer me a chance to share my story on his blog. I discovered Brian’s website by searching stories on how people passed the exam. I’d bet that’s pretty common.

Before we get into my story, please know my only intent is to show you if I can pass, you absolutely can too. I’m not special, nor am I looking for credit or praise of any kind. I’m just an ordinary guy from LA who took the bar exam five times, dealing with life along the way.

Everyone’s journey to passing the bar is unique. What worked for me might not necessarily work for you. But I would bet a quality everyone needs is discipline. My story is a cautionary tale of why discipline should always be where bar prep starts and ends.

The October 2020 California bar exam was my fifth attempt, but I was finally ready to pass. Let me tell you why you should never think you’re not smart enough or good enough to pass, or that it must not be meant for you.

July 28, 2020July 14, 2024 - No Comments

How Do Grading and Scoring Work for the California Bar Exam?

“How do you calculate your score on the California Bar Exam? How does grading work? i WeNt tO lAw ScHoOL bEcAusE i SuCk aT mAth LOL”

I can feel a blood vessel dilating in my head and an urge to throw my keyboard out the window every time I hear someone say this. Just leave this planet now before things get more embarrassing for both of us.

While it isn’t politically incorrect for Americans to brag about deficiencies in their math skills, I won’t have that around here.

First of all, stop using this self-deprecatory language. You took the SAT and a shitload of math classes until you were old enough to drive. You can do basic math. Or “maths” if you’re British and like to make words unnecessarily complicated (Worcestershire sauce anyone?)

You are capable—of doing math, doing Pereira and Van Camp calculations, and passing the bar exam.

Second of all, why are we still confused about how grading works for the California Bar Exam? Should I blame the State Bar for its lack of transparency? Are my optimism and faith in you people misplaced?

But if you’re frustrated and confused by the numbers, I’m happy to put a rest to this once and for all.

July 20, 2020March 28, 2023 - 3 Comments

Remote/Online Bar Exam Logistics and Strategies

You’re probably wondering how this whole remote bar exam thing is going to work.

Do I get scratch paper?
Can I use a desktop?
How many monitors can I use for ExamSoft/SofTest/Examplify (or whatever exam software)?
Do I need to be online?
Can I print?
Are they going to proctor me through a camera?
Can I take bathroom breaks?
What about cheating?
What about the MBE? How many questions? Is it all on a screen?
What if I’m handwriting?

Uh, yeah, I’m sure you have a lot of questions.

Right now, all the states are having a brawl and doing whatever they feel is necessary to conduct their bar exams.

Many states are shifting from in-person paper testing to an almost entirely digital exam, at least for the 2020 Fall bar exam. This is a significant change, and something worth discussing in terms of preparation and test-taking strategies.

This post will address two things:

Testing mechanics for taking a remote bar exam. See below for information on all states, but the initial focus here is on California
Strategies for preparing for and taking a test entirely on screen, assuming your state is administering the exam online and doesn’t allow paper for at least some portion

Btw I’m not going to call this an “online bar exam” because it’s done almost entirely OFFline. Only the check-ins sessions require an Internet connection.

July 18, 2020August 28, 2020 - No Comments

Feeling Stuck and Burned Out with Bar Prep

It seems like time is continuing to expand along with the universe—agony stretching as bar examiners keep pushing exam dates back like a girl who isn’t really into you.

Isn’t more time good, though?

What do you do when you’re frustrated with your progress?

Are you even acknowledging the frustration, or are you actually dismissing it?

I was having a conversation with a coaching client for the California Bar Exam. Here’s an excerpt:

**For non-CA takers, each CA essay is scored out of 100 raw points. 65 is considered on track to pass the exam and a target benchmark. 70 is solid. An 85 is rarely obtained.**

To summarize, here are his issues:

Practicing essays takes too long
He feels he wastes time by overwriting the analysis
He wants to write in his own way and limit the analysis

What would be your feedback here? Think about it before I share my suggestions on getting clearer on an approach you may be taking as well.

July 16, 2020September 22, 2020 - 1 Comment

California Bar Exam passing score lowered to 1390 from 1440

Welp, it’s official. The Supreme Court of California announced the following today:

The second administration of the 2020 California Bar Exam is now online, on October 5-6, 2020 (September exam is canceled)
- Last day to register for the October exam has been extended through July 24, 2020
- Last day to withdraw and get a full refund of testing fees is September 8, 2020 (no longer right before the test date, may be changed later yet again)
A provisional license program under supervision will be available to 2020 law grads, but they will need to take the exam at some point. Such a program will remain at least until June 1, 2022
Oh, and the pass score has been lowered to 1390… permanently

Read more about it in the Court’s announcement page.

Does this mean grading will be harsher? Will online testing become the norm? Are we now closer to know the truth about whether we’re living in a simulation?

Hell if I know. But we now have more certainty about the exam. And there’s one thing that has always remained constant:

Take the exam as soon as is practical. Don’t prolong the inevitable to wait until 2022 if you plan to take the exam at some point (whether you plan to take the California bar or another bar exam). I have strong reasons why you should take the exam that’s coming up sooner.

Hopeful California attorneys now have until October to prepare for the 2020 California bar. While the lower cut score and more time to study may be good news for many, as always, watch for burnout.

Now that things have become more certain, make a plan. Get a better idea of how you should spend your time. Productivity comes from clarity.

Let’s watch out for more information about exam logistics as we move forward with bar prep.