Why Really Wanting to Pass the Bar Exam Isn’t Enough

Everyone who takes the bar exam wants to pass—otherwise, why would they be taking it? Sometimes students tell me how much they want to pass, but yet, they still can’t seem to get their act together to do the work it takes. They say things like, “I’m really committed this time around,” or “I want to pass so much, it’s all I can think about.” Okay, great, good for you, that’s all fine and good. The question is, are you ready to step up and do the heavy lifting or not?

I’ve seen a lot of bar students over the years who come to us after failing the exam. Sometimes they’re surprised they didn’t pass. Sometimes they suspect they had it coming. In every case, though, they did genuinely want to walk away from that exam and never look back. I get it. But really wanting something just isn’t good enough. Below are some examples I’ve seen where students have failed—not for a lack of wanting—but because of something else entirely. Take these three areas and ask yourself if you’ve done any of these things:

You really want to pass, but… You’re not learning from each practice test.

For some reason, a lot of bar students get fixated on how much practice they’re doing to the detriment of actually learning from that practice. They tell themselves, “If I write 10 essays in each subject, I will pass,” or they ask me, “How many MBEs do you think I need to do to pass?” Practice is key, they’re right, but so is getting something out of it.

The Rubik’s Cube Conundrum

Okay, bear with me, I just came up with this analogy: Imagine your job was to solve a Rubik’s cube in 10 minutes. You could repeatedly set your timer for 10 minutes and fail miserably each and every time. Worse yet, you’d be starting over from scratch with each shot you took, and you’d have no idea how to get from point A (your jumbled cube) to point B (your nice, finished cube).

Now, imagine instead that you came up with a Rubik’s cube plan ahead of time. First, you figured out the exact steps you would need to take to get to your end result. Then, you practiced memorizing those steps. Then, you practiced with the intention of applying those steps you had learned. And finally, you started timing yourself once you were getting pretty good so you could see just how fast you could get.

Notice a difference? Well, this is sort of how it goes with essays—except doing the random practice is even more detrimental with essays because instead of a small cube, you’ve got upwards of 10 subjects with tons of rules. The various permutations of where you could go wrong and how are practically endless.

The point here is that there needs to be a method to your practice madness or you really won’t get anything out of it. You need to review your work in detail. And, I’m not just talking about reading through the sample answers. That’s not enough. You need to really take your essay apart piece by piece. Make a list of what facts and rules you missed. Go look up those rules. Memorize them. Ask yourself how the facts were supposed to fit in. Then, try it all over again. 

You really want to pass, but… You’re letting your personal life get in the way.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this one. A really smart person will fail the exam and come to us with a whole host of problems that start surfacing as we go along: maybe they’re in a toxic relationship with someone who wants them to fail. Perhaps they are trying to study while balancing childcare, household work, and a full-time job. It’s possible they’ve for some inexplicable reason agreed to take on some other hugely time-consuming project to help a friend or charity right smack in the middle of bar season. You get the picture.

Hey, I’m not saying navigating your personal life while studying for the bar is always going to be easy, but you have to get it together enough to give yourself the space and time you need. Otherwise, what’s the point?

I’ve helped parents of very young children pass this exam. I’ve helped people who are working full-time jobs pass this exam. I’ve helped people pass this exam who are stuck in a terrible relationship with someone who cut them down every chance they got (and this doesn’t just mean significant others—this can be parents, friends, anyone who makes you feel unworthy or small). These situations are really hard. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but you have to set boundaries for yourself. I can’t call your mom and talk to her. I can’t get you a babysitter. I can’t tell your boss you need the time off. This is about you, and if you want to pass this exam, you need to prioritize.

Obviously, there’s only so much you can do when it comes to non-negotiables. And, I’m definitely not saying you need to ditch your girlfriend or boyfriend, get a full-time nanny or quit your job. Just figure out a plan that doesn’t involve you and this exam against the whole world. The bar is hard enough on its own without having to compete for your attention.

You really want to pass, but… You keep just taking the easy route.

What, you might ask, is “the easy route” when it comes to taking the bar exam? Here are some examples. Let’s take a couple and walk through them:

• Watching video lectures
• Practicing untimed, open-book essays

Now, each of these might not be “easy” in the sense that it doesn’t take any effort—all of these take some kind of time and attention on your part. However, is that time really worth it?

Now, how could you make each of these activities more worthwhile for yourself? Glad you asked! Here are some ideas:

• Watching video lectures
  • And… filling out a worksheet about it or taking notes as you go
    • Then… taking those rule statements and changing or simplifying the wording until it works for you and you can see the crucial “buzzwords”
      • Then… coming up with ways to memorize those rules
        • Then… Quizzing yourself on those rules and keeping track of which ones you’ve mastered
          • Then… Making your own attack plan based on those rules
            • Then… Doing some practice that tests you on those rules

• Practicing untimed, open-book essays
  • Then… critiquing your work in great detail (see above)
    • Then… figuring out your weak areas of law and drilling them
      • Then… memorizing enough law to do your essays closed-book
        • Then… being really strict with timing and getting as fast as you can

And there you have it! Three ways that you can back up and bolster all that “wanting to pass” that you’re doing. Wanting to pass is great. But doing the hard work is the way to get there.

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Did you find this post helpful? Check out some other great articles:

• Steps to Making Your Own Bar Exam Schedule
• What Are You Waiting For? It’s Time to Study for the Bar
• What You Can Do Now to Prepare for the Bar Exam
• Can Studying Early Help You Pass the Bar Exam?

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