So You Failed the California Bar Exam

California bar results are to be released today at 6 pm. Pass rates will likely be typical, leaving thousands of disappointed bar takers out there. That means that there are a huge number of folks who are sad, frustrated and not sure what to do next. (If you passed, yay for you! You don’t need to read this post). Here are some next steps for those dealing with a bar exam failure.

Remember, you are not alone.

Although this may feel like a lonely and frustrating experience, you are not alone. Plenty of incredibly smart people have failed the bar exam and you too can come back to find exam success. Check out this incredibly honest post on getting failing results on bar exam results day. 

Give yourself time to grieve. 

Failing the bar exam can feel like a kind of loss. It is important to take a break and give yourself time to recover. You aren’t going to make the best decisions right now while you are upset and hurt. If you need some time to grieve, go for it. Just realize that you can’t stay in a disappointed state forever!

Deal with things like talking to your boss.

If you are working, you may have to talk to your boss. Here are some tips to get through that experience.

Come up with a game plan. 

Once you are feeling a bit better, now it is time to come up with a game plan to study again. Here are some steps you want to take.

1. Identify what went wrong and why you think you failed the last exam.
2. Research your preparation options. You may want to learn more about bar exam tutors or alternative preparation options. Here is something to think about though — if you prepare in the exact same way this next time you study — do you think you will get a different result when you take it again?
3. Decide if you are going to take the July bar exam. The turn-around time for signing-up is pretty quick, so unfortunately you need to make this decision soon. Taking a break from the bar exam may seem like a good idea, but is it really the best solution for you? Or are you considering taking the exam in another state? That may not be the best option either.
4. Develop a plan to get mentally ready. Coming back from a bar exam failure is a challenge and you need to make sure you are mentally ready to study again. If you feel like things are getting pretty bad, you may want to reach out and find a therapist. If you can’t afford a therapist, here are a few low-cost options to help deal with stress. Don’t let your mindset stand in the way of finding bar exam success.

Check out these California Resources: 

We have a few California Bar Exam resources to share with you that may help you get on the path to success.

• AdaptiBar – AdaptiBar is an online program targeted to help students get better MBE scores. As a user of the program, you’ll have access to more than 1,500 MBE questions, and AdaptiBar tracks your performance.
• BarEssays.com – This unique study tool for the essay portion is for the California Bar Exam. They provide actual examples of real essays and performance exams by students that sat for the California bar exam.
• Bar Exam Breakthrough – This comprehensive, six-step online course is designed specifically to address your bar exam mindset – the mental and emotional components of your exam study and performance, including your confidence and belief in your ability to succeed.
• Elena DuCharme: Performance Coaching for Lawyers and Law Students – Elena is a former practicing attorney who coaches law students and attorneys. She specializes in helping first-time and repeat bar-takers who are struggling with mental and emotional blocks to success.
• Lean Sheets – Lean Sheets streamlines the most important and frequently tested material for every bar exam subject into 2 – 3 page condensed outlines. These uniquely concise and manageable bar exam outlines contain only what you need to know to pass your exam.
• Lee Burgess, California Bar Exam Tutor – Whether you are taking the bar for the first time and looking to supplement a classroom program or tackling the test after getting disappointing results, Lee helps you navigate through the study process to get ready for the next exam.
• Themis Bar Review – Themis Bar Review is a bar review course that you can take entirely online. Instead of sitting in a large lecture hall or convention center with other students listening to lectures, you listen to lectures and do all of your studying autonomously online.

Good luck!

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

• Yikes! I Failed the Bar Exam. Should I Take It Again?
• Coming Back After a Bar Exam Failure — Gearing Up to Study Again
• If At First You Don’t Succeed … Cry, Whine, and Then TRY AGAIN!
• The Day I Failed the California Bar Exam

Photo by juliaf via freeimages.