• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Bar Exam Toolbox®

Get the tools you need for bar exam success

  • I Failed!
  • Tutoring
    • California Bar Exam Tutoring
    • Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), MEE, and MPT Tutoring
  • Courses
    • Writing Help: Essays/PT
    • MBE Help
    • Self-Study Program
    • Options – California
    • Options – UBE
    • Options – FYLSE (Baby Bar)
  • Bar Exam 101
  • About
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Login

Why is the Bar So Challenging?

November 9, 2022 By Zoila Sanchez Leave a Comment

Why is the Bar So Challenging?Elle Woods from Legally Blonde has a famous line about going to law school, “[w]hat, like it’s hard?” Well, if you’ve taken the bar exam then you know how hard it can be. The bar exam does not come easy for many of us, and it is not just a feeling—it is backed up by the research.

The exam has historically been tougher to pass in certain notorious states such as California. Aside from jurisdiction, there are disparities at play. We know from recent figures by the American Bar Association that there is a racial gap in bar passage rates. In fact, when looking at 2021 overall bar passage rates, the first-time passage rate is higher for White J.D. graduates when compared to Black J.D. grads (85% versus 61%, respectively).

The figures are also not in favor for repeat-takers. In fact, the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ numbers show that first-time takers have higher pass rates than repeat-takers.

Challenges

There is an ongoing debate, which intensified during the pandemic, about how much gatekeeping is necessary for admission into the bar. Some feel strongly that there should be a restricted pathway into the profession which includes the bar exam in its current state. Others are fully supportive of diploma privilege and getting rid of or altering the exam. Wherever you land may depend on your own personal experience with preparing for and taking the bar exam.

Some factors that can impact a test-taker’s experience include:

  1. Preparation: For example, did you go into your studies with an understanding of your learning style? Or did it take some trial and error to learn about how to best approach and prepare?
  2. Law school experience: Some students feel they got the best bar prep from their professors while others don’t feel as confident going into the bar after graduation. Perhaps your school helped you ease into studies through a school bar prep program or coaching.
  3. Financial resources: Your readily available resources including the finances for exam-related needs such as registering for the exam, a bar course, supplemental material, and tutoring. It all adds up and is not easy on many of us, especially if you need to work to afford any of these. In some states, the cost just to register can be $1K or more and can depend on whether your jurisdiction requires the character and fitness process to be done upfront.
  4. Test-taking skills: Your test-taking abilities including strengths such as a knack for multiple choice or writing under serious time constraints. If you need accommodations for a learning disability, or other reason, it requires time and resources to apply and ensure you have been properly diagnosed and have a well-documented history.
  5. Social and emotional support: Having a supportive community helps make the road less lonely and more empowering.
  6. Outlets you utilize to cope with stress such as a hobby, exercise, and therapy.

What is in your Favor

There are aspects we cannot control about the exam itself and the outcome. However, there are things we can control when it comes to bar prep.

Draw on the following to focus on the elements that are in your favor:

Channel Determination

The same drive that got you into law school and to the graduation finish line is the same grit needed to pass the bar exam and not allow the statistics to determine your outcome.

I remember speaking to my advisor about the law school curve, and she made a great point about not being defeated. She said there is always room to earn the A or the B. While there may be predictors to determine which students will take those grades home, it is worth pushing and getting a different outcome.

Build on Strengths

The benefit you have after graduating law school are the three years you’ve taken to refine your study techniques and abilities. You know what works for you and what doesn’t. Even if you need to dabble in something new and try it, you will recognize quite quickly what will work for you and what’s a waste of time. Approach your studies this way. Be selective and tailor your approach to your strengths. If you are a visual and audio learner, then make sure your test prep accommodates your style. There is not much time to recreate an entire course that works for you.

Build a Strong Support System

Stay connected to the people and communities that encourage you to keep going. To start, you can connect to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcasts.

There are so many ways on social media that make it possible to instantly connect to people that can relate to you. For example, if you are a first-generation bar exam taker, you are not alone!

Remember that as scary as approaching the exam can be, you can take matters into your own hands. Confront this challenge, and get to the other side to make yourself proud. The best part is that you will have an encouraging story to help a future test-taker.


Ready to pass the bar exam? Get the support and accountability you need with personalized one-on-one bar exam tutoring or one of our economical courses and workshops. We’re here to help!


About Zoila Sanchez

Zoila Sanchez joined the Bar Exam Toolbox as a Writer to help law students and graduates overcome challenges on their legal career journey.

During law school, she served as a Legal Clerk with the federal government at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Counsel to the Inspector General in Washington, DC. Currently, she works for a health and business law firm. She enjoys spending down time mentoring students sitting for the bar exam through the American Bar Association Council on Legal Education Opportunity program and taking it easy with her three poodles.

Ms. Sanchez holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stony Brook University, a Master of Public Health from the University of Arizona and Juris Doctor from Hofstra University.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let us know you are not a spammer! * Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

Primary Sidebar

  • Podcast
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

About Us

Want to pass the bar exam? Of course you do! We’re here to help. You’ll find lots of helpful free content at Bar Exam 101, in the Bar Exam Resource Hub, and on the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast. For more hands-on help, take a look at our courses and workshops and bar exam tutoring options. Please get in touch with any questions!

Recent Posts

Podcast Microphone

Podcast Episode 240: Quick Tips — Tackling the Bar Exam with ADHD

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! If you've recently received an ADHD diagnosis as an adult, you might be feeling daunted by the prospect … [Read More...] about Podcast Episode 240: Quick Tips — Tackling the Bar Exam with ADHD

Podcast Microphone

Podcast Episode 239: Quick Tips — How Journaling Can Help You Stay on Task During Bar Prep

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In today's episode, we explore how journaling can be used to help you stay on task, manage your stress, … [Read More...] about Podcast Episode 239: Quick Tips — How Journaling Can Help You Stay on Task During Bar Prep

Podcast Microphone

Podcast Episode 238: Managing Self-Sabotaging Behavior with a Solid Study Schedule

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In this episode, we're talking about setting up a solid study schedule to protect yourself from … [Read More...] about Podcast Episode 238: Managing Self-Sabotaging Behavior with a Solid Study Schedule

Self Sabotage and the Bar Exam

Self Sabotage and the Bar Exam

We work with a lot of people who’ve failed the bar exam. Most, if not all, of those people struggle – at least sometimes – with self-sabotaging … [Read More...] about Self Sabotage and the Bar Exam

Podcast Microphone

Podcast Episode 237: Listen and Learn — Discovery (Civ Pro)

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, we're focusing on an important Civil Procedure topic: Discovery. We look at the process during … [Read More...] about Podcast Episode 237: Listen and Learn — Discovery (Civ Pro)

Need to Pass the Bar Exam?

Sign up for our free weekly email with useful tips!

Footer

  • Podcast
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • I Failed!
  • Tutoring
  • Courses
  • Bar Exam 101
  • About
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Login
  • Privacy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Refunds
  • Contact

Copyright 2023 Bar Exam Toolbox®™