Hello, if you would like to reserve a space in our upcoming free, “How to Pass the California Bar Exam” Workshop, complete the reservation request form below. The workshop will be held on Wednesday, May 22nd in Los Angeles. Please understand that space is limited. Reservations will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, see my earlier post: Free Score Review & Free Workshop
California Bar Exam Tips: Free Workshops and Free Score Review
Hello All,
If you failed the February 2013 bar exam, you should know that you are not alone. The complete statistics will be available on the California bar website soon. Each year, pass rates for the February bar exams are usually lower than the pass rates for July. Typically, the February bar exam pass rates range between 39% and 50%. So, if you did not pass, you know that you are among a significant number of people who are in the very same position.
What do I do now?
So what do you do now? Do you take another bar review course? Do you hire a private tutor? Do you study on your own? The answers to those questions will be different for everyone. First, you need to properly evaluate why it is that you failed. Second, consider attending one of our free bar exam workshops.
Free Bar Exam Workshops
Our next free “How To Pass The California Bar Exam Workshop” will be held on May 22nd. We will host additional workshops, but we always suggest that you attend as soon as possible to allow yourself the greatest opportunity to benefit from the strategies and techniques covered in our workshops. Here are the details for next week’s workshop:
Los Angeles County Workshop
“How to Pass the California Bar Exam”
Date: Wednesday, May 22nd from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
Instructor: Professor Duncanson
Location: Los Angeles, California (adjacent to the 405 freeway, parking is free)
Workshop attendees will receive handouts (including free bar exam writing templates and MBE handouts), instruction on how to write for the California bar examiners, test taking strategies and techniques, how to simply make sense of failing and move forward as well has have an opportunity to meet with our course instructor. This workshop will be taught by Professor Duncanson (Bar None Review Bar Review course founder and author of The Bar Exam Guru Blog).
Space is limited. To make a reservation for this workshop, please contact us via email at: pass@barnonereview.com or you may call us at: (213) 529-0990 or (949) 891-8831.
Free Bar Exam Score Review
We provide, for a limited period of time (as our classes and private tutoring obligations begin and then we are just not available to provide this service) a free review of your past bar scores. In order to participate in this program, you will need to send your scores to pass@barnonereview.com. We only accept scanned in score sheets or faxed scores sheets at this time (we do not accept your typed in scores in an email). We have to be sure that we are dealing with you. In addition, provide a phone number where you can be reached (all score reviews and evaluations are conducted via phone). If you would like to send your score sheet to us via fax, simply send us an email and we will provide you our fax number.
Why should I have my scores reviewed?
As a repeat bar examinee, the first step to passing the next bar exam is to review your bar exam score sheet. This can be a very confusing piece of paper. Partly because it is simply just painful to look at. Here you are, you have just received the terrible news that you have failed the bar exam and now you have to make sense of the scores. In my experience, examinees very often do not understand how the scaling works or what equals a passing “raw” score. So hopefully, what follows below will be of help to you.
Because the scoring of the California Bar Exam is scaled, it is not easy to understand what a given raw score means nor is it clear where you will need to focus from numbers alone. For example, if an examinee scores consistently the same scores on their essays (i.e., all sixties or three fifty-fives and three sixties) it will indicate a different problem than an examinee whose scores have a greater range (i.e., one 45, one 75, two 65s and two 60s etc.).
What is a passing raw score for an essay or performance test?
First of all, the raw score that is passing for the essays, performance tests and the MBEs varies from bar exam to bar exam. Most examinees incorrectly believe that a 70 is always required to pass an essay. However, this is simply not the case. In the past several bar rounds, a passing raw score on the essay has been as low as a 61 and as high as a 63 – not a 70. Of course, a 70 is a much better score to receive and better yet, 80s are really what you should be shooting for – this is the score we do our best to teach our students to be able to achieve consistently.
What is a passing raw score for the MBE?
The passing raw score for the MBE in the past few years has gone down dramatically. Several years ago, to pass the MBE portion of the exam you really needed to achieve at least 70% correct (a raw score of 140). However, in the past couple of years, the raw passing score has been between 62% – 66% (a raw score of 124 to 133). However, your practice scores should be much, much higher to ensure that you will do well enough on the MBE portion on the actual exam day.
Once the California bar releases the full statistics, some of these numbers will become more clear. However, what is most important is where you are – how far away from passing were you really? Most examinees that I speak with are quite off base when they call in to discuss their scores. There is a lot of misinformation out there. I have been following message boards and I am shocked at how little examinees know about how the test is scored. This is the fault of both law schools and bar preparation courses. It can be incredibly helpful to have someone who is knowledgeable about it to help you interpret your scores. This is really the first step in figuring out what you need or don’t need.
Free Downloads & Further Assistance
Also, be sure to visit our bar review course website free downloads of some of our Bar Exam Writing Templates as well as advice for those who are repeating the bar exam. Click here for additional Repeat Taker Information and click here for free downloads of some of The Exam Writing Templates.
Good luck to you and do not give up, this exam is do-able!
Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a comment here on my blog or to email me directly at: pass@barnonereview.com
Good luck in your studies!
Sincerely,
Lisa Duncanson
Program Director/Founder
Bar None Review
(213) 529-0990
barnonereview.com
California Bar Exam Tip: What to do if you fail the California bar exam
Hello Everyone,
The following post is a reprint of “What to do if you fail the California bar exam”. Given that this is a timely topic for many, I am re-posting it here.
Good luck to all of you who are re-taking the bar exam!
If you have failed the bar exam, keep in mind that you are in good company. Also, realize that the bar exam is not an IQ test. Many very bright and hardworking examinees fail the exam. If you have failed, you will need to do the following:
1) Get past being devastated as quickly as possible – as harsh as this sounds, you really do just need to get back to work as soon as you can. Those that do, have the best chance of passing the next exam. Start by doing MBEs.
2) This is going to hurt, but – find out why you failed - this starts by getting your scores back from the bar. The bar will automatically mail score sheets to all examinees who failed the bar. This usually takes 1 – 3 days after bar results come out (so, for those of you who failed the February 2013 exam, it could be as soon as today – May 18th). When you do get your scores, don’t panic and don’t make assumptions about any one section. You will receive both a raw score and a scaled score. Take the time to read the materials that come with your score sheet that explain the raw and scaled scores. See also, other posts on this blog about making it to re-read and interpreting bar scores. And, if you need help interpreting your scores, you can get it free through Bar None Review barnonereview.com (You can fax your score sheet to: (562) 394-9278 or email it to pass@barnonereview.com). Please be sure to include your phone number with your score sheet.
3) Commit to taking and passing the next exam- in almost every case, I would recommend taking the very next bar exam. Obviously there are sometimes reasons to sit out a bar exam administration – but in most cases, the best advice is to take the very next exam. Think about it, the material seems like it has fallen out of your head right now – just think how hard it will be to put it all back together if you wait another six months – that would be a whole year since your last review – not a good plan.
4) Develop a plan of attack- Your plan might include taking another bar review course, hiring a tutor, or continuing your studies on your own. There are many courses available (assuming you already tried barbri) that cater to different needs – small classes, private tutorials. Do your research and due diligence before enrolling in a course. Ask for references, ask to see the course materials before enrolling, make sure the bar review provider is a good fit for your needs. And, don’t abandon your common sense – if it sounds too good to be true – it probably is. But, whatever you do (take a course or study on your own) make a plan – figure out how many hours you will study each day, where you will study, how long will you have to review each topic, how many essays you will write each week, how many MBEs you will do each day, how many PTs you will write – figure it out, map it out and develop a plan.
5) Work hard - no matter how hard you worked the first time, you are going to have to work just that hard again. And, if in your honest assessment of your prior bar studies you conclude that you did not work hard enough – well then you are going to have to work harder. There simply is no magic bullet.
6) Consider attending one of our free bar exam workshops - Our next “How To Pass The California Bar Exam Workshop” will be held on Wednesday, May 22nd in Los Angeles. For more details, and to reserve your space, please contact us via email at: pass@barnonereview.com or contact us by phone at (213) 529-0990. Also, visit our link in the upper right hand corner of this blog or click: Upcoming Free Workshops for more information.
All the best of luck to everyone taking the July 2013 bar exam,
Lisa Duncanson
Program Director/Founder
Bar None Review
(213) 529-0990
barnonereview.com
California Bar Exam – This is why I do what I do . . .
First of all, thank you for following the blog. It is quite a humbling thing to hear from so many of you, I really appreciate it.
And, this email just came in from one of our students who took our Two Day Bar Exam Cram Session . . . this is why I do what I do (so rewarding):
(Click on the image to see the full text and a larger view)
Our next Bar Exam Cram Session for the July 2013 Bar Exam will be held on Saturday, June 1st and Sunday, June 2nd.
Stay tuned for more details on enrollment. Additional dates will be held in July.
Locations include: Los Angeles, Irvine and San Francisco.
February 2013 California Bar Questions: Update
Hello All,
Good news! The California bar made the February 2013 essays and performance tests available to the Los Angeles Daily Journal today. As a result, the questions will be available in the Los Angeles Daily Journal’s Bar Results Issue. While the public release of the questions on the California bar exam website may still not happen until a later time, at least you will be able to access these questions, along with model answers written by various bar prep providers, online through the Los Angeles Daily Journal’s Bar Results issue.
I have received a copy of the essays and performance tests this afternoon.
It was definitely not an easy exam . . . but, then it never is . . .
All the best to those of you who are awaiting bar results – your long wait is almost over!
California Bar Exam Delays Release of Exam Questions
Twice a year the Los Angeles Daily Journal publishes a Bar Exam Results Issue of their paper. This issue is specifically geared towards those who are about to take, and who have just taken, the bar exam. In each issue (it is published twice a year to coincide with the release of the California bar exam results) the Los Angeles Daily Journal publishes the California bar exam pass list (all of the names of those who successfully took the most recent bar exam). Everyone waiting for results from the February 2013 bar exam certainly hopes to be on that list. The paper comes out just a few days after examinees receive their bar results online.
Years ago, examinees did not get the news that they passed by going on the internet. Instead, we got letters. When I passed the bar exam in 1994, the California bar examiners did something new – they set up a staff to answer the phones and we were allowed to call in and get our results over the phone. It took me 45 minutes to get through . . . what seemed like forever. We still got a letter (a few days later) and we still had the Los Angeles Daily Journal (and even some other newspapers) that published the pass list. For some, before you could get your results online, the Los Angeles Daily Journal was the first place that an examinee would learn whether they passed the bar exam or not because the letters did not always arrive before the pass list came out in the paper.
So this year the Los Angeles Daily Journal will be publishing, as they always do, the pass list from the most recent bar exam. However, what you will not see this year, is the publication of the most recent bar exam questions. As some of you know, the past questions (all six essays and both performance tests) are published in The Los Angeles Daily Journal’s Bar Results issue along with “model” answers. The model answers are typically written by individuals who do bar exam prep. I write pretty much every year and have for I think a decade now. I enjoy it and it has been an honor to be chosen year after year to write for the Los Angeles Daily Journal.
But, this year, the California bar will not release the questions from the February 2013 bar exam until “sometime in July”. This is unusual. I do not know the reason. But, it is what I am told. And, as a result, The Los Angeles Daily Journal’s Bar Results Issue will not contain the questions or model answers to the most recent bar exam. Instead, they will publish the questions, along with model answers, from February 2012. I will be writing an answer to Question 2, the Constitutional Law essay.
It is an interesting turn of events. I know first hand from my work with repeat bar takers, that examinees who have failed will be very interested in seeing the test questions from their most recent exam. And, there is always a high degree of interest in seeing “model” answers so that a person can get a sense of where they might need to improve and gain insight as to what went wrong.
It is not impossible to do this without the actual test questions, but, it will be harder. The same skills are required to pass the bar exam each bar round. As a result, it is not a requirement to see the past set of essays and performance tests in order to succeed on the next exam. However, psychologically, I think that for examinees who find out they have just failed the February 2013 bar exam, I do think it will be harder not being able to see the actual questions until sometime in July.
*Note: I have not spoken directly to the California bar regarding the release of the exam questions. I learned this information the same day the Los Angeles Daily Journal learned that the questions would not be available in time for their Bar Results issue that comes out in May. The California bar may decide to release the questions earlier than July. However, at the moment, this is the information I have been told – that the questions will not be released until “sometime in July”.
Bar Exam: Coming Soon – Civil Procedure on the MBE!
Hello All,
In case you haven’t already heard, Civil Procedure will be added to the Multi-State Bar Exam in 2015. We have been preparing for this important change since it was announced by the NCBE. See the New York Law Journal’s coverage of this important change to the bar exam here.
And now, something completely different . . .Some favorite tweets from some of our followers . . . Makes me smile . . . 
@barexamguru Lisa, thank you so much to you and Viktoria for all your help and support!! You’re amazing!
— Diana Elizabeth (@ItsFabulousD) March 2, 2013
Many thanks to @barexamguru. After 16 years since the last #barexam! — Justin Wineburgh (@JustinWineburgh) March 2, 2013
@barexamguru loved reading your blog over this past bar! — Bianca Styles (@Swtladee) March 10, 2013
@barexamguru Huge thanks for all your wisdom, it is so appreciated! Adding my email to your list to stay posted throughout the exam!
— Kate (@mskatykate) February 25, 2013
@barexamguru my pleasure! I read your blog & watched ur youtube videos. Helped me a lot. And others, too. Thanks for being unselfish.
— bassmumma (@bassmumma) March 10, 2013
Day Three Essays: Update And Some Reassurance . . .
Hello All,
Congratulations on being done with the California bar exam!
By now you are hopefully resting and putting this test behind you . . . at least for the time being. I know it is hard not to re-hash the exam. But, if you can, do your best to let it go and not think about it (easier said than done).
I want to take a moment to address some concerns about Essay 5 and whether it was a straight Civil Procedure essay or Civil Procedure with a light Evidence issue. First of all, I have NOT seen the actual question . . . so I can only go by what examinees have reported to me (so many of you have graciously provided your accounts of what was tested on each exam day to me via email, and I truly appreciate that). However, since I have not actually seen the essays, I can not be certain of what was actually tested. I personally think that there may have been a relevance issue (from what I was told). But, this could be wrong.
The most important thing (whether you consider an issue to have involved evidence or not) is that you solved the problem (what ever it was). That is the most important thing.
The exam is over and now you can move on to other things while you wait for results.
There will be much said about this exam (as there always is). I personally think that the best thing is to put it behind you and know that you did your best and simply let it go for now.
Thank you again for following the blog and thank you to all of you who wrote in and said such nice things.
Please feel free to comment or to contact me at: pass@barnonereview.com if you have any questions – I would be happy to address whatever I can.
Until next time . . . wishing you all the very best!
Lisa Duncanson
California Bar Exam: Day Three – Reaching the Finish Line!
Hello All,
By now you have taken essays 4, 5 and 6 and know that Essay number 4 was Product Liability, Essay number 5 was Civil Procedure crossed with Evidence and Essay number 6 was Business Organizations (Partnerships and Corporations) all appeared on today’s exam.
I would not be surprised if today’s PT involved Constitutional Law . . . but, of course, anything is possible . . . including some Professional Responsibility.
I am anxious to hear what was on the Performance Test. So . . . when you have a chance . . . and if you are so inclined . . . please email me at: pass@barnonereview.com with any details.
Al the best to all who are taking the exam today!
Sincerely,
Lisa Duncanson
California Bar Exam Tips: Possible Cross-Over
Hello All,
I have received a number of emails asking for an example of how Professional Responsibility and Torts could show up together on an essay.
Here is one example of a possible scenarios of Torts and Professional Responsibility tested together as a cross-over:
Abuse of Process, Malicious Prosecution and Professional Responsibility: One past bar exam fact pattern tested Process Torts in the context of PR in this way: Attorney is hired by client to sue on their behalf for a Tort cause of action (past exams have included defamation or negligence). Attorney misses statute of limitations, but files cause of action on behalf of client despite knowledge that the underlying cause of action is time barred. Client then has a cause of action for negligence against attorney (watch for calls of question – the examiners may limit your discussion) for failing to file claim on time, but, to prevail in negligence cause of action against attorney, client would have to prove that he/she would have prevailed in the underlying claim. Attorney is liable for abuse of process and/or malicious prosecution (depending upon how the call of the question(s) is/are asked) to the party attorney has filed the time barred action against on behalf of his client. The PR issue comes up in a light way – and would generally be asked of you by the call of the question. Issues in PR that could arise from this fact pattern would include: duty of competence (breach of), duty of diligence (failure to complete matter in a timely fashion), duty to the tribunal (breach of this duty by filing a claim that is time barred).
I will do my best to provide an additional example for a Torts/PR cross-over or other cross-over scenarios – do not stay up for it – get some rest if you can and check in tomorrow morning. If I provide any more this evening . . . it will be a quick read.
Other obvious cross-over areas are:
Wills & Trusts, Corporations and PR, Trusts and PR
Whatever you see subject wise tomorrow, remember to focus on problem solving, use headings, force a visual structure on your exam.
All the best to you tomorrow!
Lisa Duncanson
