Should I Take the Bar Exam Again if I Fail

Most people who fail the bar exam assume they should sit for the adjacent administration. The reasons are obvious. But this i-size-fits-all arroyo is not optimal for everyone. Retaking the bar is a big determination that depends on your individual circumstances. Hither are some things to consider every bit you determine when to try once more:

A Bad Day

If you're a recent police school grad who failed on your start try, information technology makes sense to retake the test as soon as possible. Your task – or your need to find a job – may make information technology imperative. Many showtime-time takers who fail practice so past a small margin, such as fewer than 10 points on the UBE, because no one takes the bar without preparing for it. Evaluate your performance, identify strengths and weaknesses, and piece of work to improve the latter while retaining the former. Consider changing your study strategy; for example, it may be beneficial to shift more than time toward practice questions and away from reviewing videos.

Similarly, if yous were a first-time or echo taker who was well prepared just performed poorly due to circumstances that are not likely to recur, such as non-chronic illness, family unit emergency, or travel delay, you should capitalize on your previous grooming. Proceed up your momentum, continue to review and exercise, and sit for the side by side test.

But if y'all've failed two or more than times, you should reevaluate before deciding to have the next exam.  You desire to position yourself for success; doing then may take more time, which you can proceeds by sitting out an exam cycle. If any of the following applies to you lot, consider waiting.

Seeking Accommodations for Disabilities

Would you lot benefit from – and be eligible for – accommodations, such as actress time? If and so, and if you did non apply for accommodations on previous bar attempts, strongly consider doing so. You may be deterred by the fact that it is more difficult to receive accommodations on the bar exam than it might have been during law schoolhouse or college. But if yous had accommodations in constabulary school, y'all should apply for them on the bar exam. While your request may be denied, if it is granted, you will take improved your chances of passing.

Seeking accommodations takes time and money. Y'all may need to be reevaluated by a psychologist or other professional to obtain a current assessment of your learning differences, or a doc to appraise concrete disabilities. You will need to gather and submit supporting documentation. If you miss the borderline to apply for accommodations, it may be improve to expect until the next exam cycle. In addition, you lot may do good from a longer study period.

Getting Healthy

If you suffer from a chronic health status, you may benefit from more than fourth dimension to study so you can work at a slower step and still comprehend the material. You may also want to take time to improve your wellness, if possible. For instance, if you require surgery or an adjustment of medication or other therapy, it may be wise to take the time to go improve before attempting the bar again.

Seeking Counseling

If you lot accept failed multiple times, consider whether feet or self-defeating behaviors play a role. Working with a counselor or therapist may help yous modify your beliefs and accommodate your coping mechanisms for dealing with the stress of the bar exam. Taking the time to benefit from therapy may help you pass.

Working While Studying

Many people who study while working feel inadequately prepared for the bar exam due to obvious time pressure. If you are in this situation, consider extending your bar study period, peculiarly if passing the bar is not an urgent requirement of your job. In improver to providing more than study time, putting off the bar exam may enable y'all to accrue vacation or personal days and schedule time off close to the exam. If possible, endeavor to take off at to the lowest degree ii weeks (preferably more) prior to the test so you can review your weakest areas, take a full-length do exam, and become some rest.

Out of School

Possibly you've been out of law school for a while and are a flake rusty on the constabulary. Initial bar report may have been insufficient to get you up to speed. An extended period of study may help you recall and master the cloth.

Your decision to retake the bar examination should be carefully considered. Sometimes information technology's better to wait out a cycle in club to resolve personal problems and exist improve prepared. Given the costs – budgetary, temporal, and personal — associated with preparing and sitting for the bar exam, a delay now may pay off later with better chances of success.

Doretta McGinnis is a constabulary schoolhouse tutor and bar test tutor for the Law School Toolbox and Bar Exam Toolbox. After graduating from Harvard, she worked in bookish publishing until a friend dared her to go to constabulary school.

Doretta earned her JD at Penn Law, where she was an editor of the University of Pennsylvania Constabulary Review and a legal writing instructor. Eager to pay off her student loans, she skilful labor and employment law at a major Philadelphia law firm, simply shortly left Biglaw to pursue her involvement in legal pedagogy.

Doretta joined the faculty at Widener University Delaware Police School, where, over the course of most 20 years, she served as Associate Director of the legal writing programme and taught labor law, employment discrimination, and bar exam prep. She is the co-founder of Admission Logic, LLC, an independent educational consulting practise focused on focused on higher and law school admissions.

Doretta regularly blogs about police school and the bar exam.

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