Bar Exam Aftermath

Now that I have finished the bar exam (for the second time) here are my observations.

I feel much better this time and dare I say it--I feel as if maybe I passed this time. That is a dangerous assumption to make regarding law tests. Sometimes you can feel like you aced it and you blew it. Sometimes you feel like you blew it and you did well. A lot of the time you can't tell.

But when I took it in July, I left feeling unsettled. Like I didn't reallly have a chance at passing. That if I passed, it would have been the miracle of the decade.

This time I feel much better, as if the uncertainty meter is more in my favor. That I have at least a decent chance at passing.

I worked harder this time on the MBE questions. Of course, I didn't spend as much time on them as I hoped, but I spent a doggone amount of time. I got to the point where I recognized quickly what kind of answer the question was looking for. And that is where you need to be for the bar exam.

The MBE questions during the morning session were really pretty easy. I felt on top of the world at lunch. The afternoon session was harder--but still easier to me than the MBE questions in July. Of course I was more prepared this time--and I guess that helped. But I had also heard that they were getting rid of stacked answer questions--the kind that asking you a question and then the answers are like this: I and II; I, II, and III, I only, etc. I guess they did get rid of them, because there were no such questions on this bar exam. And immediately makes it easier.

The essay portion is what really did me in last July. I had studied more for it this time, but still fell woefully below my target. I was mad at myself and slightly frantic the morning of the essay portion. What was I thinking? I asked myself. I only know a sliver of the information they could ask me today. I felt again like a lamb going to slaughter.

My feeling of doom only worsened when I saw the first question. It asked about a point of law I knew about, but not much. The question asked me to answer the question fully. Fully? Are you kidding? I barely can tell you what it is. I wrote down what I could, and felt like I should just get up and walk out the door. If the other 11 questions were as bad, I had no chance of passing.

But luckily, they weren't as bad. I am hoping I got a 135 on the MBE, because then I only have to pass seven essays. And I know I got seven right. Maybe even eight. Maybe even nine right. But I am iffy on that ninth one. But I might squeak by even on the ninth.

So all in all I have a fair chance of passing. Maybe even a good chance of passing. I won't know until April 17. So until then, I could use everyone's good thoughts my way.