I am so relieved and ecstatic to have passed this horrible stupid test this time around. I can finally move on with my life. Here’s what I did different.

1. I took a leave of absence from work for 2 months and moved back in with my parents which was a privilege I had that I know others don’t. But even if they didn’t give me time off, I would quit and take out a loan instead. Given that I think the low pass rate of retakers has to do with not being able to take enough time off to study, I knew that passing the bar was more important than my job.

2. I focused on the MBE a lot since I think it’s the most important part of the test and the easiest to improve on. I didn’t do well in July on it and I have always been bad at multiple choice.

3. For essays, I focused on the topics tested on both the essays and the MBE since it would be killing two birds with one stone. Memorizing the rules of Crim Law for essays, for example, would also help me on Crim law MBE questions.

4. I heavily focused the Performance Test since it is worth 2 essays, it is easy to master, and it can carry you to a pass if you do really well on it, even making up for a bad essay.

5. I used 3-5 reputable sources to make an educated guess about what California topics would likely be tested on the exam and focused more on those. For example, I knew Agency, Corporations, and Partnerships was not likely to show up so I reviewed those a lot less than others. I also knew Community Property and Wills & Trusts were much more likely to show up (I guess there’s a soft trend of the topi used for the Performance Test being tested as a regular essay next time). This means Wills & Trusts is even more likely to be tested in July since it wasn’t tested the last two times. The examiners normally only test 1-2 California topics (not including the Civ Pro and Evidence distinctions).

6. I studied a lot of Legal Pro since it’s practically guaranteed as a topic on the exam.

7. Most importantly, I practiced a lot more tests and questions this time than last time. I did 3 full day MBE tests, 1 half day MBE, 2 full day essay tests, 35-40 practice essay questions, and about 6 Performance Tests (usually doing objective memo, persuasive brief, letter to client, and others often tested.) I think this was the most important part for me. Less time learning, more time practicing, especially as a retaker.

Good luck to y’all in July! You’ve got this!!