Repeat Bar Takers: The Myths and Reality of Passing

Most law graduates are under the false impression that the more times you take a state bar exam the greater your changes are to passing This is one Florida law school dean’s marketing tool and position.

In fact, it is just the opposite. The more times you sit for a state bar, you increase your chances of being unsuccessful. This Dean’s position is not only detrimental to his school and its law graduates but a complete fabrication. Statistically, a law school cannot have a 52% first time pass rate and a 77% overall bar pass rate. Instead, if a law school has a 52% first time rate, realistically, that school has a repeat rate of only 25% - 30%.

The statistical proof is clear and convincing that repeat takers continuously do poorer on the bar exam than first time takers. Here are the hard facts:

The Pennsylvania July 2009 bar results indicate that the first time takers passed at an 87%. The average of the second and third time takers were 29.5% and the fourth time takers were 13.41%.

For the California February 2009 bar, results for instate ABA schools first time takers were 53% and all repeat takers were 37%. For the 13 California unaccredited law schools, 24 students took the exam with a 0% bar pass rate and 114 repeat takers sat and only 4 passed for a 4% pass rate.

In Massachusetts, for the February 2009 bar results, first time takers passed at a 69% and all other repeat takers passed at an 18% pass rate.

These statistical repeat taker numbers are a clear representation that repeat takers, on an average, only pass the bar exam at about a 33% rate. Obtaining a tutor should be the number one goal for all repeat takers.

Please note barprofessors will provide private tutorial for the Florida February 2010 bar exam. Please go to barprofessors.com or e-mail barprofessors at pass@barprofessors.com.