Passage Rates Between February and July Bar Examinations? Forum

[get it to x]

Hi All,
Looking for any insight into why/how the disparity exists in passage rates between the July and February examinations? I am taking a secondary bar exam in February and was shocked at how much the passage rate drops between the administrations - (approximately 80% - 45-49%). Is it the smaller applicant pool? The fact that more experienced attorneys take the Feb administration and don't really prepare as a recent grad would? Do they apply a different formula for repeaters to make it harder for them to pass? (Anecdotally, I heard that New York does do that and don't have to deal with that situation if true). Any advice appreciated.

[09042014]

People who fail, fail again.

[get it to x]

People who fail, fail again.

I assumed as much. Was looking for some more in-depth insight.

[Dr. Review]

People who fail, fail again.

I assumed as much. Was looking for some more in-depth insight.

Most people don't graduate in December, so most Feb people are retakers. Retakers are people who couldn't figure out how to pass the test the first time, and are not likely to "get it" the second time. Scoring is the same.

[Coolgrnmen]

As Bedsole said, it is filled with retakers who underprepare because they assume their studying from the summer will carry over without as much effort.

Additionally, you have a slew of international students (pass rate for them on their first time is about 33% if I remember correctly).

[A. Nony Mouse]

I don't think the retakers underprepare for February, it's more that it's a pool of people who (for whatever reasons) have already struggled with the test. If they failed because they didn't put in the work (most of the people I know who failed) or had some external thing like illness, they'll likely pass February without any problems. If they fail in July because their brains just don't get the bar exam (again, for whatever reasons), there isn't a magical way to fix that by February.

[rad lulz]

I don't think the retakers underprepare for February, it's more that it's a pool of people who (for whatever reasons) have already struggled with the test. If they failed because they didn't put in the work (most of the people I know who failed) or had some external thing like illness, they'll likely pass February without any problems. If they fail in July because their brains just don't get the bar exam (again, for whatever reasons), there isn't a magical way to fix that by February.

This

[ran12]

I don't think the retakers underprepare for February, it's more that it's a pool of people who (for whatever reasons) have already struggled with the test. If they failed because they didn't put in the work (most of the people I know who failed) or had some external thing like illness, they'll likely pass February without any problems. If they fail in July because their brains just don't get the bar exam (again, for whatever reasons), there isn't a magical way to fix that by February.

This

Yea there are a lot of dumb people in law school.