Failed the AL Bar — what to do differently the second time

Congrats on passing! Can I ask — how many questions did the actual exam have compared to what the practice tests simulate? I've seen different numbers online and want to calibrate my timing during practice.

Late to this thread but wanted to add — the study guide section trips up more people than any other part. If you're scoring below 74% there in practice, treat it as your only focus for at least a week before moving on. Breadth at the expense of depth in that area is a common mistake.

Late to this thread but wanted to add — the study guide section trips up more people than any other part. If you're scoring below 75% there in practice, treat it as your only focus for at least a week before moving on. Breadth at the expense of depth in that area is a common mistake.

Failed mine the first time too, and honestly the practice test section is where I lost it. I'd been reading and re-reading my notes thinking that counted as studying. It doesn't. The second time around I treated practice tests as the main event, not the warm up. I'd sit down, do a full timed set, then go back through every single wrong answer to figure out why I missed it instead of just noting that I did.

The other thing that changed everything was timing. First attempt I knew the material okay, but I kept running out of time and panicking, which made me second guess answers I actually knew. So I started doing everything under a clock, even short sessions. It felt brutal at first. By the end though it wasn't the questions that got me, it was nothing. You've already seen the format now, which is more than you had going in last time. Use that.

I failed my first attempt too, and honestly the biggest thing I changed was how I used practice tests. I'd been doing them and just checking what I got wrong, which sounds obvious in retrospect, but I wasn't actually sitting with the wrong answers and figuring out why I got them wrong. The second time I kept a running note on every missed question and the reasoning behind the correct answer. Tedious, but it closed gaps I didn't even know I had.

The other thing is pacing. I'd underestimated how draining the full-length format is, so I started doing timed practice runs all the way through without stopping. It's uncomfortable at first but you build a different kind of stamina. Don't skip that step. You can know the material and still struggle if you've never actually simulated the real thing from start to finish.

Quick update for anyone following this thread: I just finished a full practice run last night and pulled a 272. Still not where I need to be, but that's up from the 261 I was scoring right before the last attempt, so I'll take it. The MBE section finally clicked once I stopped trying to memorize rules and started actually working through the reasoning on each question.

I'm planning to sit in February. It feels far away but honestly I think I needed the time. If you're in the same boat, don't rush back in just to rush back in. Figure out what actually went wrong first.