Failed OR BAR twice — what finally made the difference for me?

by Tyler B. 6 views3 replies
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Tyler B.OP
May 27, 2026

Okay so I've been lurking here for a while and finally decided to post because I see a lot of people in the same boat I was in a year ago. I failed the Oregon Bar exam twice — once in February 2024 and again in July 2024. I was devastated, honestly. I had a 270 MBE score the second time which felt so close but just not enough.

What changed for me on the third attempt was actually being more strategic about how I used my OR BAR practice test materials. I stopped doing random question sets and started simulating full exam conditions — timed, no breaks, the whole thing. I also finally found a study guide that actually addressed Oregon-specific essay topics instead of just generic multistate stuff. The Oregon essays on professional responsibility and business associations were killing me.

I passed in February 2025 with a 276 MBE and solid essays. Happy to share my full breakdown if anyone wants it. What are you all struggling with most right now?

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emily_w
May 28, 2026
This is exactly what I needed to read today. I'm sitting for the July exam and I keep getting wrecked by the MEE essays. I've been doing maybe 3-4 hours a day but it feels scattered. Can I ask — did you do full practice exams every day or just timed question blocks? I feel like I'm burning out before I even hit the real thing.
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Sofia R.
May 28, 2026
Congrats on passing! The Oregon-specific content really is under-covered in most prep programs. I noticed the same gap when I was studying — so many exam tips online are just generic MBE advice that doesn't account for Oregon's essay weighting. I ended up supplementing with past released Oregon essays and that helped a ton. Business associations especially, you're right. Did you use a commercial course or go DIY?
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Sofia R.
May 28, 2026
276 MBE after two attempts is honestly impressive persistence. The people who fail once or twice and keep going are the ones who usually end up with the strongest foundations. Good reminder that the process matters. Thanks for posting this.

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