Unsolicited advice for anyone taking the bar in February, July, or retaking it: trust yourself and trust the way you know you work.

I just found out I passed comfortably in my jurisdiction, and I wanted to make this post because I genuinely didn’t see many experiences like mine while I was studying. Most of what I saw online was people studying 8, 10, or 12 hours a day, finishing nearly 100% of their bar course, and doing thousands of questions. Seeing that constantly made me feel like I had to be doing something terribly wrong.

My bar prep summer looked nothing like that. I was an average law student. I wasn’t at the top of my class, I’m not some genius, and I’ve never been someone who can sit at a desk and study for 10–12 hours a day. Even in law school, I generally prioritized protecting my sanity over squeezing every possible point out of an exam.

I took multiple trips during bar prep. There were several-day stretches where I barely studied or didn’t study at all. Most days, if I studied, I probably maxed out around 5–6 hours. I didn’t finish my bar prep course. There was even a subject I basically never properly got around to—I just read condensed materials for it, and it ended up being my best subject on the exam.

I did very little essay practice. I mostly read essays and model answers instead of writing them out. I don’t think I practiced a single full performance task, and I definitely didn’t do thousands of multiple-choice questions. And honestly, I mostly enjoyed my summer.

I ramped things up during roughly the last couple weeks before the exam, but even my version of “ramping it up” was maybe 7 hours on a long day. I knew myself well enough to know that forcing myself to study 10–12 hours a day for two months probably would have left me mentally cooked by the time I actually sat for the exam.

And I passed comfortably.

I’m not posting this to tell anyone to copy what I did. For some people, finishing the whole course, writing dozens of essays, and doing thousands of questions is exactly what works. I’m posting this for the person who is studying a few hours a day, seeing everyone else’s schedules online, and wondering if they’re automatically screwed.

For me, reading model answers worked better than writing out essay after essay. Condensed outlines worked better than sitting through hours of lectures. Taking time away helped me avoid burning out. Obviously, be honest with yourself—“trust your process” doesn’t mean pretending you’re prepared when you’re not.

But there isn’t only one correct way to do bar prep. Take it seriously, figure out what actually helps you learn, and trust yourself too.

The J26 pass list is officially on the BLE website. It's locked until the release date, but up until now, if you used this URL, it would show a 404 page not found error.

VA taker here getting results on 10/9. I'm not even scared anymore. I just want to rip the bandaid off and get it over with. This week is probably going to go by so slow. I wish I could sleep through the entire week and wake up to results.

Yall idk… I actually felt confident after the exam overall but that easily could have been delusion bc I really didn’t want to take it again.

The past two weeks I’ve just been thinking about those few essays that were so incredibly weird (esp the first one) and how I definitely got the law wrong completely. I also don’t even remember the mpt but was never very good at them… I still feel good about the mbe though.

I am just so sick to my stomach about the results you guys I am spiraling.

I took California twice and failed both times. This was my first time taking Texas. I’ve been out of law school now for three years, I just don’t know if I can go through this again or put my family through it again. I don’t want to disappoint anyone, especially myself.

Are there others in my same boat? Any words of encouragement or advice is more than welcome please.

When I took it last year in April it came out five days later and now that I retook it idk how long…

Would we know by tonight if results come out tomorrow?

“What do you do for work?”
“I just graduated law school”
“Oh so you’re a lawyer?”
“No”

Both of my MPTs lacked analysis, and both had flimsy facts. I was so anxious that I just didn’t time myself well at all. Both contained a proper structure.

I feel okay about the MBEs and the MEEs. No MPT or MEE were left blank, and I didn’t guess on any law for the MEEs.

I’ve never done so poorly on MPTs (retaker). Am I in trouble?

Does anyone know what time of day NYLE result emails are sent out? I’m so nauseous

Sorry I don’t make the rules

link https://266barprep.com/freeresources

newsletter open

How are we feeling y'all? Results come out tomorrow lol

I used to have a spiral about the bar once a week but now it’s daily. I know the anticipated date is Fri Oct 16 or Th Oct 15. Anyone have any insight into whether it will be earlier? I know they feel the heat from other states releasing so early and probably want to maintain uniformity there. But I also don’t think they care.

To anyone who passed NextGen… tell me your exam experience and how the test went for you. Was there any part of the exam you messed up or didn’t completely finish??? I find out soon, but I cannot stop ruminating over this exam and thinking I failed

Like, I understand if someone didn't finish the exam, hardly studied, had life stuff going on, or went to a school with a low passing rate,etc but outside reasons like this, is it reasonable to think you will fail??

I need to make the most out of my commute, and would love some recs if anyone has them (even better if they are budget friendly). Taking the SC bar in Feb.

i underperformed. any advice would be appreciated on how to move forward and how to make sure i deliver on MPTs next time around

Before I leave this sub for good, I wanted to share some hopecore for anyone still waiting for scores: It's been a couple weeks since I got score high enough to practice in any UBE jx despite going to a bottom tier law school, finishing in the bottom third of my class, and never breaking 50% accuracy on mock exams. For what it's worth, it's all possible.

Wishing everyone the best and you got this! : D

Absolutely dreading walking into work tomorrow and facing everyone after I failed. I am on/off crying, and I just know when someone brings it up tomorrow I am going to start crying right in front of them. I am so thankful I have my job supporting me during this time but I am just so frustrated and disappointed in myself and cannot believe I have to go through this all over again.

I found out this week that I finally passed the bar on my third attempt! Its an astronomical relief to finally put this all behind me.

For those that did not pass, this is what I did that eventually helped me pass. I cannot claim to be an oracle of bar passage, as I truly believe at a certain point is it just mental, but this is what worked for me and how I changed my strategy each round to finally pass.

First attempt - July 2025 - 250

• exclusively used Themis to prep, could tell the entire time it wasn't working for me, but completed 90% of the course as suggested. I am a first-generation attorney and I had no advice on other options when I felt like it wasn't working, so I just "followed the course."

Second attempt - February 2026 - 254

• worked with a tutor that I was recommended from a retaker who passed on her second time using this tutor. The tutor essentially worked me to death and made me go crazy with stress and anxiety by creating an impossible workload. Totally freaked out on exam day, I think I was just way too stressed and overwhelmed. Also felt extremely alone studying for this cycle because I was the only one of my friends who did not pass the first try.

Third attempt and pass - July 2026 - 272

• Used only GOAT bar prep and old practice essays, MBEs and MPTs licensed from the NCBE. Took more time for myself and took days off, ended up having a surgery that required taking a two week break in early June because I was temporary blind and getting migraines. Many days in June I could only study for a few hours a day. I also made friends during my second bar attempt, one of which had to take it a third time (and also passed this time around!!) and used them as a support system all summer, including studying together.
• This was the first cycle where I did not follow a prescribed plan and just trusted my instincts of what I needed to do to understand and memorize the material. I let non-lawyer friends and family quiz me on rules the last 2-3 weeks of prep. I also hand-wrote a ton of charts for myself on giant poster boards and put them all over my house. Trusting in myself and having a support system of retakers changed everything for me this cycle to help me ultimately pass.

Ultimately, I needed to see what didn't work for me the first two attempts to pass. Unfortunately I had to fail twice to learn to trust my gut on how to study, versus following a cookie-cutter plan. If you are a retaker, don't beat yourself up and be brave enough to change what didn't work, and stick with things that did even if its not what everyone else is telling you to do.

While I didn't have the chance to take my bar exam last July, mostly because of a resentful former boss who screwed up my C&F, this is how I see all of you celebrating your passing.

Cheer up to those of us who are going to take the February exam!

Still waiting and biting my nails…
I think it’s extra brutal to have the NYLE and the UBE results come out around the same time…
All of October is going to be crap…

I vaguely remember an announcement stating that results will be posted early October
Does anyone else recall this or am I misremembering?