If you are like most bar exam takers, you are probably wondering what does my bar exam score mean. It is one of the most dreaded days in my life. I get up early in the morning, ready to take the test. I make my normal cup of coffee and start to feel prepared. Only, I do not see that the caffeine that helped me calm my nerves is getting absorbed by the caffeine from the tea I am drinking.

My first question when I read the question on the screen is “What does the passing score mean?” The moment I saw the number I felt dizzy and uncomfortable. I had to force myself to stay focused on the test. Thinking about what I had just read made me feel nervous and a bit anxious. I try to keep my hands steady on the keys.

I look around the room as the other examinees are taking their turns. I can’t see the board that is marking the answers. My attention starts to wander so I turn my attention back to the test. When I look up, a friend of mine who is studying with me is asking me a question. He asks me, “My friend, did you see the actual questions on the screen?

I look over at him confused for a second before I respond. “Yes,” I reply. “You probably missed them. There are only two questions that are on the screen.”

The student in front of me seems a little flustered at my answer. “Is that true?” he asks. “I thought there were only three questions?” I reply.

“No,” I say. “There are actually eight questions on the screen. Four are the most common and they are all timed.” I show the student the first question on the screen. He squints at it, points it out to me and asks, “How is that even relevant for my bar exam?”

I tell him to read the questions. I then point to one of the common answers. He looks at me with a confused expression. I explain to him that since the bar exam is not based on the ability to apply logic, he has to use a calculator to figure out how to answer the question.

This explains to him why he might have a low bar exam score. I then continue to tell him about the four most common questions on the test. Once he understands this, he becomes excited. I give him a pat in the back as he has finally found out what does my bar exam score mean.

Next, I give him three more questions that relate to his score. Again, he is confused. After all, he has just learned that a calculator can be used to figure out an answer to any question type. But now he wants to know how to use it to solve his problem. I smile as I remind him that the problem is just the answer to the question he asked.

Once he figures out that by answering the questions correctly he will get an answer. The next part is for him to solve the problems by using his calculator. I point out that this is what he learned in Chemistry class. He does a good job and gets an A. I give him a pat in the back again and he goes home happy.

What does my bar exam score mean? It means that you passed your test. If you failed miserably, you should take a hard look at yourself and decide whether or not you want to continue studying.

Now if you are a person who studied very hard and took a nap during the day of the exam, then perhaps it is just smarter to take some sleep. Studying and then getting a good night’s rest may help you to remember everything better. If you feel like you failed the exam for some reason, don’t sweat it. You came in prepared and did a great job on the question types that are on the test.

One last thing, don’t get discouraged if your bar exam score does not come in as high as you were expecting. If you have done your homework, you will find that you have made some mistakes that were either on your part or the test site’s part. This is normal and you will probably see a huge change in your final result. Just continue studying, drinking water, eating fruits, and taking natural caffeine to make up for it. Eventually you will get there!