Tips From the Bar: Didn’t Pass the February 2025 California Bar Exam? You’re Not Alone – and You’re Not Defeated

Didn’t pass the February 2025 California Bar Examination? Welcome to the club. 

This isn’t the end — it’s just another detour on your journey to becoming a lawyer. And trust me, I’ve been where you are. Like you, I didn’t pass the bar on my first attempt. I know the crushing disappointment, the feeling that all those hours of studying were for nothing. But let me be the first to tell you: This exam does not define you.

Some of the most successful attorneys I know failed the bar at least once. It happens. The bar exam is one of the most difficult professional tests in the world. Roughly 44% of test takers in February didn’t pass. That’s nearly one out of every two people — many of whom, like you, gave it their all.

What matters now is how you respond to this detour.

You’ve already invested hundreds of hours building a foundation. That work isn’t wasted. You’ve conditioned yourself into a focused, resilient test-taker — now it’s just about refining your approach. 

For my first attempt, I followed the standard test prep schedule provided by my commercial bar course (Kaplan). For my second attempt, I took control. I built a study schedule tailored to my learning style. I focused more on full-length practice essays and multiple-choice sets under timed, exam-day conditions. I took three weeks off work to train like an athlete preparing for the championship.

Of course, not everyone can afford to take time off. Life gets in the way — work, family, responsibilities. But that just means you’ll have to work smarter. Evenings, weekends, early mornings — carve out your study blocks. Show up for yourself the way an athlete shows up for training. This is your moment to prove your grit.

You are so much more than this one test. Now, nearly six years removed from my own bar exam, I barely remember the exam, but what I do remember is the blood, sweat, and tears — and the unwavering commitment I made to pass, no matter how many tries it took.

Yes, some things are out of your control — an especially difficult exam administration, personal challenges, test-day stress – and the 2025 exam was not short of its unprecedented difficulties. But what is within your control is how you respond. That resilience? That’s what makes a great attorney.

Law school rarely talks about failure. But out here in the real world, failure happens — and it teaches us the kind of perseverance you can’t learn from a casebook.

You will pass. You will become a lawyer. But only if you keep going.

So rest, reflect, then rise. This isn’t the end of your story — it’s just the beginning of your finest comeback.

Robert K. Shawhan