Quote:
Originally Posted by here1234  I would take the February bar because the majority of the people taking it in February are not first timers. Instead, they have already failed, and therefore, are more likely to fail again. This way, the curve will be higher because you will be with a group of people who could not pass the first time. |
I disagree with here1234. I think that the fact that there are so many repeat people means the curve will be lower. Yes, many of them will fail. But I believe the February questions are harder for two reasons:
1. Because most of the people taking February have already taken a bar before (whether they are repeat offenders or people who passed another state's bar). I have already been warned about this from my friends, since I've passed one bar and will sit for another in February.
2. Because there was an exam given in July, often the July exam of one year and the February exam of the next year have many of the same "question types" on them. Meaning, that the July and February exam use the same study materials, but they revise these materials for each July exam. This is what Barbri told me firsthand. The bar examiners don't want to make it easier for someone just because they failed. If anything, I believe they want to make it more difficult. Even though you have more people taking July, this helps the curve more than hurts it, b/c for every person who does well, you have the same amount who does badly to even it out. But in February, you are more likely to have people who will do extremely well (either b/c they've already passed another state bar and "know the drill" or because they failed the last bar, learned from their mistakes and come harder.) Either way, both of these groups of people have an advantage over the first time taker. This is one of the reasons I think people who take the bar and fail continue to fail. B/c if anything, actually seeing the bar is a form of preparation!