Should I Retake My Bar Exam Course If I Fail?

Should I Retake My Bar Exam Course If I Fail?

Failing the bar exam is not an easy experience. For months you studied, sacrificed spending time with friends and family, and skipped important events all in the hopes of passing. What’s worse, you likely paid a bar prep company a nice chunk of change to access their bar prep course. Now you’re faced with what comes next. For most, this means taking some time to process results and applying to take the next available bar exam. However, before you decide whether you’re ready to take another administration of the bar exam, you must also make another choice: either retake the bar prep course at no charge or receive a refund for the amount initially paid.

Should I Retake My Bar Exam Course If I Fail?

Should you retake your bar prep course or get your money back and tackle the next bar exam solo or with another course? While each option has its benefits, the choice will differ from person to person. Everybody experiences studying and preparing for the bar exam differently, so unfortunately there isn’t a one size fits all answer. However, if you’re a student who failed the bar exam, and you are grappling with this decision – look no further. This article should help differentiate the two options and leave you feeling confident in your choice.

Retaking The Bar Prep Course

Almost every student preparing and studying for the bar exam shares one thing in common. They all are likely enrolled in a bar prep course offered by a commercial company that specializes in test preparation. For many, the thought of going through the bar exam without a bar prep course to guide them is unimaginable. However, that thought gets slightly less scary once they’ve completed their bar prep course and taken the bar exam. So, what exactly are the benefits of taking the same bar prep course again?

For one, taking a bar prep course for a second time provides a structure that isn’t guaranteed when you study solo. You’ll still be operating according to a predetermined schedule set out by the bar prep company. Another benefit is that you’ll have access to a host of resources available only through a bar prep course. Essay grading, live tutors available to help with difficult questions, and other tools are available with bar prep courses. Lastly, if you felt like you didn’t get your money’s worth from the course previously, repeating it may be beneficial. For instance, if you previously deviated from the course or failed to utilize certain features, retaking the course might be a great option.  Likewise, if you were working through a major life event while studying for the bar exam, retaking the same course could still be beneficial if you are able to better focus the second time around.

So, what’s the major drawback of taking a bar prep course for a second time? Well, put simply…you’ve already taken the course once before! That means nothing in the course will be different or groundbreaking. If you fully took the course previously and didn’t find it helpful, it might not be any more helpful a second time. The same lessons will be taught, the same tips and tricks revealed, and similar assignments handed out.

Taking The Refund

Taking the refund (if offered as an option by your bar exam prep course company) might seem like the most obvious choice for some students based simply on the financial return alone. Commercial bar prep courses are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination! On average, most bar prep courses cost anywhere from $500.00 all the way to $4,000.00 (or more!). For those who just took a bar prep course and failed the bar exam, a refund may sound highly prudent. “I tried a product, it didn’t work, and I want my money back.” We can’t argue with that logic!

Another reason that students often use to justify the refund is it allows them to adjust their approach to the bar exam.  Taking a refund (if offered) might allow a student to enroll in a different bar prep course that more aligns with their needs or allows students to invest the funds in different resources such as tutoring. Depending on how your previous course was structured, you might even be able to hang onto your study materials which you can use to help you prepare for the bar exam the second time.

Either way, you have some decisions to make!

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