u/Weekly-Quantity6435

I am having a really difficult time getting back into the swing of things this time. I really thought last time was going to be the final time, so having to re-dive into this information feels overly exhausting and honestly very depressing.

I feel like I'm struggling to recall the information that I should already be familiar with, review just feels terrible and tiring, and MBE practice feels like mental gymnastics... I haven't even started with MEE or MPT practice yet.

I was really hoping that I would feel amped up and ready to destroy this test since I came so close on my last attempt, but I feel completely the opposite and I'm really struggling.

I want to be done with this all so badly and I feel so out of it and mentally defeated at this point that I'm not sure what to do. Has anyone else been here, or is currently here, and maybe can offer advice?

I have lots of nosey people in my life that have been hounding me ever since I took the test when my results come out, if my results came out, did I pass. It's not even a question that happens once or twice, it's like 3+ times these same people are asking.

Truth is I have to take it a third time. I'm not proud of it and I'd rather not discuss it. At this point I would appreciate nobody knowing about my third attempt so they don't ask me about it. I just feel like it is nobody's business (besides my own) and I don't need the extra anxiety around it.

Anyone else who failed in a similar boat or can offer advice on how to deal with this?

Seems like Feb gives higher raw writing points but doesn't give as much scaled points, resulting in lower writing scores. July is supposedly easier to pass, but the raw writing scores seem less generous on avg than in Feb, but still result in a higher scaled writing score.

None of it makes sense to me but I was wondering if anyone else knew?

I keep reading that the more times you take the test, the less odds you have of passing and it's psyching me out.

I took the exam for the first time J25 - I was wholly underprepared, relied on Barbri prep course which did not work for me, and ended up just barley finishing each section because time management sucked (scored 241). Felt like I was guessing on most of the MEEs and super rushed finishing MBE/MEE.

Second time was F26. I was convinced I did enough to pass and ended up failing with a 256. My MBE was minimal points above average and raw MEE scores much higher than July. I am actually proud of my improvement in MEE and am still pissed that the scaling didn't reflect that. My raw scores were 5,2,6,4,3,3 and MPT 3,1. The only thing I ran out of time on was one of the MPT's and I ended up with a 1 on it. I also did not memorize the rules (stupidly) for the essay I got a 2 on. It's so discouraging and frustrating because I scored multiple 1's on essays in J25 but had a higher scaled writing score then.

Third time taking the bar will be in J26. I'm nervous, because I felt so confident about F26. I feel like I adequately prepared too and can pinpoint where I went wrong (scoring lower than avg on one MPT and one essay). I feel my approach in F26 worked for me but I didn't focus on one topic or MPT enough which ultimately screwed me.

Moving forward, I'm scared of my chances of passing being less from what I see in statistics. Although I've heard Feb scaling is worse, I'm nervous about taking a July test because I will be up against many fresh out of law school.

I guess this is a vent post but also I'd like advice on what I should do differently moving forward to ensure I don't fall into the 3+ retaker failure bucket.

My approach for F26 resonated with me and I plan to do the same approach for J26 but hopefully building even more on my skills. I will prioritize MPT practice (dread) this time too. I question when I should start studying, and if I should give it the full 10 weeks, 8 weeks, or less. I don't want to burn out by starting this early but I'm terrified of not doing enough.

I'm just so nervous and honestly depressed to have to go through this again. Any advice is welcome and I'd love to hear from 3rd time takers who had similar experiences but passed.

J25 I failed because I followed the traditional big box bar prep that I knew from the beginning would not work for me. Failed with score of 240.

F26 I failed because I stupidly flaked off corporations thinking it wouldn't be on the exam. I didn't prioritize MPT as much as I should have either. I had very high raw MEE scores (minus corps at a 1) and MPT scores were 3,1. Slightly above average MBE. Failed with a 259.5. I was fairly certain I would pass but alas the scale ripped it away from me. I had a friend who passed in a 270jx scoring the same MBE, but the only difference was 4 raw writing points. I feel sick thinking about how close I was and that it boiled down to a stupid mistake I made.

Anyways, kind of depressed, and really pissed that I have to take it again, but decided to try again J26 and I'm just wondering if anyone has advice where to start. In F26 I started early, like 9-10 weeks out, and took a slow burn laid back approach which worked well for me. My approach in F26 was way better and I feel like I have a good grasp on the material, so I'm not sure I should devote as much time as I did the first two times.

Advice? Feeling sad and lost as to what my approach should be next to ensure this is my final time taking this test.