Bar Examiners LITERALLY Doubling Down On Bad Ideas For February Bar Exam

The Fall bar examination wasn’t the entire nuclear catastrophe that the lead as much as its administration definitely advised. But whereas we choose Star Wars movies by, “well, it could’ve been worse” it’s not how a occupation ought to choose its admissions course of. Frantic examinees worried about uploading documents. Human biology compelled people to quit the exam or persevere under horrific conditions. Black and brown people have been routinely advised that they weren’t actual folks by the facial recognition software. California ended up flagging a third of the examinees for cheating as a result of somebody fidgeted whereas sitting for hours on finish. That “most” folks made it by just isn’t an appropriate reply.

Though I suppose for those who persistently misdefine “minimum competency” the way in which they do, we shouldn’t anticipate requirements to be the robust go well with.

So think about my shock when, in spite of everything that occurred within the Fall, I discovered that the UBE jurisdictions are subjecting candidates to 200 MBEs, 6 essays, and a pair of MPTs for the February examination. In different phrases, they’re making February candidates carry out TWICE the work.

So… extra folks unable to finish the examination as a result of they’ve to make use of the toilet mid-test. More folks flagged as cheaters as a result of they shift of their seat through the doubly lengthy take a look at session. More technical issues as sluggish servers cope with importing two occasions the fabric. Of each drawback recognized over the last go round, extending the take a look at solely exacerbates the concerns.

And for what goal? Since October, bar examiners have burdened that the shorter examination administered within the Fall was greater than adequate as a licensing measure. So I suppose they determined that they have been mendacity? If that’s true, ought to now we have reservations in regards to the individuals who handed it final yr?

The right reply isn’t any. They knew the take a look at was greater than adequate then and so they know it will be greater than adequate now. It’s mostly theater anyway. Every credible inquiry suggests building a radically different skills test or — even higher — reforming the regulation faculty curriculum to ensure each graduate is license prepared upon working for a diploma.

How is that this honest to the people who both opted out of October amidst the craziness or bought dinged as a result of take a look at’s ill-conceived algorithms? As it stands, it simply looks as if petty revenge upon any applicant who dared to doubt that the October examination would work. Which definitely tracks for a gaggle of people that openly mused about using the character and fitness process to retaliate against critics.

Doubtless, the NCBE and state examiners will discover succor among the many crowd of boneheads who will level out that the February examination is just returning to the take a look at format that previous candidates needed to cope with. And that’s true, besides previous examinees didn’t should take the take a look at on-line with a slapped-together testing system that flags blinking too many occasions over the course of 90 minutes as being dishonest. If the circumstances of the take a look at aren’t the identical then there’s no justification to return to the identical outdated substance. The take a look at was shortened to work under on-line circumstances for a motive and for all the issues encountered in October, not a single one advised “this would probably work better if it were longer.”

On the opposite hand, for these of us criticizing the bar examination course of and advocating for higher licensing procedures, this transfer may hardly make the argument in opposition to this examination extra clearly. The content material actually doesn’t matter. It might be half as lengthy or twice as lengthy and make no distinction to the query of competence. All that basically issues to examiners is that their very own existence is self-justified. Everyone else is only a pawn in that course of.

Earlier: Like COVID-19, Online Bar Exam Is A Disaster And Was Entirely Preventable
If You’re Menstruating Or Lactating During The Bar Exam You’re Screwed
The Online Bar Exam Amounted To Two Days Of Cruel Vindictiveness
Online Bar Exams Rely On Facial Recognition Tech And Guess What? It’s Still Racist!
California Bar Exam Flagged A THIRD Of Applicants As Cheating

Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any suggestions, questions, or feedback. Follow him on Twitter in the event you’re concerned with regulation, politics, and a wholesome dose of school sports activities information. Joe additionally serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.