What is BarEssays.com?
BarEssays.com is a unique and invaluable study tool for the essay portion of the California Bar Exam. We are, by far, the most comprehensive service that provides REAL examples of REAL essays and performance exams by REAL students that were actually taken during the California Bar Exam and graded by the California Bar Examiners. Since launching in 2007, thousands have successfully used the BarEssays.com essay database to prepare for the essay portion of the California Bar Exam, with several entire law schools, review courses, and tutors providing access to all of their students.
Our database contains 3000+ essay examples, including
both high and low scoring
essay answers to more than 200 different essay questions. All of our essays are
actual graded and
returned California Bar Exam essays and include every tested subject. We provide you with high scoring
essays, low scoring essays, barely passing essays, and everything in-between. You will see
exactly what it takes to pass (or not pass) a California Bar Exam essay and performance exam.
Does BarEssays.com provide actual California Bar Exam essays graded by the California
Bar Examiners?
Yes! Every essay is from an actual copy of an exam, taken during the
California Bar Exam and graded by the California Committee of Bar Examiners. Our essays are not manufactured
by a review course or "model" answers. These are actual unedited essays, written by actual exam-takers,
during the actual exam, with the same stress and time restraints you will have.
What is the point of BarEssays.com?
Essays and performance exams count for 1/2 of your score on the California Bar Exam.
However, exam takers most often do not know exactly what the California Bar Examiners consider to be a
passing essay. Some review courses provide a few examples of actual graded essays, but these examples
are often limited and very old.
BarEssays.com believes in the power of learning by example – i.e. a key to
succeeding on the California Bar Exam is proper knowledge about what it takes to pass. We provide
you with high scoring and low scoring essays, handwritten and typed, in every recent subject and
performance exams. You will see exactly what you need to do, and what to avoid, to PASS the
California Bar Exam.
Are the BarEssays.com essays from recent exams?
Yes! Our database consists of actual graded California Bar Exam essays from
2003 through the present. Our database will provide you with the most recent examples of graded essays.
Does BarEssays.com provide examples of performance exams as well?
Yes! We provide examples of every type of California Bar Exam essay including
performance exams. You’ll see examples of both high scoring (and low scoring) performance exams.
Do you provide handwritten essay examples as well?
Yes! Our database includes examples of both handwritten and typed exams.
We are perhaps one of the only services that will allow you to see the differences in passing
handwritten and typed exams. You’ll see how high scoring (and low scoring) handwritten and typed
exams have been structured.
Are the BarEssays.com essays altered in any way?
No! What you see is exactly what a test taker wrote during the bar exam.
You'll see essays with typos, mistakes, sloppy and neat handwriting, and you'll see exactly how
these essays scored. We only remove the exam number and any identifying information to protect
the anonymity of the exam taker.
Is BarEssays.com affiliated with the California Committee of Bar Examiners or the State Bar of California?
No. BarEssays.com is an independent company and is not affiliated in any manner with the State Bar of California.
What is the best way to use BarEssays.com?
BarEssays.com recommends that you simulate at least one essay exam each day
and then compare your essay to our graded examples and outlines. The more essays you practice, the
better you will become at test taking! More tips and instructions are provided once you
sign up for our service.
How do I search through your large database of essays?
The BarEssays.com search engine is very easy to use. The search engine allows you to browse essays by subject, essay score, handwritten/typed essays or examination year. The search engine dramatically cuts down your study time by its efficient search function. In a matter of seconds, you can search for almost any essay tested over the past decade and easily view high and low scoring examples of that essay.
Can I sell my essays to BarEssays.com?
Yes! If you received your essays from a previous examination,
click here to sell
us your essays. We are constantly updating our database and can always use new essays.
How much does it cost to subscribe to BarEssays.com?
A standard subscription to BarEssays.com costs only $175 and will provide access to the website through the conclusion of the upcoming California Bar Exam.
What is the difference between a regular subscription to BarEssays.com and a premium
subscription?
In addition to access to the BarEssays.com essay database, featuring 3000+ essays and performance exams from prior California Bar Exams, a premium subscription will include model answers for every essay question tested since 2005, in addition to over 300 professional bar grader reviews of essays and performance exams in the database, all written by former official graders of the California Bar Exam.
The professional bar grader reviews include
helpful notes and summaries detailing:
- Why an essay received a particular score.
- How the essay could have improved.
- Portions of the reviewed essay that received points.
- Portions of the reviewed essays that are unnecessary for points.
- Detailed critiques of essay structures and IRAC format.
Why should I upgrade my membership to a premium account?
As a premium account member, you will see essays and model answers from the exact viewpoint of a former official grader of the California Bar Exam. There is no other service that provides authentic past graded California Bar Exam essays with commentary from former official graders of the California Bar Exam and model answers written by former official graders of the California Bar Exam.
Which essays are reviewed by the former official graders of the California Bar Exam?
A premium subscription to BarEssays.com includes professional bar grader reviews for every question tested since July 2006, plus every performance exam since February 2010, totaling approximately 300 reviews.
Which essays include model answers written by the former official graders of the California Bar Exam?
A premium subscription to BarEssays.com includes professional bar grader model answers for every essay question tested since 2003.
How do I view the premium bar grader reviews and model answers?
When searching through the BarEssays.com database, a review and/or model answer tab will appear for each essay that contains a premium bar grader review and/or model answer.
What is the price of a premium subscription to BarEssays.com?
A premium subscription to BarEssays.com costs $50, in addition to the price of a regular
subscription to BarEssays.com.
Does a premium subscription to BarEssays.com include additional study material?
Do you offer essay and performance exam grading or tutoring services?
BarEssays.com does not offer a full service review course.
However, all members (both standard and premium) of
BarEssays.com are eligible to participate
in our Essay Submission Program, whereby you
are able to purchase credits at negotiated low prices to
submit your own practice essays for critique and grading.
As part of the Essay Submission Program,
a grader will review your essay and provide detailed written commentary.
To sign up for the Essay Submission Program, and for additional details and prices,
click on the "Practice Essays" tab after you purchase a membership.
Do you offer live or recorded classes?
Beginning with the October 2020 California Bar Exam, BarEssays has been conducting live essay workshops,
taking students through specific essay questions and teaching how to deconstruct and answer questions in detail to
receive maximum points. The workshops are conducted by a former official grader of the California Bar Exam and
long term bar exam instructor. The workshops became extremely popular and well received.
Access to a package of 14 of the prior workshop videos and handouts are available for $249.
**You can find detailed information about each workshop
at this link (click here).
If you are a BarEssays member, click on
this link to purchase access to the workshop videos.
If you are not a BarEssays member,
email us
to purchase access to the previous essay workshops.
In addition to the videos of previous workshops videos, we will be conducting live workshops for each new examination.
Announcements of these workshops will be sent to all BarEssays members.