‘Inadvertent’ leak of State Bar exam topics sparks confusion
A list of general exam topics was released to 16 law school deans just days before the test
Just days before nearly 9,000 people are set to take California’s two-day bar exam, the State Bar disclosed late Saturday that a list of general exam topics were “inadvertently” leaked to 16 law school deans.
The State Bar of California disclosed the leak late Saturday evening in a tweet and an email where they also shared the leaked exam topics with people set to take the exam on July 30 and 31.
Despite the leak, the exam will take place without any changes, according to Teresa Ruano, a program supervisor with the Office of Communications.
We emailed all applicants taking the July 2019 Bar Exam tonight about an inadvertent release of topics that occurred on Thursday. The error was discovered today. We apologize for the error and the confusion this may cause.
— State Bar of California (@StateBarCA) July 28, 2019
According to a statement posted on the State Bar website, on Thursday July 25, the Bar accidentally sent a memo that is normally released after the exam to 16 law school deans, as part of an invitation to observe an exam grading session. The Bar said it learned about the leak Saturday.
The deans who received the memo were selected “from a cross-section of California law schools” which are rotated every year because space is limited, Ruano said in an email.
“We have no evidence the information was shared with students,” according to the statement released Saturday. “However, out of an abundance of caution and fairness, and in an attempt to level the playing field should any applicants have had access to the information contained in the memo, on Saturday evening, we emailed the same information, verbatim, to all those preparing to take the examination.”
Ruano said the State Bar will release additional information on Sunday explaining the decision to move forward with the test without postponement or changes, and answering other questions from applicants.
The leak affects the portion of the test about California law and not the national component, according to the State Bar.
People quickly reacted to the disclosure on Twitter, using the hashtag #CalBarGate.
As a California bar taker who didn’t pass in February, this is deeply upsetting. I’ve spent months and months preparing, while working full time and studying full time and for what? For some people to have an unfair advantage ? I expected more of you. I’m disappointed. #cabarexam
— Gabby C (@Gabbygabzwhattt) July 28, 2019
Thank you for dropping this bomb on us at 9:30pm last night and ruining one of my last chances for a decent night of sleep before the exam. Then my dean thought it was a hoax, bc you can’t even keep the deans informed? You need to rethink how you handle your communications.
— Brianna (@Brianna16087317) July 28, 2019
“It’s unprecedented, so everyone is a little wide-eyed,” said Tammi Rice, Vice President of the test preparation company Kaplan Bar Review. “I think the concerns are…how does this impact their preparation and studies for the next couple of days, and how does it impact scores on the bar exam?”
“Prepping for the bar exam is stressful, so any sort of last minute change is a lot for students,” Rice added. “We’re trying to remind students that this is good news – you know what to do with your last few days of prep.”
Pass rates for California’s bar exam have declined over the last several years, prompting nearly all of the state’s accredited law school deans to call for the exam to be overhauled.
Of the 4,639 people who took the exam in February, 31.4 percent passed the test.
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