The impact of test anxiety on Uniform Bar Exam: A statistical study of law graduates' barriers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v13i3.7173Keywords:
Uniform Bar Exam, UBE, Test Anxiety, Bar ExamAbstract
Before thinking about going to law school it is necessary to understand the possible limitations of the field. This study looks at how test anxiety can impact scores on the Uniform Bar Exam. The risks of bar exam failure are drastic for a person and society needs to understand what could put someone at a higher risk of failure. The method for the research was a survey. The survey was sent by contacting lawyers, and having them answer questions asking about the exam they took and their score. The other survey aspect was they took a short form Test Anxiety Index exam (TAI-5) to determine their level of test anxiety. The survey used the Pearson Coefficient Index which showed that there is not a significant negative correlation between respondents' Uniform Bar Exam score and their Test Anxiety Index score. The new results help society understand that the previous barrier of test anxiety may not be as big of a factor with the Uniform Bar Exam. There are some implications to this study and to further this data a researcher should conduct the study following the participant from law school to after the bar exam.
Downloads
References or Bibliography
Statistics. (2023). National Conference of Bar Examiners. https://thebarexaminer.ncbex.org/article/spring-2023/2022-statistics/
Chen, J. (2024, March 6). Right skewed vs. left skewed distribution (E. Rasure & S. Kvilhaug, Eds.). Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/skewness.asp#toc-types-of-skews
Cochran, R. A. (2010). Hope, again: Hope theory in bar exam preparation. DuQ. L. REv., 48, 513. https://dsc.duq.edu/dlr/vol48/iss2/14
Darrow-Kleinhaus, S. (2004). A response to the Society of American Law Teachers statement on the bar exam. Journal of Legal Education, 54(3), 442–458. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42893865
Frisby, M. B., Erman, S. C., & Quintanilla, V. D. (2020). Safeguard or barrier: An empirical examination of bar exam cut scores. Journal of Legal Education, 70(1), 125–161. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27140276
González, M. S., Odle, T. K., & Ji Yeon Bae. (2021). The effect of the Uniform Bar Examination on admissions, diversity, affordability, and employment across law schools in the United States. AccessLex Resource Collections. https://arc.accesslex.org/grantee/60
Griggs, M. (2019). Building a better bar exam. Texas A&M Law Review, 7(1), 1–71. https://doi.org/10.37419/lr.v7.i1.1
Hargrave, M. (2023, December 13). Standard deviation formula and uses vs. variance (J. Brown & A. Bellucco-Chatham, Eds.). Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/standarddeviation.asp
Hultin, S. (2022). The state of occupational licensing: Research, state policies and trends. https://perma.cc/FS42-HS7V
Kaufman, K. A., LaSalle-Ricci, V. H., Glass, C. R., & Arnkoff, D. B. (2007). Passing the bar exam: Psychological, educational, and demographic predictors of success. Journal of Legal Education, 57(2), 205–223. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42894021
Kenton, W. (2023, March 30). Kurtosis definition, types, and importance (C. Potters & T. Li, Eds.). Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/k/kurtosis.asp#toc-types-of-kurtosis
Kuehn, R. R., & Moss, D. R. (2019). A study of the relationship between law school coursework and bar exam outcomes. Journal of Legal Education, 68(3), 623–649. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27072337
Rana, R. & Mahmood, N. (2010, December 2). The relationship between test anxiety and academic achievement. Bulletin of Education and Research December 2010, Vol. 32, No. 2 pp. 63-74, https://ssrn.com/abstract=2362291
Smith, S. COVID and bar admissions, 75 Ark. L. Rev. (2022).
https://scholarworks.uark.edu/alr/vol75/iss3/4
Taylor, J., & Deane, F. P. (2002). Development of a short form of the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI). Journal of General Psychology, 129(2), 127–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221300209603133
Turney, S. (2022, May 13). Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r) | Guide & examples. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/statistics/pearson-correlation-coefficient/#:~:text=The%20Pearson%20correlation%20coefficient%20’
Velázquez, A. (2022, August 13). Causal Comparative Research: Definition, types & benefits. QuestionPro. https://www.questionpro.com/blog/causal-comparative-research/
Yakowitz, J. (2010). Marooned: An empirical investigation of law school graduates who fail the bar exam. Journal of Legal Education, 60(1), 3–40. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42894152
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2024 Connor Stager; Meg Donhauser

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright holder(s) granted JSR a perpetual, non-exclusive license to distriute & display this article.