New Testimonials from My Latest Roster of Passing Students for July 2018






I had been unsuccessful on the bar on two prior occasions, both of which, I received ‘second reads.’  Though I thought I knew the law well enough to pass the exam, Steve taught me how to better write my exam so that the bar grader could better find my issues and analysis.  He provided with strategies such as using my best analysis at the beginning of the essay and writing about "minor issues" towards the end.  Additionally, Steve taught how to write an exam, so that even if I did not know that law sufficiently to pass, I could make the essay ‘look pretty,’ so that the bar graders may not find misstatements or incomplete rule statements.  Steve also taught my to elementise each rule of law and then lead with each element.  Steve provides MBE drill downs, where I was to look at all of my wrong answers and then determine why I got them wrong.  Steve then trended my repeat mistakes so that I could better review those areas of law that I was repeatedly missing.  By doing this, I was also able to recognize patterns in MBE questions so that I could better recognize the correct answer.  This was extremely helpful.  Although the price may appear expensive, I went from a two time bar failer to a one time bar passer.”—Steven C. (Western State College of Law)

“When I hired Steve, I had failed the bar exam by about ten points. I was frustrated and needed guidance on what I had done right in preparing and taking the exam, and what else I could do to ensure I got through the finish line the next time. Steve’s program gave me a process and a plan for test day that helped me fight test anxiety and prepared me for whatever questions the exam had to offer. Steve’s feedback on and advice for essays and MBE’s is practical and it works. He is tough and his no-nonsense approach is exactly what I needed during such a long and grueling process where it is easy to get discouraged. I highly recommend Steve and his program.”--L.B. (UC Irvine Law School)

“I failed the CA Bar Exam several times prior to working with Steve. I needed a lot of help with timing and simplifying my writing style. I had tried most of the commercial bar prep courses and apps which were essentially all the same. I was stuck in a depressing cycle of study for several months, wait for results, grieve, seclude myself from society, repeat. I stumbled across a review of Steve’s tutoring services on Yelp and was immediately skeptical due to the vast number of excellent, upbeat reviews. Was this the Holy Grail of CA Bar prep I had just stumbled upon or an ingenious scam preying on the hopeless? How could so many students be so complimentary of a CA Bar Exam tutor? Within the first few sessions of working with Steve I learned why. Steve’s methods are not taught by any commercial prep program but they make more sense and more importantly they actually work. His outlines are actually useful and not some 2,000 page telephone book that is as useful as, well.. a telephone book. Steve gave me a whole new perspective about the CA Bar Exam which helped my writing and reduced my anxiety. Every task and instruction Steve gives you during your work together is packed full of meaning and mini-lessons. If you know very little about the law, you can probably still pass the essay portion of the exam by utilizing Steve’s techniques. As such, Steve will challenge your critical analysis and give you invaluable insight into how to approach answering essays, mbe questions, and the performance test. In conclusion, if you have committed to taking the bar exam one last time I suggest calling Steve and he will do everything he can to help you achieve your goal.”-- Robert W. (Thomas Jefferson School of Law)

“I wrote the California Bar exam in July 2018 and Steve was a tremendous help throughout the entire Bar process. I’m an attorney from Canada and was starting from scratch in terms of everything I knew about the CA bar. Steve is tough but fair and his process is challenging but so is the Bar. Steve’s tutoring prepared me both mentally and physically for this exam. (1) Essays: Although I have always prided myself on being a good essay writer, I realized only after working with Steve that I didn’t know how to write an essay that the bar graders can easily read through and extract relevant issues from. His step by step essay process makes you understand not what to write, but how to write to get you the most points. (2) MBE’s: His 3 question process for the MBE was ingrained in my brain by the time I was writing the actual exam. It helps you understand how to quickly eliminate the wrong answers and use your best guess or judgment to choose the right one. His practice questions and rigorous drilldowns I am certain are what helped me pass the MBE portion. (3) PT’s: Steve’s process for the PT’s helped me to realize how important paying attention to instructions is, and that misreading one sentence can mean the difference between passing and failing. Organization, structure and attention to detail are especially important skills he taught me through his practice PT’s. (4) Price: Although I did find that the fees were more expensive than I had expected, what I appreciated is that Steve offers different bundles based on your budget and the amount of tutoring you think you need. Personally speaking, it was absolutely worth it.”—Umber H. (City Law School: City University London)

“I failed on my first attempt of the CA Bar Exam with one of the big bar review programs and decided to look for tutors - I found Steve and I couldn't be happier. He tailored the program for my strengths and weaknesses and gave me support when I needed it, but he didn't sugarcoat my performance - he kept me on track and gave me the structure I needed to study and pass the exam. Above all, he kept me accountable, which I sorely needed. After just one of his MBE exercises, I started looking at the test in a completely new light. The essays I wrote on my first attempt were jumbled messes compared to the essays I wrote under Steve's instruction. His outlines are fantastic and easily accessible and the exercises he uses for MBE review are stellar. Studying with Steve will change the way you look at the bar exam and will give you what you need to pass. It did for me!”-- Charlie F. (University of North Carolina School of Law)

“After three failed attempts at taking the CA bar exam, I sought the help of a tutor, and ultimately decided on Steve Zikman. He elevated my approach, particularly in the written portion of the exam, and provided me with an excellent method and structure for tackling any essay question. He also provided me with outlines that were particularly helpful with preparing for the written portion of the exam. His program also allowed me to do a higher volume of MBE questions than I had ever done before, and, perhaps most importantly, he provided excellent analysis and feedback to my MBE practice results, so that I knew which substantive areas required additional focus and improvement. I was over 150 points short of passing on the exam prior to working with Steve. After my first time working with Steve, I improved 90 points (Feb '18), leaving me just 65 points short of passing. I worked with Steve again for a second time, preparing for the July '18 exam, and he provided an approach and game plan that was tailored to my previous results and getting me over that final hump.  I'm happy to say that, with Steve's help, I passed the July '18 exam. Working with Steve was the big difference between my previous unsuccessful attempts, and my final two attempts, which culminated with me finally passing the exam.”-- Mike L. (Suffolk Law School, Boston, MA)

“Steve’s guidance and support was absolutely crucial to my success in passing the 2018 California Bar exam—one of the 12% that passed as an out-of-state repeat taker!  I spent weeks searching for the most qualified person to work with—this turned out to be Steve.  His program is tremendous, including outlines, practice questions, detailed conversations and constructive criticism.  Where else do you get a line-by-line review of your tests, and an HONEST assessment of where you are and what you need to do?  I felt confident going into the exam knowing that I had repeatedly practiced essay questions, PTs, and MBEs under realistic time pressure, and had been coached on my personal areas for success.  I cannot anyone recommend more, thank you Steve!!!!”—R. P. (Michigan State University College of Law)

“I cannot express how tremendously thankful I am for Steve's help in passing the 2018 bar exam where only 16% of repeat takers passed.  I was unsuccessful several times in the past while using one of the major bar prep programs and I needed something different.  If you're struggling in writing or MBEs, Steve’s strategy will help you in either area.  Prior to using Steve, my previous essay scores were in the 55's and 60's but Steve's approach obviously helped me see the mistakes I was making in my structure and analysis.  In addition, I saw my MBE score increase 30 points using his strategy. His packages aren't cheap but they are worth every dime.  I strongly recommend Steve for anyone who is willing to bust their ass and take tough criticism in order to conquer the bar exam.”-- Clifford H Young (Thomas Jefferson School of Law)

I passed the California Bar thanks to Steve where only 16% of repeat takers passed. Steve's method is targeted, specific, and extremely helpful. For essays, Steve initially identifies your writing style, strengths and weaknesses and even your personality and how it comes across in your writing. He is able to expand on your writing abilities by targeting the specific level of detail the examiners are looking for. He explains where to impress them and where to get to the point to ensure you have a thorough essay in the time provided. For MBE's, Steve's Drilldowns help you focus on what you got wrong, why you got it wrong, how many of that category you got wrong and it allows you to truly see the patterns and fix the problem in bulk which will increase your score. I took the bar 3 times and passed on the third. I took Barbri classes for my first time and a private tutor for the second, but nothing compared to the specific targeting, repetition and dedication you will find in Steve's course. I highly recommend Steve Zikman to anyone taking the bar for the first time or on repeat. Thank you Steve!”—Corey H. (Loyola Law School)

“Steve helped me immediately identify/confirm where my strengths were and where my weaknesses lied. His program is tough, but in a way I needed to ensure I remained on the right path. We continually worked on where I needed the most help without neglecting my strengths. We’d also tweak and hone in on new areas that came up during my practice. Going into the exam, I was calm and new I could rely on my training to take me whatever was thrown my way.”--Kasee K. (Golden Gate University, School of Law)