In July 2002 I walked out of Reliant Arena here in Houston, Texas thinking that I would never have to take another standardized test again. It was the final day of the bar exam. Little did I know that I was wrong. Over the past seven years I have attended numerous continuing legal education courses, taken countless depositions, tried dozens of lawsuits, and worked with hundreds of clients. The one thing I didn’t do was fill out a scantron sheet. That all changed this past October when I decided to sit for the board certification exam in personal injury trial law. According to the board of legal specialization, there are currently only 1740 attorneys in the entire State of Texas who are board certified in personal injury trial law. After asking various lawyers around Texas who have taken the exam, I had a better understanding of what to expect. However, I was not prepared for what I actually encountered. I spent many days leading up to the exam studying volumes of materials to help prepare. On the day of the 6 hour written exam, I walked into the testing room feeling confident I was ready. The first 3 hours of the exam were essay. I left for the lunch break feeling pretty good. I had no idea what was laid in wait for me after lunch. I returned from lunch eager to start the final 3 hours of the exam. This portion is 100 multiple choice questions. Wow, I forgot how much I hated multiple choice scantron tests. With each question, I easily narrowed it down to two answers. Then came the hard part, which one of the final two is more correct. Deep breath, JUST PICK ONE! After 3 hours of misery, it was finally over. Then came the waiting. For over three months I checked the mail daily looking for the results. Finally, they arrived yesterday. Much to my relief I passed! Now that I’ve completed this hurdle in my career, I’ve promised myself no more scantrons! However, I have a strange feeling that somehow it won’t be my last. I guess no matter how much we try to tell ourselves we don’t have to go to school anymore, the truth is everyday is an education and I’m sure I’ll be tested on it again one day.