We have met the enemy and he is us."  Pogo 

Myths abound concerning how bar graders give short shrift to applicant written answers. “They just read topic headings.” “They simply ‘glance’ at each answer before slapping a grade on it. The excuses that these legends provide for why applicants fail are convenient and appealing.  However, if you buy into them you become your own worst enemy.

Consider this.  All graders are California lawyers.  Many  (including myself) have ten or more years of experience.  Grader applications are screened by the Examinations Director. New graders attend an extensive orientation session.  Newly hired “apprentice graders” work through one or more examination cycles, doing all preparatory work and attending all meetings,  before they put a “live” grade on a single applicant answer.  To prepare for grading, all graders, new and old, research and write the answer to their question, attend three calibration meetings totaling at least 12 hours, and grade numerous “sample,” and “calibration” answers. From my experience, I’m convinced that graders never forget what goes into preparing for and taking the examination. Will you ever forget?

Here, I think, is the better assumption to work from:  Every word of your essay and performance test answers is going to be read, likely more than once, and often by two different graders.  Preparing and writing with that fact in mind is a much smarter way to go.