Woman failed bar exam by one point — what she did with her celebration cake changed the course of her life

Failing an exam leaves a big impact on a person at any point in their life. However, how one chooses to deal with that failure makes a big difference. Similarly, a woman named Steffanie Pasquale, who goes by @steff.pasquale on TikTok, failed her bar exam by one point last September. Meanwhile, at that time, her fiancé was sure she would pass, so he bought her balloons, flowers and a cake to celebrate her win. The result was disappointing for her, but after dealing with her emotions, she decided to do something remarkable with her cake that made all the difference. Pasquale shared that her celebration was not cancelled, just delayed.

"In September 2024, I found out that I didn't pass the bar exam (by one point)," Pasquale shared. Her fiancé was prepared to celebrate her bar results with balloons and a cake. After looking at the result, she froze a piece of cake and promised herself that she would eat it on the day of passing the bar exam. She appeared for the exam again in February and passed this time. When the results were in, she recorded herself and her fiancé finally eating the frozen piece of cake. "I have never been more excited for a slice of cake." The caption read, "I've never been more relieved to eat a slice of cake. A full circle moment for sure."

"It was absolutely the best cake I've ever had. It stayed really fresh! But more than that, it became a reminder that good things take time. With hard work, dedication and motivation, I could still make my dream a reality. The cake really became a symbol of everything I'd overcome," Pasquale said, per PEOPLE. Also, she received a very positive response to her video on TikTok and was grateful that she chose to share that part of her life. She was happy that a failure had helped her guide other people. "I can't wait to continue sharing this journey into my next bar exam and into my professional career as an attorney." Although the news in September was initially tough on her, she was overwhelmed by the support she received from her friends and family.

All the encouragement gave her the idea to save the cake for when she passed the exam. "Freezing the cake felt like setting another goal. It symbolized that my celebration was delayed, not denied. It felt wrong to throw it away after all the hard work I had put in, so I thought, 'Let me just save it until it's really my time.'" Passing the exam was like a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. People shared their thoughts and experiences in the comments.

@unsungbloodson wrote, "I'm very proud of you. My grandpa had 6 kids, immigrated from Mexico, never went to law school and taught himself the law with used textbooks. He passed on the 3rd try at age 46." @kjs2214 commented, "Congratulations, such a relief finding out you earned a pass! I failed the February bar exam by 0.7 points. Welcome to the profession." @brittkenglandesq remarked, "I didn't pass Texas by 4 points, luckily it was the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), so I passed in 19 other states, but it sucked. I live in Dallas and have been in house counsel since. The February bar has a harder curve."

You can follow Steffanie Pasquale (@steff.pasquale) on TikTok for more lifestyle and bar preparation content.