German law students finish their studies with the Staatsexamen, the state examination. In the exam, candidates write six or seven papers of five hours each within two weeks. The career portal e-fellows.net describes how students prepare. Many plan a year and a half, following a strict plan: eight hours of study a day, six days a week, and a practice exam every week. The study blog Jura Individuell cites an estimate that 90 percent of law students attend a commercial Repetitorium, a private cram course, at least once on the way to the exam. Even so, almost 30 percent of candidates fail their first exam, according to e-fellows.net. The exam rules also offer a Freischuss, a free shot. Its purpose is to keep students from postponing the exam out of fear.