For years, The National Jurist has been reaching out to experts for advice on the bar exam. And for good reason: The exam is a brute. It is the Godzilla of exams. It’s scaly, it spits fire and it doesn’t like puppies, rainbows or Hallmark cards.
And that’s being kind.
Here’s a wealth of advice we’ve collected over the years, which remains pertinent because the test has not gotten any less brutish. Still hates puppies . . .
How much time should I devote to studying?
This is a tough question. After all, everybody is different. Some people retain knowledge better than others. Some have better discipline. Others are just plain smarter. That’s right; it’s not fair. We can relate . . .
Here’s what Ashley Heidemann, founder and CEO of JD Advising, says:
“If you were an average law student, then studying for the bar exam for about 400 hours will likely be sufficient. About 200 hours should be dedicated to learning the law and memorizing your outlines. The other 200 hours should be spent completing practice questions.
“Keep in mind that this recommendation may change depending on your circumstances. For example, if you did really well in law school (especially your first year), you may be able to put less time into studying for the bar exam. On the other hand, if you really struggled in law school, you may need to put in more time.
“Further, if you graduated from law school years ago, you may need to study longer than if you just graduated.
“Be sure to take into account your personal circumstances when determining how much time you need to study in order to pass the bar exam.”
What’s the best bar prep program?
When it comes to choosing a prep course, the options seem limitless. And they almost are. You can spend as much time studying the pros and cons of various prep courses as you can studying for the bar.
Andrei Zakhareuski, co-founder and CEO of Bar Prep Hero, says the best prep takes you down memory lane, so to speak.
“Many experts believe that practicing on prior bar examination questions is a gold-standard aid for students and graduates,” he said. “Ask each bar prep administrator how many actual NCBE (National Conference of Bar Examiners) questions are provided in the program’s package. The more the better.
“Exam takers will likely benefit [from] a program that provides high quality written explanations and legal analysis with the MBE (Multistate Bar Examination) and MEE (Multistate Essay Examination) exercises.
“Determine what features are included in each program, and compare which gives you the most features and the cost of each.
“Assure yourself in advance that you understand the package you are purchasing.”
Heidemann recommends asking the following questions to determine the best prep program:
• Are lectures live or prerecorded?
• How many essays are graded throughout the course?
• Can I ask questions during or after the lecture?
• What materials do you offer with the course?
• Do you offer released multiple-choice questions?
• How much does the course cost?
Expect the unexpected. Godzilla does not play nice.
Regardless of how hard you study, which prep course you take or how many all-nighters you pull while falling down hypothetical rabbit holes, there will be, without fail, at least one legal issue on the exam that you are unfamiliar with.
“Just expect you are going to see something that you don’t know the day of the test, and prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for that,” said Kerriann Stout, owner of the bar exam coaching company Vinco.
“The difference between passing and failing, for some students, is how they react in that moment. If you have a plan, practice under time constraints and know what it feels like to write an essay on a topic you are unfamiliar with. Then, you can get through it and move on.
“A big problem I see is students trying to ‘outlearn’ the bar exam. They think that if they learn enough law, then they don’t have to worry about the mechanics of writing an essay or concern themselves with MBE strategies. That’s just not true.”
Stout warns that test-takers should not waste valuable time trying to conjure up viable answers to questions that cover material they did not learn. You should really go into the exam with an understanding that even though you are prepared, there will be things that you don’t know. That is OK.”
“The absolute last thing you should do is spend valuable time trying to conjure up something you did not learn. You should really go into the exam with an understanding that even though you are prepared, there will be things that you don’t know. That is OK.”
How to handle bar exam stress
The way Patrick Mahomes handles Super Bowl stress?
Nope.
The bar exam is a whole other animal. If Mahomes loses a Super Bowl, he can still play football. The bar? You can’t be a working lawyer until you pass the thing. So if you fumble, there’s a lot more on the line.
Take Maggie Mahalick, former corporate counsel and content manager for AdaptiBar. She said her stress level was so high before exam day that she developed hives.
“I ended up in the emergency room instead of the library,” Mahalick said. “As it turns out, I have an allergy to certain metals, which was exacerbated by extreme stress. I did manage to recover in time to sit for my exam and pass.”
Her advice? Go slowly and know your strengths.
“Many students have an urge to dive right into bar prep,” she said. “Avoid this urge. Jumping right into practice questions will only frustrate you and waste time.
“Instead, start off by reviewing substantive materials. Once you have refreshed your memory on the concepts, begin answering questions.
“Starting with a knowledge base allows you to evaluate your performance more accurately. If during law school you focused on criminal law or you received the CALI Award for your torts class, these may be areas that don’t need as much of your attention. Trust yourself on subjects that you know . . . focus on subjects you struggle with.”
Other experts point to the importance of staying in peak physical shape during bar prep.
“Preparing for the bar exam is a marathon, not a sprint, Heidemann said. “Like any race, the key to bar success is to balance preparation with recovery and self-care. Your bar prep schedule should not only include lecture videos and practice exams but also breaks, times for exercise and other necessities.
“Maintaining your physical and mental health will help you avoid burnout and perform your best on test day.
“Some students are less inclined to schedule time to exercise or take a break because they want to study more. But scheduling time for exercise and mental health breaks will improve the quality of your studying and help you to be more productive.”
How to get motivated
Your future career is on the line. Isn’t that motivation enough?
But that kind of pressure can sometimes cause you to want to curl up in a ball. Plus, the amount of material you’re trying to learn is tremendous. It can put anyone into a serious funk.
Sara Berman is a former director of academic and bar success programs at AccessLex Institute. She has authored many books and articles on how to pass the bar. Now a professor and director of the Academic Success Program at University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, she offers this advice:
“What is motivation? Some describe it as an urge or driving force. There are internal and external motivators; both can exist simultaneously.
“External motivators might include money, or praise, or avoiding suffering or punishment. Some people who have job offers pending that require bar passage find great motivation both in the excitement of the new work and in the fear of possibly losing the job.
“The same can be true of people who will be looking for employment after taking the bar exam.”
Knowing how much easier it will be to find a position after having passed the bar can be a powerful motivator, Berman said.
“I think about internal motivation as finding your ‘Why,’” she said. “Why did you go to law school, and why did you stay and graduate? You may have been driven by deep family hopes and sacrifices, basic survival and financial necessity, inner dreams, maybe emulating a hero or wanting a career in law to feel empowered.
“Whatever the reasons are that brought you here in the first place, write them down and read them daily, especially when you aren’t feeling it . . . Keep your purpose front and center.”
Get philosophical
Not everybody gets to take the bar exam. Most needed to finish law school first. And even before that, they needed to get into law school.
This is the distinguished profession of Abraham Lincoln, Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Barack Obama, Joe Biden . . .
You’re not selling carburetors.
As Deborah Sanders, the owner of Bar-None Prep, put it:
“Suppose you woke up tomorrow feeling grateful that you were among the rare number of people about to sit for the bar exam.
“I use the term ‘sit for the bar exam’ for a reason. You may think you are taking a test, but I prefer to redirect you to what it means to place yourself before this test — to sit.
“Enter that hall, wherever it is, with great humility. You are attempting to join a group of statesmen and stateswomen. If no one in your law school referenced statesmanship as your goal, you were denied an important pillar of your future work.
“Enter that hall, wherever it is, with great humility. You are attempting to join a group of statesmen and stateswomen. If no one in your law school referenced statesmanship as your goal, you were denied an important pillar of your future work.
“In England, the title Esquire was intended to convey a sense of respect for those occupying a higher social rank. William Blackstone said that the title should be ‘limited to those only who bear an office of trust under the crown and who are styled esquires by the king in their commissions and appointments.’
“In this vein, it will become your role to wrestle, to craft, to persuade and to argue, all with the force of who you are at this very moment, in service to someone else’s need. So when you sit down to earn your place, you should imagine you are entering upon hallowed ground.
“And at some level, that alone is prideworthy. And now is when it matters most. To be worthy of your seat and to take the test having done all you could, that is the real accomplishment. The score is the result of that, not the purpose.”
