Many bar studiers begin bar review after graduation, leaving them with about 10 weeks to prepare for the exam. During the first six to seven weeks of most study programs, a significant portion of time is spent on an in-depth substantive review of the dozen or more subjects eligible for testing. Then, in the final three to four weeks of study, the focus shifts to concentrated practice, review and memorization.
When learning (and re-learning) so many subjects in such a short time, it is easy to get “stuck” and take hazardous shortcuts. As you study, consider these common mistakes and actively work to avoid these pitfalls.
Mistake #1: Trying to completely memorize one subject before moving on to the next subject
Since the bar exam is a high-stakes test, it is common to feel the pressure to memorize every single detail for each subject. However, that is not the examiners’ expectation. Instead, to pass the bar you must gain a strong foundation for each subject eligible for testing so that, regardless of which subjects are tested on exam day, you are ready to quickly and competently answer the questions presented.
As you prepare, you will read outlines, watch videos, complete practice questions, review your materials and begin to memorize. Most likely, your study schedule will push you to move on to a new subject before you feel ready and you may start to panic thinking that you cannot move forward when you have not yet mastered the previous subject.
But, if you try to memorize an entire subject before moving on, you can easily find yourself still studying the very first subject three weeks into the course, with only seven weeks left to master another dozen subjects. Your goal is to have a foundation for all testable topics, not to be an expert on a select few, so avoid falling into this trap.
When you start feeling stuck, remind yourself that study programs are designed to ensure that you cover every subject eligible for testing. After you have been introduced to a subject, courses intentionally schedule opportunities to revisit and practice each subject multiple times throughout your study schedule to keep each subject fresh. By regularly reviewing and practicing each subject over several weeks, you will test your recall skills, move concepts from your short-term memory to your long-term memory and methodically increase your mastery of rules. And remember, it is typical to feel like the information is not really “sticking” until the last few weeks of study, so anticipate that feeling, trust the process and force yourself to keep moving forward to the next assigned subject.
Mistake #2: Not practicing multiple-choice questions under exam conditions
Many bar studiers find that they prefer to practice multiple-choice questions over essays or performance tests. On average, you have 1.8 minutes per multiple-choice question on the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), compared to most jurisdictions’ essays and performance tests, which are typically 30-60 minutes and 90 minutes long. Since multiple-choice questions take less time to complete and have answer choices to select from and shorter answer explanations to review, it makes sense why most students prefer to practice with MBE questions.
If this is your inclination, do not fall into the trap of casually completing questions, reviewing answers and not paying attention to the time constraints of the exam. Although this practice-mode strategy is fine when you first start your studies and are trying to learn the law, it is important to also complete at least some practice sets under timed conditions to ensure you can finish questions within the allotted time and start building your endurance for the 200 multiple-choice questions you will see on exam day.
Many of your early practice sets during bar prep will be single-subject sets, such as Contracts questions only, so if you practice under timed conditions, you will get a feel for your average time per question for each subject. You may find that you are under the average time on subjects like Constitutional Law and Torts and over the 1.8 minutes average on Civil Procedure and Real Property questions. By doing timed single-subject sets early on, you will be able to target your study strategy for each subject.
When you are between one-third to halfway through your studies, you will encounter mixed-subject practice sets that cover all the subjects eligible for testing on the MBE. It is imperative to do these sets under timed conditions. On the MBE, each 100-question set in the morning and afternoon session will be mixed subject, requiring you to pivot back and forth between questions on different subjects while staying within an average of 1.8 minutes per question. Knowing your overall average time on mixed-subject practice will ensure that you are prepared for how you will be tested on exam day.
So, start your studies with a goal to complete questions per subject within the 1.8-minute timeframe. Then, as you progress, strive to average less than 1.8 minutes per question on mixed-subject sets to ensure you can complete the MBE (and the corresponding Scantron bubble sheet) on time.
Mistake #3: Not writing complete responses for essays and performance tests when practicing
Writing thorough responses to bar exam essays and performance tests is hard work. Then, factor in the time limitations set by most jurisdictions – typically 30-90 minutes per question – and it becomes even more challenging to complete comprehensive responses within the allotted time. So, preparation is key!
Because essays and performance tests require considerable effort, bar students are likely to take shortcuts when practicing. One of the most common of these shortcuts is to only read the prompts and sample answers, skipping the practice of writing a response altogether. Although this technique takes less time and energy and is good for issue-spotting practice, it is not a good method for assessing your writing ability or training yourself for the pressure and time constraints of the bar exam.
Whether you consider yourself a strong writer or not, writing complete responses – both during untimed practice and under exam conditions – will improve your organization and development of rule statements and analyses. Regular practice will help you create an organized framework for your writing which will help you be more formulaic and efficient in your writing and more confident when approaching essays and performance tests on the exam. Throughout your bar studies, you should fully write out answers to essays and performance tests until you are confident that you can draft complete, passing responses for each testable subject within the time parameters on exam day.
Keep moving forward with your study plan to ensure you have the necessary foundation for success on the bar exam in each subject eligible for testing. Complete practice questions – essays, multiple-choice and/or performance tests – under timed conditions so you can head into test day with confidence that you can answer all questions within the time allotted. It may be hard work and it won’t always feel like you are making progress. But, if you stay on track, you can do it!
