The goal for every aspiring lawyer is to pass the bar exam on the first try. An important step to achieving that goal is selecting the right bar exam prep course. However, there are different options available, with each company advertising their bar exam prep course as the absolute best. Given what is at stake (the best shot at passing the bar exam on the first try!), it is not a decision to be rushed into or taken lightly. However, many law students are unclear on exactly when it is the best time to make this decision.
The answer is quite simple: generally, you should wait to select a bar exam prep course until 2L or 3L year, only after you have had ample opportunity to research each bar prep company. Waiting until 2L or 3L year is the best course of action for a few reasons:
The focus of 1L year should be on doing well in school, not selecting a bar exam prep course.
For 1Ls, the bar exam is still years away. As a 1L, you are not thinking about what bar exam prep course to take after graduation. Nor should you need to! 1L year is challenging enough without the added pressure of selecting a bar exam prep course. It is best to take things one step at a time. As a 1L, you should:
- Focus on adjusting to the rigors of law school and getting good grades
- Begin to understand your individual learning style for exams
- Start to gather information about available bar exam prep courses
These steps will help you to select a bar exam prep course when the time comes.
Making an informed decision takes time.
Some students feel pressured to rush into a decision if a bar prep company advertises greater discounts on courses for students who sign up early. Bar exam prep courses are pricey, so that is a tempting offer for students already racking up student loan debt. However, the discount will not be worth it if you take a course that is not best suited to your needs. Even with the discount, the wrong decision becomes an expensive mistake! You are better off waiting to make an informed decision than rushing and getting locked into the wrong course. Keep in mind as well that discounts will continue to be offered in 2L and 3L year — and there could even be deals for pricing as low as 1L year.
Bar prep companies typically offer their own unique formats that take time to explore.
No “one-size-fits all” approach to studying exists. Students’ learning styles differ, and certain styles are better supported by some companies than others. A number of course features factor into selecting the bar exam prep course best suited for you, such as:
- Course platform
- Formats available (live versus on-demand)
- Course schedule and assignments
- Lecture style
- Source of practice materials (outlines and practice questions)
- Services provided (availability of individualized feedback)
Most bar prep companies even offer free Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) courses that can help you to explore these features and get a sense of what their bar exam course will be like. One of the best ways to make an informed decision about which bar prep course is right for you is to sign up for the MPRE course of each bar exam company you are considering. Do this at some point during your second or third year of law school. This will give you a good idea of how each course is delivered, what their lectures are like, how their outlines are structured and so much more. You will then be able to find one that is a good fit for you.
You can also look at a bar exam company’s pass rates and talk to past students who used that company as their bar prep provider to get feedback.
All things considered, 2L or 3L year, after researching different bar exam prep courses, is undoubtedly the best time to select a bar exam prep course.
