UPDATED 2020

Prepare for the BAR Exam

The Bar Exam has a different format for each state, but it’s usually broken into two sections that are administered on separate days. The first part is the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) and it’s in the form of multiple-choice questions, whereas the second part focuses on state-specific laws and it consists of essay questions.

It’s mandatory for you to pass the bar exam if you want to practice law. If you’ve just graduated from a law school and this is your first time taking the exam, then your method of preparation will be drastically different from those that are making their second or third attempt.

Here are some important tips you need to follow to be fully prepared for the Bar exam:

Tip 1: Gather Quality Material to Study

It’s necessary to have the right materials on hand to study from. The last thing you want is to lose yourself in comprehensive study guides that focus on topics that you may not even get tested on. You need quality materials that are understandable for you or you’ll end up wasting a huge portion of your time.

It’s not enough to have a degree in law school to prepare for the bar exam. You may have to enroll in a bar review course online or even take classes somewhere. These courses will help you revise what you had learnt in law school and understand what kind of topics you need to pay special attention to.

Tip 2: Create a Schedule

If you’re enrolled in a course, then you may already have a schedule that lets you meet your objectives, but that isn’t enough. You need to make sure you have your own schedule that takes your needs into consideration.

The course isn’t built specifically for you. You need to set time for yourself because you may take longer to understand some topics over others. Create a flexible schedule as you progress through your preparation. This way, you’ll be able to reduce or add more days to your schedule depending on how much you’ve covered.

Tip 3: Focus on Important Topics

In the bar exam, some subjects are tested more frequently than others, which is why you need to focus on them the most. Take your time when you’re studying these topics to make sure you can clear most of the exam. Don’t spend hours on unimportant details that won’t show up in the exam.

Tip 4: Memorize the Laws

You need to memorize the laws so you can recall them in time when you’re reading the fact pattern in the exam. Devote extra time during preparation just to memorize the laws so you can apply them to the facts accurately.

Tip 5: Take Practice Tests

You can take the bar exam without ever taking a practice exam, but you shouldn’t take any chances. Even though these tests may not look anything like the real exam, you’d at least get to learn about the structure of the test and how much time you need to spend on each section.

Final Words

Now that you’ve learned how to prepare for the exam, the only thing standing between you and your career as a law practitioner is your level of commitment. If you study diligently, then there’s nothing stopping you from clearing the bar exam.