First, read Part 1 here
Picking up from the first five tips, here are tips six to 10 (in no particular order)!
6. Hands down do real MBE questions instead of only made up ones.
The bar prep company I used in 2017, BarMax*, used real MBE questions. I actually recognized a few MBE questions from when I took the bar in 2015, so I felt more comfortable knowing that what I was practicing was what I could expect. This is especially helpful because some of the MBE questions tend to follow the same pattern. Like how law school was all about old exams, bar prep is all about old exams and essays rather than just reading on end. PRACTICE & APPLICATION IS KEY! *NOTE: This is my referral link which will get you 15% OFF a BarMax UBE Review Course!
7. Look at which topics are most frequently and least frequently tested, and give just hours of study (v. many days) to subjects that are barely tested.
This piece of advice may be risky for some but the fact still remains: some subjects are more likely to be tested than others. If you’ve got lots of time to study, then you can devote spending days of study time on subjects that haven’t been tested in five years (and I say this with no shade, because it may be time for some of these subjects to be resurrected on the exam). But if you are pressed for time, you need to spend most of your time studying subjects that are for sure or most likely going to tested (like MBE subjects, etc.). So, I did a cursory study of the lesser tested subjects and panicked during the exam when two of these topics came up for two essays (which I think is more than usual)! But I knew enough to write something basic and get some points, so my level of preparation was indeed sufficient (read my article here about how to finesse your essay answers on the Bar exam when you’re not entirely sure of the answer). In fact, even with not knowing the law on 2/6 of the essays, I still scored high enough to waive into ANY UBE jurisdiction (280+)! Praise God! 🙌🏽 The important thing for these lesser tested subjects is to know enough of the basics so you can put something together, and then you can make sure you shine in your other essays on the more frequently tested topics that you studied more extensively.
If you are interested in improving your Bar exam legal writing and study strategy, learn more about my Blessed & Barred® Bar Exam Success System that includes a Bar Exam Writing Workshop Series on essays and MPTs taught by me, a legal research and writing adjunct professor and Bar exam coach, what to do if you don’t know the law for an essay, my Bar Exam Legal Writing Checklist so you can score more points on every essay & MPT, and more!
8. Make time to read The No BS Book for Helping ANYONE Pass the Bar Exam by Adam Jason.
I don’t know him personally and this is not an affiliate link, but I read the book when I took (and passed) a second Bar exam in 2017 after passing my first Bar exam in 2015 and this book was/is legit! The book covers how to approach the MBE, essays, study schedules, etc. and it helped me feel more confident about taking the exam.
9. Don’t do a whole bunch of practice MPTs if you have already been a practicing attorney (or have been serving as a law clerk, etc.) AND you are confident in your legal writing and analysis abilities.
Of course if this is your first time studying for a Bar exam, you didn’t do very well on the MPT, or you are not confident in your legal writing and analysis abilities, then you should do multiple MPTs so you actually know what you’re doing lol. But if you are a practicing attorney/have seen MPTs before and you are confident in your legal writing ability (and scored well on practice or actual MPTs), you don’t have to spend too much time on this. MPTs are a gift from God: you don’t need to memorize any law for MPTs! Whoo! You just need to know how to navigate a record and write a memo, letter, brief, etc. within time constraints. This is totally skill-based so if you already have this skill, you’re in a good spot (and if you don’t have this skill don’t worry — you can learn it! And if you’d like more support in learning this skill, I teach it in the Blessed & Barred® Bar Exam Success System)! Review past MPTs so you can familiarize yourself with the types of documents you may be asked to draft but if you are comfortable with your legal writing and analysis ability, then you won’t need to set aside too much time to study and/or practice per MPT.
10. Make a schedule and stick to it. You will need to forgo some social events for awhile and set some boundaries, but do not forgo all types of social interaction! Still continue to go to church, go on dates with your significant other, stick with your journaling routine, etc. Having joy and outlets in your life will help you have the stamina to study and perform.
Self discipline and sticking to a schedule is obvious Bar exam prep advice, but many people give up too much of their social life to study and end up burned out from studying and not able to fully show up/perform as a result. If you are a believer, time spent in church is not “taking away” from your study time. There are elements and factors that we cannot control no matter how much we study, so maintaining our relationship with God, who is in control, is important for keeping our peace of mind. Same with maintaining meaningful relationships in your life — you need the love and support! 🙂 This is why the Blessed & Barred® Bar Exam Success System includes a Tame Your Time module — so you can manage your study time without neglecting other parts of your life!
OK, those are the five tips for this blog post. As I mentioned in the previous post, some of these are not for everybody and that is OK! Don’t take my word as authority — pray about it, assess your knowledge levels, and see what would work for you. The next set of 5 ways I successfully studied for the bar exam while working full-time, applying and interviewing for jobs, and having a social life will be based on attitude, mindset, and prayer, so stay tuned for Part 3!
Grace for the Grind® Career Mastermind is a FREE private online community for Christian women lawyers, Bar exam takers, and law students who want less stress and more of God’s grace for the professional grind. You can join for free and access our Bar exam webinar replays and Bar Exam Resource Library at https://app.graceforthegrind.com!
