Welcome to the land of all things bar exam. Here, you’ll find some of our favorite posts in different topic areas, along with links to lots more content. From when to start studying to detailed tips for the bar exam essays, it’s all here.
For a full list of available topics, please visit the Bar Exam Toolbox Resource Hub. Enjoy!
We also offer a variety of courses and tutoring options, including:
- Writing of the Week (WOW) Workshops to improve your bar exam essays and performance test answers
- The Brainy Bar Bank to streamline your bar exam preparation
- The Bar Exam Self-Study Program, which provides motivated self-studiers with the tools they need to pass at an affordable price
- Private bar exam tutoring in a variety of jurisdictions
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Selecting a Bar Review Provider
- Comparing Tools for Bar Exam Essay Success Several internet tools have been created to help law students prepare for the essay portion of the bar exam. We compare your options.
- Can I Take a Bar Course Without Breaking the Bank? There’s no secret that there are now a variety of bar prep courses that offer deals that serve to benefit the diverse pockets of bar exam takers, but the idea of paying any additional cost to actually become a certified attorney is enough to agitate any law school graduate. If you’re frustrated, you’ve come to the right place. We've put together a list of money saving ideas for choosing a bar study provider.
- Does Your Bar Prep Plan Fit You? 5 Questions to Consider When you are deciding how to prepare for the bar exam, you will be bombarded by programs, plans, and methods that will all claim to guarantee success. They probably all have some value, but your goal is to pick the approach that will give you the best chance at bar exam success. Here are five questions to consider when evaluating which approach to bar prep will best suit you.
- Why the End of Your 3L Year May Be Too Late (and 1L Year May Be Too Early) To Start Thinking of Bar Prep At the start of law school, there is a lot of pressure to commit to one of the various commercial bar-prep programs.. However, making a commitment too early has drawbacks, and once you sign that contract, you’re stuck. Is it likely you can know what you need in a bar prep course in your 1L year?
- Choosing Bar Prep Providers Securing your bar prep course is probably one of the best ways to prepare for the bar. So what are these courses and how do you choose from all of the choices? Here is a guide to help you decide on your bar prep provider.
Selecting a Bar Exam Tutor
- How Do You Pick a Bar Exam Tutor? As students around the country have been getting bad news about the bar exam, we have been getting more and more emails and phone calls wanting advice on how to pick a bar exam tutor. Here's our advice for making this important decision!
- How to Get the Most out of Your Bar Exam Tutor Bar exam tutors can be a great resource to help you study for the bar exam because they structure your program to your needs and give you individualized feedback. Nevertheless, just hiring a tutor is not enough to pass the bar exam. In this post, we discuss how to get the most out of your bar exam tutor.
- Studying on Your Own for the Bar Exam - Consider Your Options! Whether you are a new law school graduate, just recently failed the bar, or you need to work and won’t be able to keep up with the bar review schedule, you may need an alternative bar study option. So now what? Under any of these circumstances, you should consider going it alone.
- Why Would Should Consider Hiring a Tutor For Your Bar Prep We look at some ways you can utilize a tutor to help with your bar prep.
- Why I Hired a Bar Exam Tutor In this post we welcome an attorney who shares his story about failing the California bar exam and his decision to hire a bar exam tutor for his second studying attempt. He offers some great advice about the benefits of working with a tutor and how it can help you pass the exam.
Self-Studying for the Bar Exam
- Self-Study - How to Survive People decide to “go it alone” for bar prep for a number of reasons or circumstances. Whatever reason you have, consider the following suggestions to help you enhance your experience and increase your chance for success.
- Do I Need to Make My Own Study Materials for the Bar Exam? Law school was all about making your own outlines and study guides, but students typically pay for outlines from a bar course when preparing for the bar exam. Read our thoughts on whether or not you should be making your own study materials for the bar exam.
- Self-Studying for the California Bar With "Be a Goat"! (Part I) Yes, you read that right: being a goat actually has something to do with self-studying for the California bar exam. We talk to Jessica Klein, attorney and author of "The Goat’s Guide: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide To Preparing for the California Bar Exam On Your Own," for some expert advice.
- Self-Studying for the California Bar Exam With "Be a Goat" (Part II) As a follow up to our first post on the Goat's guide to self-studying for the California bar exam, we continue our conversation with attorney and author, Jessica Klein. Read more of her expert advice!
Reviews of Bar Prep Options
- Tools for Bar Exam Success: Smart Bar Prep The number of different bar prep programs, commercial outlines, and study aids available to test takers has grown considerably in recent years. If you’re weighing your bar prep options, here’s another resource to consider. Smart Bar Prep is an essay-focused set of study guides available in both UBE/MEE and California formats.
- How to Use the Brainy Bar Bank to Raise Your Essay Scores We're hearing from one two time bar exam taker who used the Brainy Bar Bank to significantly raise her essay scores (and pass) the second time around.
- Tools for Bar Exam Success: AdaptiBar Struggling with the MBE? AdaptiBar might help. Check out our review of this useful tool (including a special discount code for our loyal readers).
- Tools for Bar Exam Success: Themis Bar Review Still haven't decided on a bar review course? In this post we review Themis Bar Review, a commercial bar review course that you can take entirely online.
- Tools for Bar Exam Success: Lean Sheets Bar Exam Outlines Many bar studiers are overwhelmed with the amount of information they need to study for the bar exam. This is why Lean Sheets were developed — to help those of you studying for the bar exam pare down the information to what you need to know. Read our review of this helpful tool!
Should You Study Early?
- When Should You Take Bar Exam Electives in Law School? The bar exam is an inevitable box you must check off before earning the right to be called Esquire. Recognizing this, many students often wonder whether they need take course covering subjects that may appear on the bar and, if so, when. Fortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the “When” and “Why” questions of taking Bar-elective courses.
- How Early is Too Early to Begin Bar Prep We think the important question is, how exactly do you go about early bar preparation?
- Bar Exam: Starting Early vs Starting Late - The Tale Of Two Law Students This is the tale of the two law students and what the difference is in preparing for the exam.
- Why the End of Your 3L Year May Be Too Late (and 1L Year May Be Too Early) To Start Thinking of Bar Prep At the start of law school, there is a lot of pressure to commit to one of the various commercial bar-prep programs.. However, making a commitment too early has drawbacks, and once you sign that contract, you’re stuck. Is it likely you can know what you need in a bar prep course in your 1L year?
- Rome Wasn't Built in a Day and Neither is a Passing Bar Exam Score Preparing early for the bar exam gives you the confidence that you will excel. Confidence which is key to maintaining focus and ultimately passing. So take the practical step and begin preparing early.
Study Tips for Different Learning Styles
- Mind Maps and Other Fun Visual Learning Methods We discuss unique visual learning techniques that can help any law student and bar student study in a new way. Even if you don’t identify as a visual learner, try these techniques out. Learning using all of your senses, also called multimodal learning, can significantly improve your retention and engagement when studying.
- Bar Study Tips For Different Learning Styles Everyone has to memorize and comprehend the same material to pass the bar exam, but not everyone has to go about it in the same exact way. You should also tailor your review to include specific learning strategies that work best for you. We tell you how!
- Preparing for the Bar as an ESL student We discuss English as a second language students (ESL) law students preparing for the bar exam.
- Learning Styles and the Bar Exam Scientists who study how people learn categorize learning styles into two main categories: passive learning and active learning. When studying for the bar exam it's crucial to make sure you have the right ratio of active to passive learning.
- Creative Strategies to Help You Study For the Bar When it comes to studying for the bar exam, most tutors and bar prep companies will give you essentially the same advice – review your outlines, answer a ton of MBE questions, and complete practice essays and MPTs. These methods are effective, but they can also get a little tedious. If you’re needing to shake up your routine, try out these creative study strategies that will give you a change of pace while still helping you learn the law or improve your skills.
How to Memorize for the Bar Exam
- Why Waiting to Memorize Until the Last Two Weeks is a Bad Idea It may seem reasonable to do a lot of memorization closer to the actual bar exam. While some of the big, commercial bar prep. companies take this approach, we would also strongly advise against it. Read why in this post.
- Can Spaced Repetition Help You Learn the Law? SeRiouS (SRS) is on online study tool that applies the technique of spaced repetition to legal study in a simple, engaging format. It promises to help you learn the law efficiently and conveniently by adapting to your level of knowledge and recall, and allowing you to spend as little as five to ten minutes a day reviewing rules on any internet-connected device.
- Memorize This! Five Memorization Techniques that Will Help you Succeed on the Bar Exam So I want you to think back to law school for a second. Do you remember spending countless hours reviewing a case brief, only to find yourself unable to recall anything the very next day during a cold call? Or perhaps you may remember that networking event you attended your 1L summer, where you met several attorneys who you desperately hoped would provide a lead to your 2L job. The bar exam will require memorization, so follow these 5 techniques to master this!
- Memorization Techniques to Help You in the Final Weeks The bar exam tests many different skills: the ability to analyze complex factual scenarios, to spot legal issues, to perform under pressure, to draft cohesive arguments, and so on. But it will be difficult to sufficiently and accurately perform these skills without first mastering the skill of memorization.
- The Best Memorization Methods For the Bar Exam Passing the bar exam requires an intimidating amount of memorization. Here are a few methods that work for memory champions and that worked for me when I studied for (and passed!) the bar.
Ways to Practice Effectively
- Your Dog As Your Study Buddy (And 4 Other Tips For Building Bar Prep Into Your Daily Routine) When you are studying for the bar exam full time, building a routine that makes the most of your bar prep period is vital. Keeping to your bar prep schedule and continually reinforcing your study through repetition takes discipline, especially as bar prep drags on. Here are five tips to build in some bar prep around your daily routine so you can keep yourself honest and make the most of your precious few bar prep days.
- Essay Feedback: Why It's Important, Where To Get It, and How to Use it to Improve When you’re preparing for the bar exam, whether you’re a first-time taker or a repeater, you want to use every tool available to you to improve your chances of success. One of the most valuable tools that you can employ in preparing for the written portions of the exam is feedback from someone who is experienced at evaluating bar exam essays and MPTs.
- How to Become Great at Taking the Bar Exam with Deliberate Practice There is not much debate about practice when it comes to learning a new skill or getting better at something. I’m guessing that some of you have heard of Outliers by Malcom Gladwell and the idea of the 10,000 hour rule to achieve mastery in a field. Since none of us have 10,000 hours to study for the bar exam you may be interested in the concept of Deliberate Practice which was introduced by K. Anders Ericsson.
- How to Use MPT Points Sheets and Sample Answers to Prepare for the Bar Exam Practice exams are a crucial component of successful bar prep. While a bar review course may provide feedback on a limited number of practice essays and performance tests, you should do more and assess your own work. We’ve previously discussed how to do this using MEE Analyses. Here, we’ll explore how to use MPT Point Sheets and sample answers. The key is to distinguish form from substance. A Point Sheet will not be in the form required for your answer, but it will contain the required substance. A sample answer should be in the required form, but it may not be complete in terms of substance. Let’s take a closer look.
- Taking the Bar Exam? Start Practicing Now! In order to do well on the bar exam, you must devote significant time to practicing the material and skills tested on the exam. We go into the reasons this is and how you can have practice work for you.
Study Materials
- Train Like an Athlete for the Bar Exam Many student fear the bar exam mountain of work. What if instead of a massive mountain climb, you thought about the bar exam like a form of athletic training? Read why you should here.
- ESQYR Review: Resource for Past Bar and MPRE One of the most important strategies for passing a bar or MPRE exam (or any type of exam) is to take lots of practice exams. In order to make taking practice exams effective, you need to make sure the practice exams be as genuine as possible, and you get specific, detailed feedback on your practice exam from a knowledgeable person. We talk to a new online service, Esqyr, which takes care of the first need.
- Podcast Episode 78: Advice for First-Time Bar Exam Takers Today we’re sharing advice for first-time bar exam takers, to ensure you can take the test once and pass. Even if you’re still in law school, and the bar exam is years away, it’s never too early to get informed and chart a course for success, so tune in.
- Memorize This! Five Memorization Techniques that Will Help you Succeed on the Bar Exam So I want you to think back to law school for a second. Do you remember spending countless hours reviewing a case brief, only to find yourself unable to recall anything the very next day during a cold call? Or perhaps you may remember that networking event you attended your 1L summer, where you met several attorneys who you desperately hoped would provide a lead to your 2L job. The bar exam will require memorization, so follow these 5 techniques to master this!
- Take It From the Examiners: Make the Most of the NCBEX.org Along with your jurisdiction’s bar, the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) is a key primary source of information.
Strategies for Bar Exam Essays
- 5 Easy Tips to Bolster Your Analysis on the Bar Here are five easy to follow tips to make your analysis section strong on the bar exam.
- Don't Do This on Your Bar Exam Essays In order to pass a bar exam, you need to collect as many points as possible on your bar essay exams. In order to maximize the points you receive, you need to make it as easy as possible for the bar exam grader to give you points. We offer some advice for what not to do.
- Essay Feedback: Why It's Important, Where To Get It, and How to Use it to Improve When you’re preparing for the bar exam, whether you’re a first-time taker or a repeater, you want to use every tool available to you to improve your chances of success. One of the most valuable tools that you can employ in preparing for the written portions of the exam is feedback from someone who is experienced at evaluating bar exam essays and MPTs.
- Organize Your Essays for Maximum Points It is absolutely essential that you make it as easy as possible for your bar grader to spot where you are earning points. We offer tips on how to get the maximum points on your bar essays.
- What Bar Graders See When They Read Your Essays You can’t turn in a bar essay of gibberish with nice headers and expect to pass. The graders do actually read your work, even if they do so quickly. We discuss what bar graders really see when reading your essays.
Strategies for the Bar Exam Performance Test
- Strategies for Common Performance Test Issues The performance test (PT) section of the bar exam is somewhat of an enigma. It is unique to study for in several ways. The tricky thing about the PT is that there is no material to study. So, what do you need to study? How can anything go wrong?
- Five Common Issues on the Performance Test and How to Fix Them Bar candidates are often intimidated by the performance test because the materials that present the question are so long they consume an entire packet! However, success on the performance test does not depend on how fast you can read, but how well you can read and if you have mastered an approach for each section of the performance test.
- Managing the Clock on a 90 Minute Performance Test Most bar exams require applicants to complete one or two 90-minute performance tests as a component of the exams. A performance test asks you to complete a sample work assignment typically performed by a law firm associate. We discuss how to handle the clock on this part of the exam.
- The Key to the Performance Test: Find Your Approach What's the key to success on the bar exam performance test? Having your approach dialed in beforehand, so you can work efficiently and effectively.
- Three Things to Do to Raise Your Performance Test Scores The performance test is the favorite part of the bar exam for many, given that you don’t need to have any law memorized. But some people still hate and fear the performance test. If you're one of these people, here are three things you can do to raise those scores!
Strategies for the MBE
- Tackling MBE Hearsay Questions Hearsay questions make up a large portion of the Evidence MBE questions you’ll be confronted with on exam day. Learn how to tackle these questions, and you could see a critical boost in your MBE score. Below are tips on how to approach hearsay questions.
- Approaching Criminal Law Questions on the MBE The Multistate Bar Exam can be a nightmare for bar exam takers, especially with the myriad topics covered on the MBE. Fortunately, you can quickly improve your MBE score by following a solid approach to answering Criminal Law questions on the MBE.
- How to Approach Constitutional Law MBE Questions Constitutional Law questions can be tricky for bar exam takers because of the deep analysis involved in reaching the correct answer. We're looking at the best way to study for these questions on the MBE.
- Tackling Torts MBE Questions In this post, we’ll talk about how you can approach Torts MBE questions to boost your score.
- 3 Simple Ways To Improve Your MBE Score If you’re enrolled in a bar review course or if you’re studying on your own, by this point you may have already completed a simulated or mock MBE exam. You may have already received the score for this exam and depending on what that score is, you’re probably freaking out and already plotting a career change. Well, if you’re currently experiencing this fear, we're here to tell you, STOP WORRYING!
UBE Basics
- Everything You Need to Know About the UBE In this post, we’ll explain what the UBE is and how portable it is.
- What is the Uniform Bar Exam? The Uniform Bar Exam – or UBE – has been in the news quite a bit recently with respect to bar exam requirements and whether it will replace existing state exams. Wondering about the UBE? In this post we discuss all things UBE and what the UBE means for you.
- Three Reasons You Should Support the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) The Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) has been sweeping across the country in recent years, and with the addition of New York, it now seems poised to become the dominant exam. This is a good thing for law students. Read three reasons why in this post.
- Deciding Whether to Take the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) or the California Bar Exam If you’re deciding whether to take the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) or the California Bar Exam, then you’ve come to the right place. Read our advice on what you should be considering!
California Bar Exam Basics
- What is the California Bar Exam, Anyway? Not sure exactly what's covered on the California bar exam or how to approach the test? We've got you covered. Here are all the basics you need to know.
- Tips if You Just Found Out You Failed the California Bar Exam California bar results are being released, and the pass rates mean there will be thousands of disappointed bar takers out there. If you're one of those people wondering what to do next, here are some steps for dealing with a bar exam failure.
- Failed the Bar Exam? How to Be the Ultimate Sore Loser (to Pass the Bar Exam Next Time) Methodical and deliberate - these are the keywords for any person retaking the bar exam. In this post we welcome Brian Hahn, founder of Make This Your Last Time and a second-time passer of the California bar exam, who gives his advice on how to pass the bar exam the next time around.
- Are You Kidding Me? The California Bar Exam Is Going to be Two Days in 2017 The California State Bar Board of Trustees recently voted to scale back the state’s three-day exam to just two days. In this post we discuss all the changes to the exam and what they mean for you!
- Should You Apply for Bar Exam Testing Accommodations? We are pleased to welcome back to the blog Dr. Jared Maloff, a clinical psychologist who specializes in helping students who need testing accommodations navigate the California bar exam. In this post he talks about when and why law students should consider applying for testing accommodations.
Studying Smart
- Surviving Bar Exam Prep: Keeping it Together When You Want to Freak Out We all know the feeling—you start to look at your calendar, or at your to-do list, and you realize how difficult it is going to be to fit everything in and get everything done. Maybe the panic builds in your chest a bit. Maybe your breathing becomes more rapid as you try to figure out how you’re going to fit it all in. You start to think about the nights of little sleep ahead, followed by days with a foggy brain and extra caffeine (which isn’t what you need right now!).
- 5 Reasons Why You're Going to Pass the Bar Exam To help you feel more confident as you get down to the heavy bar study time, remind yourself of these five reasons why you are going to pass the bar exam.
- Rome Wasn't Built in a Day and Neither is a Passing Bar Exam Score Preparing early for the bar exam gives you the confidence that you will excel. Confidence which is key to maintaining focus and ultimately passing. So take the practical step and begin preparing early.
- Why Using IRAC Will Help You Pass the Bar Exam Since the first semester of law school, you likely learned that the key method of writing exams was to use IRAC. IRAC is a method of legal analysis and writing that you will carry with you and use throughout your entire legal career, which can only begin by you using it to pass the bar.
- Taking a Break: Can You Afford To Take a Full Day (Or More) Off During Your Bar Exam Studies? Anyone with even a passing familiarity with bar exam preparation knows that long hours and discipline are essential to success. Successful bar studiers do takes breaks throughout each day, but only for about 15 to 30 minutes at a time. Must bar studiers shun any notion of taking a full day off during their preparation, or – dare they even consider – a short weekend getaway? Would a break of that length necessarily be detrimental, or could it be neutral and even possibly beneficial?
How to Make a Useful Study Schedule
- Getting Ready for Bar Prep? Do These 5 Tasks First To help simplify your life in the final days before the bar exam, and to ensure that you’re able to get the most out of the bar prep period, make sure you’ve completed the following five tasks before bar prep starts.
- 3 Simple Ways to Stay Motivated During Bar Prep So how is it possible to stay motivated during this period of high stress? Here are three strategies that we use to increase motivation, especially in times when a bar studier feels burned out.
- Making a Bar Exam Study Schedule - One Size Doesn't Fit All Studying for the bar exam is probably nothing like what you’ve ever done before. It may be hard for you to figure out at first how to approach it. For me, the start of my bar exam prep course felt like a great unknown. All I knew was that I had a little over two months to cram everything into my brain that would allow me to be “minimally competent” to practice law in my jurisdictions. I had no idea how I would achieve it in such a short time, but what I knew is that many have done it before me and were successful.
- A Day in the Life of a Bar Studier: Tips for Structuring Your Day Creating a detailed daily schedule during bar exam prep can help you feel more in control of your studying and show you that the workload is manageable if you plan your time carefully.
- Checklist for Preparing for Bar Prep How can you get ready for bar prep? Below is a checklist to make sure you start your bar prep off on the right foot!
Working and Studying
- Adulting and Studying for the Bar Exam If you want and need to maintain your job, family, and yes, your sanity intact during bar study, follow these few tips.
- Working and Studying for the Bar: 5 Reasons to Be Confident The bar exam can intimidate anyone. The law is challenging, the scope is daunting, the prep time is short, and the stakes are high. If you are working while studying, it can be easy to feel sorry for yourself and to feel like you are trying to do the impossible. You have taken a tougher road to bar success than others to be sure, but you can’t let those feelings take too much of a psychological toll. You have to be confident going into the bar or you will not be at your best. Here are five reasons to be confident as you work and study and study and work and study some more
- Five Tips for Studying for the Bar Exam While Working Although it's best to study for the bar exam full time, this just isn't a possibility for many bar takers. If you're considering studying while working, here are five things you should take into consideration, especially if you're re-taking the bar exam after disappointing results.
- Working While Studying? "Play" Bar Prep Like You're Playing Risk Working full time while studying for the bar: recommended? No. Possible? Yes. Sarah Eli Mattern, founder of “The Student Appeal” online law journal, gives her expert advice on this important topic.
- Warning: Working and Studying Can Cause Sleep Deprivation! It's no secret that working while studying for the bar exam can be a challenge. Depriving yourself of sleep and studying while exhausted can lead to disastrous results. In this post, learn about the consequences of sleep deprivation and the importance of rest!
Exam Logistics
- Suggestions for Surviving the First Day of the Bar Exam The first day of the bar exam is daunting, to say the least. Students know that 2-3 long testing days are ahead of them and, although many are eager to get the process started after weeks of preparation, most still feel nervous, overwhelmed, or even unprepared. It’s important to start the bar exam marathon on a positive note, so take a deep a breath and use these suggestions to help you have a successful first day.
- I Don't Know the Answer: Encountering Your Worst Subject as an Essay Topic So here’s the scenario, you didn’t take a certain subject in law school or maybe you went to a law school outside of California and it wasn’t an option. You reviewed that subject briefly as part of your bar exam prep, but it’s not your strongest subject. You are banking on that subject not showing up on your exam but then you open your exam to find your weak subject staring you in the face and your mind goes blank; you have no idea how to answer the question. What happens next?
- During the Bar Exam, It's Good To Be a Little Unsocial People will walk out of the bar exam and start talking to no one in particular about the various issues they spotted. So we're offering some advice on how to take some time to yourself and not engage.
- Practical Tips for the Day of the Bar Exam You’ve studied, you’ve sweated, you’ve even cried a little – now you’re ready to take the bar exam head on. As it gets closer to the first day of the exam, start planning out the practical details of your two or three day adventure. This is not the time for you to open the fridge on Tuesday morning and realize the milk is sour and you forgot to restock the coffee. Here are your game day tips.
- Don't Be That Bar Taker The bar is coming up, and while you may be in your own world while studying, you will be taking the exam in a room with other people. We're offering some suggestions for things to avoid while taking the bar -- you don't want to be the person bothering everyone else.
Exam Pep Talks
- Suggestions for Surviving the First Day of the Bar Exam The first day of the bar exam is daunting, to say the least. Students know that 2-3 long testing days are ahead of them and, although many are eager to get the process started after weeks of preparation, most still feel nervous, overwhelmed, or even unprepared. It’s important to start the bar exam marathon on a positive note, so take a deep a breath and use these suggestions to help you have a successful first day.
- I Don't Know the Answer: Encountering Your Worst Subject as an Essay Topic So here’s the scenario, you didn’t take a certain subject in law school or maybe you went to a law school outside of California and it wasn’t an option. You reviewed that subject briefly as part of your bar exam prep, but it’s not your strongest subject. You are banking on that subject not showing up on your exam but then you open your exam to find your weak subject staring you in the face and your mind goes blank; you have no idea how to answer the question. What happens next?
- Some Perspective on a Disappointing First Day of the Bar Exam Few things in your life will have the same sort of buildup and anticipation as the bar exam. The tension is only increased by the high stakes: you may have a job offer contingent on bar passage, you definitely have years of work and weeks of preparation invested, and you likely have everyone you know waiting to hear if you passed or failed. We have some tips on how to handle a disappointing first day.
- How to Cope If You Forget a Rule on the Bar If you're afraid of sitting down for the bar exam and blanking, we have advice! We're talking about the top three steps to take if you forget a rule when taking the bar exam.
- It's Almost the Week of the Bar Exam! But You Can Stay Sane! You have finally made it. It’s the week of the bar exam. There may not be a discrete set of things each of you can do to maintain sanity in those final days and hours before the bar, but what I can offer are some common-sense tips to keep you healthy and feeling…okay before the big day.
Bar Exam Advice for Law Students
- Your Frequently Asked Questions Answered - Bar Prep As you finish up law school, the next step is preparing for the bar exam. We're answering some of the most common questions from law students about bar prep.
- Thinking Ahead: Don't Let the Bar Exam Catch You By Surprise As you move towards the end of law school, you may be wondering about what’s next. In this post, we wanted bring some clarity and give a run down on what you should be doing to get ready for the bar exam as a 3L.
- How Early to Start Preparing For the Bar Exam, and How? Every law student considers the question of how early to start preparing for the bar exam. But the best answer to this question is probably that you ought to start your bar prep as early as you possibly can by learning how to do legal writing clearly and concisely.
- How to Prepare for the Bar Exam While in Law School If you’re just beginning your first or second year of law school, the last thing you’re probably worried about is the bar exam. While you shouldn’t focus too much energy specifically on doing bar prep during law school, there are a few things you can focus on along the way that will set you up for bar exam success.
- Three Ways to Prepare for the Bar Exam While Still in Law School Here are a few suggestions on how you can maximize your time in law school and get ahead of the game when it comes time to study for the bar exam.
Getting Accommodations on the Bar Exam
- How to Proactively Develop Good Mental Health Habits During Bar Prep We will discuss in this section how mental health awareness can help you to maintain your sanity during the bar.
- Mental Health and the Bar: Tips To Maintain Good Mental Health Post Bar Exam and Beyond If you've just finished the bar exam, unfortunately, these factors can certainly bring up some mental health issues, regardless of a predisposition or an overall stable state of mind. Therefore, developing and maintaining good mental health practices is crucial, especially during this starting point of your career.
- Three Tips to Include More Self-Care Into Your Bar Prep During the bar exam in particular, it is very important to incorporate self-care into your daily routine. Below, I’ll outline a few ways to reduce your stress, combat exhaustion, and help boost your mood.
- Preparing for the Bar Exam with ADHD In this post we welcome back Dr. Jared Maloff to talk about studying for the bar exam with ADHD. Dr. Maloff is an expert on this topic given his work as a clinical psychologist helping students who need testing accommodations navigate the California bar exam.
- Should You Apply for Bar Exam Testing Accommodations? We are pleased to welcome back to the blog Dr. Jared Maloff, a clinical psychologist who specializes in helping students who need testing accommodations navigate the California bar exam. In this post he talks about when and why law students should consider applying for testing accommodations.
Which Exam and When?
- The Five Steps of Mourning a Disappointing Bar Exam Result There are few events in life that seem to carry as much pressure as the bar exam. In other words, the bar exam is a really, really big deal – both personally and professionally – to most students. We cover the five steps of mourning this difficult time.
- Top Five Reasons Why People Really Fail the Bar Exam It’s probably every law student’s worst fear: failing the bar exam. We break down the top five reasons why it really happens.
- Mentally Preparing to Study for the Bar Exam After a Failure (or Two) You sign onto your computer at 6:00 pm sharp. Your heart is racing. The internet traffic won’t let you log in. You try again. You type in your name. You wait. Your palms are sweaty, and your heart is racing faster. You finally get your results, but they are not at all what you expected. Your name is not on the pass list. You check again. Your name is really not on that list. Let’s face it. We all have failed (at least once or twice) since we were born. Most of us miserably. We repeatedly got up to stand and fell down before learning to walk. We got on a bike and could not balance at first. And the list continues. You also may know that some of the most successful people have failed repeatedly before succeeding. Henry Ford’s businesses failed 5 times before he successfully founded Ford Motor company, Stephen King’s first book received 30 rejections before he finally resubmitted it and succeeded in getting his story published. Finally, Michael Jordan, a man often referred to as one of the greatest basketball players of all time was cut from his high school basketball team, but Jordan didn’t let this stop him from playing and was quoted later as saying: “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game-winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
- How to Handle a Bar Exam Failure The unbelievable happened – you failed the bar exam. Now what? While you are entitled to a little “pity me” time, how you move on from this set back will determine whether you can hope for a different result the next time around.
- Five Tips For Repeat Bar Takers If you're taking the bar after a previous failure you need to adjust some things from how you did them last time. We're looking at some advice for changes you can make if you're taking the bar exam again.
Bar Exam Prep + Life
- Adulting and Studying for the Bar Exam If you want and need to maintain your job, family, and yes, your sanity intact during bar study, follow these few tips.
- Don't Be a Grinch! Enjoy the Holidays While Studying for the Bar Exam Studying for the bar is difficult and having to study during the holidays can make it even more of a challenge. You want to spend time with your family and partake in all of the holiday traditions without falling behind in your studies. So, how do you find the balance? Here are some tips to help you enjoy the holidays while studying for the bar exam!
- How To Juggle Bar Prep and Job Hunting During bar prep, the last thing you want to think about is being unemployed and the fact that you have no prospect of employment after the exam. If you’re going through bar prep without a job offer in hand, I know it’s unrealistic to ask you to ignore this issue. We want to assure you that you can manage this burden and that you can successfully find a job and also pass the bar. But you have to carefully juggle these two major priorities if you want to be successful. Here are our top tips!
- Tips For Your Post-Bar Job Hunt There aren’t many things that will compare to the sense of accomplishment, elation, and relief that you feel when see your name on the bar exam pass list. But that excitement can quickly fade to feelings of frustration, disillusionment, and even embarrassment if you haven’t landed a legal job. If you’ve passed the bar, taken the oath of attorney, and picked up your bar card but are still searching for a position, make sure you keep these suggestions in mind.
- Dealing with Outside Responsibilities While Studying For the Bar There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with outside responsibilities during the bar exam, but you ought to plan ahead for how to deal with professional and personal obligations before you begin studying for the bar exam.
Stories About Failing the Bar Exam (and Surviving)
- If at First You Don't Succeed...Cry, Whine, and Then TRY AGAIN! Bar exam failure is common! In this post we welcome Ciara Vesey of Confessions of a Law School Nobody Online to share what she learned while re-studying for the bar exam.
- Famous People Who Failed the Bar But Did Okay in the End Failing the bar exam is not the end of your story: it’s just the beginning! Having taken the test once before can help you improve your studying and pass the next time. It is by no means a blemish on your professional record. In fact, if you fail on your first try, you are joining a distinguished list of successful lawyers who did the same. From Presidents to law school deans, many famous lawyers have not been stopped by bar failure. Here are just a few prominent attorneys who failed their first bar exam.
- Why You Won't Die If You Fail the Bar Exam Failing the bar exam can be an overwhelming experience. We have some advice on handling it from someone who went through the experience herself.
- How and When to Tell People You Failed the Bar Exam You can decide whether or not to tell others you failed the bar exam, but looking at why it can actually help you to be open about it.
- So You've Failed the Bar Exam? Here are Four Lesser Known People Who Failed But Survived We're looking at some stories of lesser known examples of high profile people who failed the bar exam.
Dealing with Bar Exam Stress
- Still Thinking About the Bar Exam? 5 Tips to Help You Decompress For better or worse, the bar exam is finally over! It’s normal to have a little anxiety about how it all went, but after spending so much time and focus preparing for the test, you may find it difficult to get your mind off of the bar exam. Now that the test is over and there’s nothing you can do to change your answers, it’s important to live in the present so that you aren’t constantly worrying about what you could have done differently or whether your name will be on the pass list. Use the following strategies to help you decompress and control your anxiety about the results.
- Make Stress Your Friend During Bar Study Studying hard and building an attack plan is a great strategy, but be ready to let go of concrete plans. Your perfect bar plan may no longer be a perfect fit. But you just need to trust yourself.
- 8 Ways to De-Stress During Bar Prep We lay out eight things you can do to eliminate your bar prep stress.
- How to Handle Burnout for the Bar Exam Studying for the bar exam may only last a few weeks, but it can sure send you on a roller coaster of emotions. Bar prep will likely subject you to a slew of emotions that will feel particularly intense given the pressure, workload, and shortened time frame. To avoid getting derailed during your study sessions, use these strategies to help you handle the various feelings, moods, and mindsets you might encounter as you prepare to take the bar exam.
- Three Simple Ways to Manage Stress While Studying For the Bar Exam If you are currently studying for the bar exam, there are ways to do more than just outlive the stress you are experiencing. In fact, a few simple practices can help you successfully minimize its impact on your studies, your exam performance, and your physical and mental health. Here are three you can try right now:
Help for the Bar Exam Significant Other
- Supporting the Bar Exam Studier in Your Life Your child, spouse, significant other, or best friend is studying for the bar exam. Maybe it’s their first time studying, or maybe they’re a repeat test taker. No matter the situation, studying for the bar exam can be incredibly stressful and you don’t want to add to that stress. Here are a few ideas for ways you can make your bar exam studier’s life a little easier.
- So Your Friend Failed the Bar Exam You planned the celebration. You had trepidations, but you knew the results would be good news. Then the time came, and the name was not on the pass list. You felt confused, saddened, and a little scared, but it wasn’t your name in contention, it was your friend’s.
- Dealing with the Bar Studier in Your Life You may think you’re prepared for a little stress after supporting a person all the way through law school, but the bar exam will likely push your bar studier to a new level of anxiety. So how do you deal with the bar studier in your life?
- Are You Living With a Bar Exam Studier? Here's How to Cope! The bar exam study period is not only difficult for the exam takers, but also for the people supporting them. In this post we share our tips for supporting and coping with a bar exam studier!
- Are You and Your Significant Other Studying for the Bar Exam Together? We've heard many stories about how challenging it is when two people are going through bar exam prep together. Is this you? If so, we have some suggestions about how to handle the final weeks of bar prep together.
Helping Your Child Pass the Bar Exam
- Being a Parent During Bar Prep: The Ultimate Test in Multitasking Bar prep is a lot of work, and it can be particularly challenging if you're a parent. We're offering some advice for those bar takers who are parents about how to juggle it all.
- Dos and Don'ts for Parents of Bar Preppers After three years of law school, there is still one very big hurdle for your child to jump before she becomes a lawyer: the bar exam. They will usually take all the help they can get, so if your child will be preparing for the bar exam over the next several weeks, here are some dos and don’ts to help you support their efforts.
- How Can Parents Help a Child Who Failed the Bar Exam? After someone fails the bar, they need all the support they can get, especially from their parents. In this post we answer an email from a concerned parent wondering how she can help her son after he failed the bar exam.
- Parents of Bar Studiers: How to Best Support Your Child During the High-Anxiety Weeks of Bar Preparation Your adult child has officially graduated from law school. However, as you probably noticed, the excitement and celebrations abruptly came to a close as he or she almost immediately shifted to preparing for the biggest exam of his or her life – the bar exam. Make no mistake about it – even though your child persevered through semester after semester of really tough exams in law school, the bar exam really is the toughest exam your child will ever face.
- How to Survive Studying for the Bar Exam at Your Parents' House If you’re facing graduation and don’t have a job lined up after law school, you might be stretched thin for money. If you can’t afford monthly rent payments near your law school, you might be looking at a move back home to your parents’ house for bar season. Here’s how to survive studying for the bar exam while rooming with your parents.
Got questions about the bar exam? Please don’t hesitate to contact us!
We look forward to hearing from you.
