The Bar Exam Toolbox podcast is an entertaining, useful weekly show which can help you prepare for and pass the bar exam.
You can always access current podcast episodes on the website, on Apple Podcasts, or on many other streaming services. (If you’d like to browse a complete list of all episodes, click here for an archive.)
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Enjoy!
Bar Exam Essay Strategies
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 10: Top 5 Bar Exam Essay Writing Tips (w/Ariel Salzer) Today, we’re discussing our top bar exam essay writing tips with special guest Ariel Salzer. Ariel is one of our most experienced California bar exam tutors, so we’re super excited to have her here today to talk about the essay portion of the bar exam, which, as many of you may know, can be a huge headache for those taking the bar.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 20: How to Read the Facts on an Essay (w/Mihal Ansik) We’re talking with Mihal Ansik, one of our expert California bar exam tutors, walking step-by-step through a real California bar question and discussing how to effectively read the facts.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 28: Balancing Law and Analysis on a Bar Exam Essay We're discussing how to balance the law and your analysis on a bar exam essay, and why the ratio of law to analysis may be very different than you think!
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 265: Quick Tips - What if You Run Out of Time While Writing a Bar Essay Answer? As part of our “Quick Tips” series, we’re talking about time management on the bar exam. Specifically, we share tips on what to do if you run out of time when writing an essay answer.
Bar Exam Performance Test Strategies and Examples
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 9: Mastering the Performance Test (w/Doretta McGinnis) Today we’re talking with Doretta McGinnis, a legal writing expert and one of our fabulous bar exam tutors here at the Bar Exam Toolbox, about the Multistate Performance Test, or the MPT.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 54: Last-Minute Tips For the Performance Test We are sharing some last-minute tips to help you squeeze out as many points as you can from the performance test portion of the bar exam.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 58: The California Performance Test - Reviewing the Task Memo, File, and Library We’re walking through a Performance Test from the California Bar Exam. In this first part of a two-part episode, we are focusing on reviewing the task memo, file, and library for the Brief on the July 2018 California Performance Test. In the next episode, we’ll talk about outlining and drafting your answer.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 59: The California Performance Test - Outlining and Drafting Your Answer In this second part of a two-part episode, we are going through drafting an answer for the the July 2018 California Performance Test. We recommend listening to last week’s episode first, where we focused on reviewing the task memo, file, and library.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 62: February 2018 MPT - Going Through the File and Library This episode is part of our series on how to approach questions on the UBE. Today, we are walking through the file and library on the February 2018 Multistate Performance Test. Next time, we’ll discuss drafting an answer to this performance test.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 63: February 2018 MPT - Drafting the Answer In this second part of a two-part episode, we are going through drafting an answer for the February 2018 Multistate Performance Test. We recommend listening to last week’s episode first, where we reviewed the file and the library.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 241: Overcoming Common Performance Test Problems We’re talking about common struggles with the bar exam performance test and strategies for overcoming them.
MBE Strategies and Examples
- Bar Exam Toolbox Episode 6: A Conversation with AdaptiBar CEO Tarek Fadel Today we are talking with the CEO of AdaptiBar, Tarek Fadel, to learn more about the product, his path from lawyer to entrepreneur, and how you can use this tool to improve your MBE scores.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 7: A Conversation with Sean Silverman - MBE Expert Today Lee talks with guest Sean Silverman, an MBE expert, who tutors for the MBE, the Florida bar exam, and the UBE.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 18: Strategies for Mastering the MBE We’re discussing our top tips for mastering the MBE portion of the bar exam. If you’re taking the exam in nearly any jurisdiction you’ll have to take the MBE so don’t miss this episode!
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 21: How to Analyze Real MBE Questions (w/Sean Silverman) - Part 1 Today, Lee walks through some past MBE questions with guest Sean Silverman, an MBE expert.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 22: How to Analyze Real MBE Questions (w/Sean Silverman) - Part 2 Today is the second episode in our two-part series analyzing real MBE questions. Lee and guest Sean Silverman, an MBE expert, walk through several MBE questions and give their take on how best to approach them.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 43: Talking About AdaptiBar With Guest Maggy Mahalick We’re chatting with special guest Maggy Mahalick, Corporate Counsel and Content Manager for AdaptiBar, about how this tool can help you prepare for the MBE.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Episode 45: Why Are MBE Scores Dropping? And What to Do About It As a Bar Taker We’re focusing on strategies and tactics to help you beat the trend of declining MBE scores, seen in recent data released by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 50: What We Discovered About the MBE From Explaining Lots of Questions We talked about what we learned about the MBE while creating the Practice of the Week (POW) MBE Workshop, and spending lots of time with the questions.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 73: How to Learn the Law Needed for the MBE We’re strategizing about how to resolve problems you’re having while studying for the MBE, specifically when you’re struggling with the law.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 178: Tips for Bringing Up a Low MBE Score We’re talking about the specifics of the Multistate Bar Examination, why some people struggle with it, and how to study for the exam if you’re seeing low results on your test runs or you’ve bombed the MBE before.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 206: Focused Learning for Mastering the MBE (w/Ryan Zajic from UWorld) We’re excited to have Ryan Zajic from UWorld on the podcast to discuss how you can use the platform to prep for the bar exam. We also share general tips to keep in mind during your bar study. Note: If you’re interested in checking out UWorld for yourself, you can use the coupon code UWMBE-2026-10 for 10% off the purchase price.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 270: How to Approach MBE Questions (w/Examples) We’re talking about the multiple-choice portion of the bar exam, and we’re doing a walkthrough of three real MBE questions.
- Podcast Episode 332: Mastering Bar Exam Multiple-Choice Questions (w/Chris Fromm from Themis) We're speaking with Chris Fromm from Themis Bar Review about strategies for tackling multiple-choice questions on the bar exam.
NextGen UBE
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 198: The NextGen Bar Exam (w/Doretta McGinnis) We have one of our law school and bar exam tutors, Doretta McGinnis, joining us on the podcast to talk about the upcoming NextGen Bar Exam.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 248: Considerations for the NextGen Bar Exam (Plus Questions We Still Have!) We’re talking about the format and scope of the NextGen Bar Exam, which will eventually replace the UBE. The first administration of the new bar exam format is scheduled for July 2026.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 249: Quick Tips - How to Prepare for the NextGen Bar Exam While Still in Law School We’re continuing our discussion of the NextGen Bar Exam with a few tips on what classes and skills to focus on in law school for a more seamless bar prep experience down the line.
- Podcast Episode 327: Facts and Fears Around the Integrated Question Sets (IQSs) on the NextGen Bar Exam This episode discusses the upcoming NextGen bar exam, highlighting major changes in the format and content.
- Podcast Episode 328: The NextGen UBE 101 We're diving deep into something that's about to shake up the legal profession in a big way: the NextGen UBE bar exam.
- Podcast Episode 330: NextGen UBE: Let’s Walk Through an Integrated Question Set (IQS) Together We're walking through an integrated question set (IQS) we've created, similar to the ones that will appear on the NextGen bar exam.
- Podcast Episode 331: Should You Take the Legacy UBE or Wait Until the NextGen UBE? In this episode, we explore whether law students should take the current Legacy UBE or wait for the upcoming NextGen UBE.
- Podcast Episode 335: How Is the NextGen Changing the Legacy UBE? We're discussing how the rollout of the NextGen UBE in July 2026 will also bring significant changes to the Legacy UBE.
- Podcast Episode 344: 11 Things You Need to Know About the NextGen UBE We're walking you through 11 things that every bar taker needs to know about the NextGen UBE and how it differs from the Legacy bar exam.
- Podcast Episode 348: How We’re Thinking About NextGen Prep Differently (Plus, Try Our New Tool for Free!) We're excited to introduce a new tool we've built to help you learn and retain the rules you need to know for the NextGen bar exam.
- Podcast Episode 349: This is How Your Brain Actually Learns (The Brain Science Behind Our RAMP Tool) We explain the neuroscience behind our RAMP study tool -- which we introduced in our last episode.
MPRE Strategies
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 47: Preparing for the MPRE (w/Brittany Raposa) We’re talking about optimal preparation for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) with special guest Brittany Raposa — one of our bar exam and law school tutors.