California Bar Exam Self-Study Program – Attorneys’ Exam

The Bar Exam Toolbox team developed the Self-Study Program to help you manage your own study without buying an expensive commercial bar review course, which may not even suit your personal needs.

We’ve taken the knowledge gained from 10+ years of helping bar studiers find bar exam success and created this program with tools and resources to help you formulate your study plan, learn the substantive law, write passing essays and performance tests, and keep your cool on test day.

This special discounted version for the Attorneys’ Exam contains study templates specific to applicants taking the Attorneys’ Exam and does not include any MBE materials. (Taking the full exam? Check out the full version of the Self-Study Program.)

Ready to go? Click here to sign up.

What Does the Self-Study Program Include?

The Self-Study Program is designed to include everything a dedicated self-studier needs to pass the Attorneys’ Exam. Here’s what’s included.

Help with your study plan:

• You’ll fill out and submit a detailed self-evaluation
• You’ll get written feedback and targeted advice on your study plan from one of our bar exam experts

Access to the substantive materials and practice problems you’ll need, including:

• Writing of the Week (WOW) Workshop ($235 value)
• Brainy Bar Bank (California and MPT) ($95 value)
• A complimentary copy of Smart Bar Prep Standard substantive outlines ($124 value)
• (Optional) Have the Bar Exam Toolbox team prepare your custom study schedule and Asana project for you
• (Optional) Add support from a highly-qualified Bar Exam Toolbox tutor, consisting of one hour of call time, written feedback on one substantive essay, and written feedback on one performance test

Our team’s advice for bar success, including:

• An overview of the bar exam you’ll be taking
• Strategies for reviewing your past exam answers, if you’re a repeat taker
• Template study schedules that can be customized to fit your needs (screenshot below)
• Tips for using Asana and Trello (two of our favorite free resources) to create your own study plan and schedule
• Advice if you’re working and studying for the bar exam
• Useful tips for wellness during bar study
• A helpful overview of commonly tested topics, along with quizzes to practice heavily-tested topics

You’ll have the following template study schedules to modify for your needs:

The Self-Study Program also provides materials to guide you through learning the law and executing a winning essay and performance test.

Help on Each Section of the Test

The Self-Study Program helps maximize your points on every section of the test:

Learning the Substantive Law

• Techniques for Quickly Learning the Law
• Using Active Learning Techniques in Your Bar Study
• Tips for Studying with Condensed Outlines
• How to Use BarEssays.com (with a discount code)

Tips for Essay and Performance Test Preparation

• Where to Find Practice Materials
• Foundational Exercises to Build Skills (on reading fact patterns and outlining a question)
• Writing for Maximum Points
• Strategies for Critically Self-Evaluating Your Work

And, because all the preparation in the world won’t help if you have an exam-day meltdown, there’s a section with checklists for exam-day logistics and advice on keeping your cool if things start to go south in the exam room.

All together, the Self-Study Program has what you need to pass the Attorneys’ Exam — on your own terms!

Ready to get started? Click here to sign up.

Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers!

If your question isn’t answered below, please feel free to contact us and we’re happy to help.

When can I start the Self-Study Program?

The Self-Study Program can be started at any time because the materials are online, on demand. Just keep in mind that access lasts for a year from the date of purchase, so you should not try to start more than a year before the exam you are taking. The template study schedules are set up for 16 weeks of part-time study, 8 weeks of part time study + 2 weeks of full-time study, 10 weeks of full-time study, 9 weeks of full-time study, and 8 weeks of full-time study.

Here’s what a study schedule looks like (with weekly and daily goals). You’ll also learn how to easily import your study schedule into Asana or Trello, where you can track your progress.

Can someone make my study schedule for me?

Yes! If you’d like the experts at the Bar Exam Toolbox to make your study schedule for you, select the Gold or Platinum levels, which include a custom study schedule. We will ask you to fill out a detailed questionnaire and will create a schedule based on your needs.

I’d like to work with a tutor for personal support. Is that possible?

Yes! If you’d like additional personal support, select the Platinum level, which includes one hour of call time with one of our excellent Bar Exam Toolbox tutors plus written feedback on one substantive essay and one California performance test. (If you’d like more time and attention, please fill out our Tutoring Contact Form to set up a call and get pricing information for our full tutoring packages.)

What is the Brainy Bar Bank?

The California Brainy Bar Bank collects over 15 years of real California bar exam essay questions, more than 180 questions total. Each essay question is categorized by area of law (Torts) and one or more topics and subtopics (Intentional Torts: Assault and Battery).

You can browse by category areas, topics, and subtopics, mark your favorites, view the most- to least-commonly tested areas/topics/subtopics, and easily keep track of which questions you’ve recently seen.

Want to learn more? See a step-by-step description here.

What is the Writing of the Week (WOW) Program?

The WOW program offers guided essay practice on 11 substantive essays and five 90-minute performance tests. Each assigned essay includes:

• An introductory “attack plan” video where Lee Burgess — co-founder of the Bar Exam Toolbox and a California bar exam expert — covers an approach to the general topic area, with a downloadable version for reference.
• A 10-15 minute substantive video mini-lecture where Lee explains the exact law you’ll need for this question.
• Next, you’ll make a pre-writing outline (using the included timer) and use the included self-evaluation to evaluate your work. When you finish, you’ll review the outlining video, where Lee walks you through exactly what your outline should have included. You’ll also have access to two sample pre-writing outlines — one in a linear, written format and the other in a diagram format, so you can see what makes the most sense to you.
• Finally, you’ll write your answer (using the included timer) and use the writing self-evaluation to help you evaluate how you did. Also included is a sample answer, drafted by the Bar Exam Toolbox, to show you what a solid answer looks like. You’ll watch a final video, where Lee walks you though the answer, and will make notes on a final self-evaluation of things to work on for the future.

The WOW assignments are included as part of each study schedule so you can use them to support the substantive review you are doing on a given day. Find out more about WOW here.

What have previous Self-Study students said about the program?

It had been quite a while since I’d studied for anything, let alone a Bar exam, so Bar Exam Toolbox’s self-study program was exactly what I needed. The Bar Exam Toolbox team’s assistance in arranging a study schedule tailored around my work schedule, their thoughtful allocation of time between strong and weak areas of law, and their incredibly helpful and responsive support during my study period made the process as smooth as it can be. With a very demanding full time legal practice, the self-study materials helped me maximize an efficient and effective study program and I went into the exam feeling well-prepared. I strongly recommend the Bar Exam Toolbox self-study program to anyone that’s looking for a team of experts who understand the challenges that working attorneys face when taking the exam. – July exam taker

After failing the February California bar exam, I knew I needed to find a program that catered to my specific studying needs and was cost efficient. Thanks to the Bar Exam Toolbox Team, I found exactly what I needed to pass the July bar exam!! The requested self-study questionnaire submitted to review and highlight any weaknesses in my previous study approach, the self-study plan that took into account that I was sitting for the attorney exam, and the access to an abundance of essay and MPTs made the difference!! I am now on my way to being licensed in three states and can officially say that I took my last bar exam ever!!!! Thank you!! – July exam taker

As a full-time practicing attorney and mom, and despite best intentions, I really squeezed study into a relatively short time period. But the WOW program combined with the Brainy Bar Bank (with some commute podcasts mixed in for good measure) were invaluable to getting me to exam day, and allowing me to leave exam day with enough confidence to relieve me of anxiety for the next few months until the result would be revealed. Thank you for your craft and support. – July exam taker

Ready to Get Started?

To get immediate access to all of the useful resources in the Self-Study Program, select your preferred option below.

California Self-Study Options: Attorneys’ Exam

Please note that this Self-Study version is for applicants taking the Attorneys’ Exam and does not include any MBE materials. If you are taking the full exam, please sign up for the standard California Self-Study program here.

Got a question? We’re happy to help! Just contact us and ask.

Best of luck on the bar exam!