Tools for Bar Exam Success: Bar Exam Mind – A Book Review

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As many of you know, I tutor people one-on-one for the California bar exam. I primarily work with repeat exam takers who are struggling with sitting for the exam for the second or third time.

Everyone wants to know the secret of what to do differently. One piece of the puzzle that I don’t think is often adequately discussed is the mental aspect of studying for the bar exam. And not just the mental aspect such as being incredibly stressed and crazy — but how you can mentally prepare yourself to sit for the exam.

Which is why I was really interested in Matt Racine’s book Bar Exam Mind: A Strategy Guide For An Anxiety-Free Bar Exam which I read for the first time last fall.

The book is a quick read — I read it on a trip down to Southern California.  Overall, I enjoyed the book and thought it raised some important issues relating to the bar exam.

What’s your mental strategy for bar exam success?

I agree with the author that we don’t spend enough time talking about the importance of mental strategy for taking the bar exam. It is a stressful, high-anxiety experience — sometimes one of the worst many people have lived through. And not learning some tactics to cope with this stress can sabotage your exam experience and negate much of the hard work you have done to prepare for the exam.  Matt put it very well when he stated,

“You must do all you can to approach the bar exam in a fearless state because when you are in a fearful or anxious state, you often attract the situations or results that you want to avoid.”

One of the great things about Matt’s book is that he describes a number of techniques to getting yourself mentally ready for the bar exam. Some of these include visualizations, affirmations, journaling, and nutrition.  I myself often recommend journaling to my students — especially repeat bar exam takers.  Many students have told me that it is a very effective tool in getting the most out of the bar preparation period.

If you are intrigued you can definitely check out Matt’s blog/website www.barexammind.com. He continues to offer great blog content on the bar exam and this spring released a Bar Exam Resource Guide (I have to mention that I am included in the resource guide, but that was not my motivation for the book review).

So check out his website and the book.  Whether you adopt his recommendations, his work presents an interesting approach to the mental aspect of the bar.  And one that I think needs further discussion in the testing community.

One small note: the book discusses nutrition as it relates to testing preparation. Although I cannot condone his recommendations (you should consult a trained medical professional before taking any of his recommendations regarding nutrition), I do agree that taking care of yourself physically as well as mentally is key to finding exam success.

Want a copy of Bar Exam Mind? Here’s the book and here’s the Kindle version.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning we may be (minimally!) compensated if you purchase after clicking the link.

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Have you read this book? If so, share your thoughts in the comments.

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