As a Uniform Bar Exam candidate, you'll want to do everything in your power to ensure that you'll pass the bar exam the first time around. After putting in so much time and effort, the last thing you'll want is to have to go through the bar exam preparation process again. Here are some tips to help you pass the bar exam the first time you take it.
1. Make a Study Schedule
When preparing for the bar exam, don't underestimate the amount of time you will have to spend studying. Preparing for the exam will be a full-time job, so it’s smart to create a study schedule before you start studying. This way you will have a road map for how to tackle all the information you need to know. It will also help you avoid any hopeless attempts at last-minute cramming before the exam. You should anticipate spending 6 to 8 hours per day studying in the initial weeks of your preparations, which will increase to 8 to 10 hours per day when the exam is 4 to 8 weeks away, and will increase to over 10 hours per day in the last month, so be ready.
2. Take Advantage of Practice Questions
When it comes to the bar exam, practice makes perfect. Doing as many real bar exam multiple choice questions and essays as you can is just as important as learning the material that will be on the bar exam.
3. Take a Bar Exam Review Course
As you’ve probably heard from anyone who has taken the bar exam, you’ll need to take a bar exam review course. On top of reviewing the material you need to know for the bar exam, these courses provide the structure and insights you need to pass the exam. From the most tested subjects to mnemonic devices and more, these review courses offer you invaluable ways to succeed that you may not get on your own.
4. Treat the Bar Exam Like a Marathon, Not a Sprint.
When running a marathon, the last thing you want to do is use up all your energy in the beginning. Similarly, the last thing you'll want to do is use up all your energy when you're beginning to study for the bar exam. You have months to prepare for the bar exam, so the key is to start working hard early and maintain a steady pace of studying over a few months. This is when your bar exam study schedule really comes in handy.
5. Stay Motivated.
Deciding to take the bar exam requires a lot of commitment. You will need to dedicate endless hours to completing your bar review course and studying the law, and you will likely miss out on all of the social events you would have otherwise attended. Losing your motivation will be all too easy, especially as the bar exam nears. But it's your job to stay motivated and focused. Nobody else is going to do it. So, keep on pushing yourself until you answer the last question on the bar exam! Only then, can you sit back and relax.
