Reading review books, attending lectures or watching them online, and maybe even studying with a group of fellow law students are all common ways to prepare for the bar exam. One technique that should always make it into your studying routine, however, is taking bar exam practice questions.
Answering practice questions is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with what will be expected of you on test day.
Think about it: How can you truly prepare for a test if you've never experienced what it will be like taking, firsthand? There’s no way of predicting exactly what questions will be asked on the bar exam, nor replicating its exact test-taking conditions, but there’s no reason to be caught off guard by a portion's format, length, content, or language.
This is particularly helpful for preparing for the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) and Multistate Performance Test (MPT). While the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) contains 200 brief, multiple-choice questions, the other two portions include more comprehensive inquiries and require written responses. The MEE assesses your ability to assert your interpretation of U.S. law as it relates to a hypothetical situation, while the MPT challenges your ability to adequately complete legal tasks based on a case file. Include practice questions from these portions into your study plan, and you'll know just what to expect.
Doing practice questions can also help pinpoint the subjects you're struggling with.
The MBE, for example, tests your knowledge in seven areas of U.S. law: Torts, Civil Procedure, Evidence, Constitutional Law, Real Property, Criminal Law and Procedure, and Contracts. Since each practice question pertains to these specific subjects, it's easy to tally up how many you get right or wrong, and identify those tripping you up.
Sign up for our Question of the Day to receive an authentic MBE practice question delivered to your inbox every day.
The MEE and MPT are not as objective, and lack straightforward answer keys for quick grading to see where you need improvement. Taking MEE and MPT practice questions is still just as important to your overall bar exam success, though. You just might need some extra help extracting the full benefits for these portions.
