My #1 bar exam pet peeve is when students ask, “Do you have any essay predictions?” or “What do you think about XYZ bar review company’s essay predictions?” I temporarily black out and my head spins around on my neck like the exorcist. To be honest, I’m barely exaggerating here. Why does this particular question drive me oh so crazy? I’m glad you asked.
First, it indicates that the student doesn’t feel confident that they can answer a question on any subject. If they did, they wouldn’t be concerning themselves with predictions. Second, many people and companies make predictions, they are often different from each other, and they are often wrong. This makes me worry that students will find and rely on bad information. Finally, I have seen many, many students rely on essay predictions to their detriment. They do this by exclusively focusing on the predictions and ignoring other subjects and are then invariably disappointed when the predictions are completely or partially incorrect.
So, instead of getting all worked up at essay predictions, here are five more effective and productive ways you can spend your remaining bar prep time.
1. Create a targeted study plan
Congrats, you made it to the final weeks of bar prep! If you’ve been keeping up with your schedule to this point, you’ve reviewed all the subjects and taken at least one full-length practice exam. That means you now have some time to go back and focus on whatever you want. However, a lot of students waste this time by trying to re-review everything. To make the most of your time, create a targeted study plan. Start by going through your MBE scores and evaluating which topics/subtopics you’ve scored the lowest on. Next, review all the feedback you’ve received on your writing and look for common themes. Use all of this information to create a targeted to-do list and ensure your time is well-spent!
2. Increase your number of MBEs
Most students do not do enough MBE questions. I strongly encourage students to aim for 3,000 MBEs (2,500 at a minimum). Doing such a large number of practice questions allows you to recognize patterns and learn the little tricks that the bar examiners frequently use. If you have been slacking on your MBEs up until this point, use the last 2 weeks to make up some ground. Do as many as you can each day, with 50 as a minimum. However, make sure that you have enough time to meaningfully review each each question, as this is where the real growth and learning happens.
3. Issue spot and outline essays
If you’ve been writing and receiving feedback on your essays throughout bar prep, chances are your writing style and format have improved. While it is still a good idea to practice fully writing essays under timed conditions to keep your skills fresh, you can also start to just read and outline essays. If you’re taking the bar exam in a UBE jurisdiction, give yourself eight to 10 minutes to read and outline a response. You can read and outline six essays in one hour using this method. After you’ve completed reading and outlining the essay, be sure to carefully review the sample answer or rubric to see how you would have performed substantively.
4. Condense outlines and memorize
The final days and weeks of bar prep are an excellent time to focus on rote memorization. Over the last two or so months, you’ve been doing a lot of learning and taking in a lot of new information. Chances are that you haven’t memorized it all. Now is the time to go back over the study aides you’ve been creating, condense them down to the most crucial information, and then memorize by reviewing your condensed material over and over again. You may find that rewriting key words and elements of rules makes this process even more effective.
5. Get your MPT game straight
If you are in a jurisdiction that includes the MPT, the last two weeks of bar prep can be a great time to turn your attention to this part of the bar exam. Generally, MPTs are an underappreciated and neglected component of the test. This is a real shame because you don’t actually have to memorize anything for the MPT, which is great because you have a ton to memorize for the rest of bar exam. Everything you need to successfully complete the MPT is in front of you on exam day. I have heard from many unsuccessful bar exam candidates that they did zero to two MPTs in preparing for the test. I generally recommend students aim for five to seven MPTs. If your MPT practice to date has been light, consider doing a few more in the coming weeks. Additionally, take some time look up the different MPT formats that have been tested to date (memo, brief, client letter, contract redraft, and opening statement to name a few). This will help you feel prepared to take on any curveball the bar examiners may throw at you.
Hopefully, I’ve sold you on some more effective ways to spend your final weeks of bar prep than obsessing over what subjects might possibly be tested on the essays. However, I have a sneaking suspicion you may still take a peek at some predictions. If you do, I urge you to use the information you find responsibly. Allow yourself a few hours, at most, to brush up on the subjects predicted and then move on to something else. Whatever you do, don’t focus on the subject matter of the predictions to the exclusion of everything else.
5 Things To Do In The Final Weeks Of Bar Prep That Are More Effective Than Googling Essay Predictions curated from Above the Law
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