Tips for Overcoming Bar Exam Challenges

Here are 4 tips that helped me pass the Florida, Maryland, and Texas bar exams. And I didn't always have it figured out. I failed the bar exam the first time. But here's what I did that helped. 1️⃣ Studied differently. Most law schools encourage you to follow your bar prep course. "Trust the process," they say. But trusting the process hadn't worked for me. I realized bar prep courses were a review. And since I had failed, I wasn't ready for a review. So, the next time, I stopped reviewing and started learning. I abandoned traditional bar prep activities. And I taught myself the material instead. Once I understood the rules, I could answer MBEs and essays better. 2️⃣ Leveraged the written portion. While most people were practicing 1,000s of MBEs, I did the opposite. I learned to leverage the WRITTEN portion of the bar exam, where I had more control over my score. So, on bar exam day, I could draft value-packed, concise answers in the allotted time. Going against the grain felt risky at times. But deep down inside, I knew I'd never pass the bar exam if I kept trying to make it happen with points from the multiple-choice. I knew the written portion was a goldmine for points. 3️⃣ Upleveled my mindset. The first time around, overwhelm had gotten the best of me. I was overwhelmed, thinking, "I have so much ground to cover and too little time." I was paralyzed by fear. I couldn't focus, strategize, or think clearly. So, the second time around, I got out of overwhelm by adopting winning thoughts. I told myself, "All you have to do is chunk everything into manageable portions." And that's what I did. It got me out of the overwhelm. And into constantly learning and practicing! 4️⃣ Incorporated a wellness routine. The first time, I experienced bar exam burnout. I skipped my workouts because "who has time to exercise? I have to study!" But I learned the hard way that not prioritizing my self-care would backfire. So, the next time, a wellness routine was a non-negotiable. I practiced yoga, meditated, journaled, and rewarded myself with evening family time. When I walked into the bar exam, I was ready to peak perform. ✅ So if you've been struggling to pass the bar exam... ...know it's ok to do things differently. Often, it might be all you need to go from failing to passing. P.S. Let me know which tip you found most helpful. I love hearing from you!

This post is for those taking the bar exam next week. I’ve been in your position 3 times: Every time, it was sheer hell. The volume of material was prohibitive. Unprecedented. Abnormal, even. And ohhhh, soooo painfully boring. 🥱 And every time, around one week out, I said to myself, “There’s no earthly way I can possibly learn, memorize, and know how to apply all this material.” I was sure I’d fail. But here's the thing: Each time, everything came together in the final days. ⬇️ Here’s what I found most helpful during this final push: 1. Read as many essay answers as possible. You don't even need to read the questions; just absorb the answers. This helps you learn new legal concepts through the stories in the fact patterns while simultaneously seeing the framework for how those concepts are applied. 2. Use all your learning receptors. Mix up reading, listening to bar exam tapes, writing things down in your own words, and even writing by hand. When you feel bogged down, put on an audio tape and listen to it while you walk. 3. Practice typing model answers to practice exams. This helps reinforce the material and will improve your speed and efficiency on test day because you’ll be in rhythm. 4. In the hours before the exam, read through model answers on difficult topics one last time. You'd be surprised how much will stick with you. 🌟 5. Right before the exam, take a deep breath and visualize yourself calmly retrieving all the information you've collected over the past weeks. Repeat to yourself: "I will be calm, cool, and collected. I will be systematic, methodical, and test-savvy. I will slay this exam." *** I'm sending you fortitude, extra brain cells, and some extra grace to give yourself during this beyond unbearable time. I’ll be here cheering from the sidelines. I’m betting on you. 💌 Amanda P.S. Here’s a brief synopsis of my 3 crazy bar-exam experiences, in case you’re curious: ▪️ My first was New York, in July 1996, right after graduating. At the time, I was dealing with debilitating back spasms that prevented me from sitting in a chair. I “sat” for the bar thanks to an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act that allowed me to take the exam while lying on the floor. ▪️ Second, when I moved to Pennsylvania before I’d been practicing for 5 years, I had to take that bar in Feb 2000. While studying, I had a brand new infant at home who suffered from chronic ear infections that kept her home from daycare that winter more often than not. Study “days” became fits and starts around her nap schedule. ▪️ Third was New Jersey in 2010. NJ didn’t let lawyers “waive in,” regardless of how long they’d been practicing. But my caseload at the law firm didn’t let me take off more than 10 days to study. I passed each time. YOU CAN, TOO!!! #Dear1L

I called my wife as soon as I walked out of the bar exam in 2012. I told her I had no idea whether I passed or not. If you're beginning to prepare for the bar exam soon, here are four pieces of advice— 1. Learn how to take this test.    The bar exam is not like any exam you took in law school, in undergraduate, or anywhere else. 2. Put in your time.    The range of material covered is vast. Know that it's going to take a lot of time. Divide and conquer. 3. Mimic the uncomfortable environment that the bar examiners put you in.    Take practice exams under timed conditions. Find different locations and environments to test yourself in. Get used to that pressure.     4. Take care of yourself leading up to the exam.    Take care of your physical health and mental health. Get some sleep.    You want to be in prime condition come test time. 5. And most of all, remember that the bar exam is not a measure of your ability or potential as a lawyer. If you're struggling to retain all the information as you prepare, it doesn't mean you won't be a good lawyer. It means you're a human being. For me, the worst part of taking the bar exam was not knowing how I did while waiting weeks to get the results. You may walk out with confidence, no confidence, or somewhere in the middle. Put in the time to learn the test. Prepare as well as you can. And you'll be ready to leave it all out on the field on game day.