How to Prepare for a CA Bar Exam?

After years of studying law, you are now at the final stages of getting your license to practice. But this stage is also the most tense. The bar exam will require lots of preparation. Getting into the right mindset is a start but a sound strategy for studying is also a must.

What Approach Should You Take?

So let us begin with personalizing your review materials. Bar takers make what is called an attack outline.

You must concentrate on the highly-tested topics. Example for Torts, focus on negligence. For contracts, breaches and discharges.

The review materials should also be brief, there is a reason it is called an outline. About five pages should be optimal.

So what Should You Really Be Focusing on these Outlines?

Leave out historical examples, case names, rule numbers, and examples. If you do this, your outline will be shorter and you will have less items to memorize. When making the outline, handwrite and color code. By writing, you are able to internalize what you are learning. This also helps to further cement the material in your mind.

If It is your first time to make an outline for your exam, there are many examples online of how to make such an outline. You can also download them as a lot of them are ready to use.

Are Attack Outlines Necessary?

Not really. This depends on your approach when it comes to studying. Examinees from both sides of the aisle can be successful and pass the exam.

Understand the Principles

Attack outlines are just part of the tools for studying, what students actually should be focusing on is understanding the principles. It does not matter how accurate your memory is in recalling if it didn’t understand the context of the subject. Bar exam questions can be tricky and the answers are subjective, especially the essay parts. And speaking of writing essays, practice writing essays under a time limit because bar exams have a time limit. Well, that depends on how the exam rules will be structured. Nonetheless, you must be conservative when it comes to using your time.

You can save time by limiting your answers to what is being asked and avoid beating around the bush. Be logical also in your approach to answering questions. Be concise and straight to the point, state relevant rules of black-letter law, and facts.

Conclusion: The Nature of Bar Exam Questions

Memorization should be a last thought when it comes to studying for the bar, understanding the subject is more important than anything else. Questions in the exam can come in several forms, multiple choice, essay, and hypothetical problem solving. The questions contain legal conflict between different parties and you must determine how to resolve it through a legal process. Your answer will be based on your own judgment, based on the circumstances and facts presented but there can only be one acceptable answer and that is what you are hoping to get.