Some Great Tips for Your Bar Exam Day

Get there on time: In most jurisdictions, you have pre-assigned seats. But if possible, request a seat by the window if you need extra light, or have asthma; by the door if you have cystitis; by the radiator (in Feb.) if you get chills.

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Every other page: Start writing your answer on page 3 of the exam booklet and write on every other page. That way, if you need to add information, you can do so on the opposite page and draw an arrow to where it is to be included. This keeps your answers looking neat and thoughtful.

Skip lines: Leave room to add words to sentences for the same reason as stated above.

Headers: Use topic headings to let the grader know that you have now concluded one topic and are ready to go to the next one.

Timepieces: Carry a good watch that works. Electronic communication devices, which you may normally use to check the time, may not be allowed inside the examination hall.

Fix-its: If you are prone to making major revisions, bring white-out, a small stapler, and scotch tape (if permitted).

Otherwise, bring an ink eraser.

Be prepared: Carry a sweater in case it is cold. Carry pens that write, pencils which are sharpened and a pencil sharpener. Use the bathroom before the exam and again during breaks.

The Multiples: How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall?

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If there is any magic to success on the MBEs or multiple-choice questions, it is appreciating that "repetition is the foundation of clarity." You must know the law cold and pay strict attention to detail. But you must also practice, practice, practice.

The repetition in answering hundreds, if not thousands of practice, MBE/ multiple-choice questions is beneficial on a number of levels. After a while, you will begin to discern a pattern in the four choices, and two that can be eliminated quickly. Of the remaining two, your ability to discern the "best" answer will be dependent upon how well you read the question.

Remember: the exam tests legal nuances and shades. You can eliminate two choices easily because they tend to state black letter law which does not hold relevance to your fact pattern. The other two will both present applicable black letter law, but one will present a nuance that fits the facts better than the other.

Thus, you will typically have to reread the question to determine which of the two remaining answers is the "best" one in the case of the MBEs or the "correct" one if it is a multiple-choice question. If you were to reread each of the MBE questions, for example, you will surely exceed the suggested time to be allotted to each of the 200 questions. Your goal in practice, therefore, is to get down to reading the questions only once, so that you can quickly eliminate the two wrong choices and zero in the best/correct one.

The repetition further assists you in attaining this goal by familiarizing you with the typical sentence structure, syntax and vocabulary of MBE/multiple-choice questions. This is especially relevant to students for whom English is a second language or who generally do not do well on reading comprehension exams or standardized tests, which the MBE certainly is both.

Finally, questions from old exams are bound to reappear (if for no other reason than to determine relative difficulty. The more questions you answer in practice, the greater the likelihood of encountering a repeat on your exam.

One last piece of advice: I remember my bar exam day as if it were yesterday. I remember the panic felt, especially when I was about to enter the building. At that point, someone asked me "how many days do you have to file a complaint on a foreign corporation." When an answer did not jump from my lips, I almost fainted. The moral? Don't talk to strangers. Avoid the crowds at the test site. Go right to the room and breathe. Remember your holiday to come after the last day and your dream of becoming an attorney. Let your "Yes I can" attitude shine and your discipline prevail.

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