Preparing with Bar Exam Review Courses

Even though you've worked very hard to get through law school, you'll still need to spend extra time preparing to take your bar exam.  If you don't pass this exam, you won't be able to practice law in your state.  And while you can take this exam a second time, the expense and time involved in taking it again isn't small.  Fortunately, there are a number of different study materials you can use to help improve your chances of passing the exam.

Bar Exam Review Time Considerations

Because you'll have to schedule two different exam dates for the bar, your study schedule might be longer than expected.  Therefore, rather than set a specific time to start studying, it's best to begin your preparations while you're still in your final year of law school.  This will give you an opportunity to focus on both parts of the exam, as well as design a more detailed study plan for each component.

Bar Exam Study Books

As with other standardized tests, you can obtain a complete bar review course from companies that publish study books.  That said, if you're going to use these resources exclusively, you'll have to be very disciplined about working with them on a regular basis – it's easy to get off-track using just books.  You might find it helpful to work with a tutor, or at least join an online group where you can share your experiences with others seeking bar review exam assistance. 

Software Based Bar Review Courses

In addition to study guides, there are many different software programs available to help you study for the bar exam.  Of course, you'll need to make sure that you have the right one for your state.  Typically, these programs have a database of questions for you to work with.  As you work with the software, you may also find tips and strategies to help you move through the exam more efficiently.  

Bar Exam Preparation Classes

While software and books may be helpful parts of your exam review, most students find it helpful to attend special classes in addition.  Through these courses, you'll be able to learn more about the exam from a tutor who has specific experience with the test.  In some cases, you may also be able to take a practice exam.  Even if you aren't in the actual testing environment, you'll have a chance to familiarize yourself with each part of the test.  This will give you a chance to learn advanced test-taking strategies and find out how other students would approach the legal situations described.  

Unfortunately, even if you've done well in law school, you may not be adequately prepared for the bar exam.  Therefore, it's very important to take review classes, as well as to communicate with others preparing to take the exam.  Working with study groups will give you extra practice debating the finer points of law, and will test your ability to apply various statutes to given situations.  However, if one of these courses is out of your price range, you can still benefit from a printed study guide or software review program.