Here are a few tips to Succeed on the Bar Exam

Law School is not an easy ride. Yes, we are dazzled by what we see in pop culture but the reality hits differently when we actually join legal education. After years of labor, we manage to graduate only to find that there is yet another examination we must take to fully complete our graduation – bar examinations, something that law graduates are often apprehensive about because they end up deciding our future in courts.

A bar exam is your ticket to the courts. You will be able to practice as an advocate only after you have successfully qualified for these exams. While the nature of these exams varies from one country to another, one thing is common and that is they are not a cakewalk. You will have to step up the preparation game to qualify for them, and there are certain things you must incorporate in the same.

So, read about the 5 tips that can help you prepare for and qualify for bar exams.

1. Start in your final year
   The kind of preparation needed is very much dependent on a candidate’s knowledge and skills. Nevertheless, it is always a better option to start early for the bar. Your final year in the university is a mix of everything good and bad; you have to worry about campus placement interviews, go on trips with friends, prepare a future career chart, and whatnot. But, you should try sparing some time for bar exam preparation. Start early, go through the syllabi, collect study materials, ask your seniors for counsel, etc. If you start early, you will find it easier to manage time after graduation and before the bar exam.

2. You will need a schedule
   As I said before, a bar exam is not a cakewalk. There are many subjects covered each of whose syllabus is extensive and not merely textbook. You will end up memorizing a lot of laws, rules, regulations, case laws, and commentaries. Mock tests are equally important and must be practiced as many times as possible. Amid all these things, you will have to give your health and personal life sometimes too. Things may become all the more hectic in case you join a coaching institute for preparation or start working anywhere. Hence, time management is an asset you must have. Taking into account all there is in your daily life and needs, prepare a good timetable. One caveat though: avoid a stringent timetable as they are quite burdensome to manage.

3. Make Mock Tests Your Favourite Companions
   If you have read my articles on exam preparation, you will find that I have written extensively on the importance of mock tests. Once you are well-acquainted with the format of the exam, you must collect mock tests and practice them routinely. Now it is up to you so far as the routine is concerned but it is advisable that you practice a good number of them weekly. The benefit of this exercise is that it prepares you for the final exam by helping you adapt to the nature of questions and manage time. Moreover, you will gain extra information so that will add to your preparation.

4. You may want to join a coaching institute
   You may or may not join a coaching institute; that decision depends on the availability of time and resources in your life. However, there is one clear advantage in case you do decide to join an institute: you will be mentored to structure your answers, evaluate your performance based on many mock test series, will secure a detailed analysis of your growth chart, and many others. These institutes are associated with many resource-persons who are often called upon to guide the students. So, if you consider joining an institute, you won’t be disappointed.

5. The day before the exam
   Bar exams are hectic and very pressuring. You will need to de-stress yourself right before the exams and hence, should not study at all a day before the exams. There is a lot in your mind to remember and process and you will need a night of good sleep in order to survive the grueling hours of pressure. Take a break and relax so that you are well-prepared for D-Day!