The Bar Exam is a Week Away!

August 17, 2022February 16, 2018 by AmeriBar

We’re certain that you don’t need us to tell you that the bar exam is just a week away. It’s probably something that you’re very aware of almost every hour of the day. You’ve probably started having the “OH NO, I OVERSLEPT AND MISSED THE BAR EXAM” nightmares. Trust us, you’ve got this. You’re not going to oversleep, you’re not going to drop your laptop into a giant puddle, and you’re not going to accidentally smuggle your notes into the exam room and get banned from taking the test.

Last week we gave you some tips on what to do the two weeks before the test. So how does that differ from a week before the exam or even a day before the exam? For one thing, you’ve probably memorized any of the areas of law that were giving you trouble. You’ve probably cycled through at least two panicky moments. We’re here to tell you, if you’ve really been studying for the exam, then you will be perfectly fine.

Have a study schedule for the final week.
Continue your review of the MBE and essay subjects.
Continue doing practice questions and reviewing essay questions and analyses.
Study multiple areas of the law you struggle with, but don’t get bogged down on any one topic. In other words, don’t spend six days figuring out the Rule Against Perpetuities. The truth is, hardly anybody understands it! Just move on and get the low lying fruit.
Set aside time to recharge by taking breaks. Go watch a movie. Take a walk. Pet your dog.
Set aside time to create a logistics plan for the test. Think about what you will need to bring and eat, where you will be staying, when you will leave for the exam, and how you will get to the testing site. Hopefully you have all of this figured out already, but make a game plan and stick to it. Switching it all up the day or two before the exam is not a great idea.
Get sufficient sleep, but don’t hibernate. You are going to have to get up early on the test days, after all.
Eat brain food. Try not to sustain yourself off of sodas and coffee. Go get a nice dinner somewhere. Please just step away from the coffee slowly.

Good luck to everyone taking the bar exam next week from all of us at AmeriBar!

MPRE Tips – 5 Questions You WILL Encounter on the MPRE

March 17, 2023March 16, 2017 by AmeriBar

The MPRE tests many legal concepts. Some rules are tested repeatedly. Here is a video detailing five questions you’ll likely encounter on the MPRE.

MBE Change to 25 Experimental Questions

September 12, 2018January 25, 2017 by AmeriBar

Bar Exam Tips: The Last Few Days Before the Exam

July 27, 2023July 22, 2016 by AmeriBar

Congratulations on getting to this point in your bar exam preparation! Having prepared for the bar exam myself, I understand firsthand the intense stress that comes along with it. However, you can’t let stress get the best of you! You’ve worked hard to get here, and it’s essential to approach these last few days with a clear head and a solid game plan. Having a strategy is crucial for success. By taking the time to map out your study schedule, prioritize your materials, and practice under simulated exam conditions, you can feel more focused and in control. Remember, you’ve got this, and we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way!

Bar Exam Tips

Have a study schedule planned out for the last few days.
Continue your review of the MBE and essay subjects.
Continue doing practice questions and reviewing essay questions.
Study multiple areas of the law you struggle with. Try to get through many and make sure you don’t get caught up for too long with any one topic. The worst thing you can do is spend one of your last days on the Rule Against Perpetuities trying to hammer it down. The truth is, hardly anybody understands it! Just move on and get the low lying fruit.
Update the law in your outlines as necessary. Don’t get in the trap of doing practice questions to pass the time without getting the most out of each one. If you get a practice question wrong, make sure you note the legal issue you didn’t know in your outline.
Set aside time to recharge by taking breaks. Your dog would love to take a walk around the block! If you don’t have a dog, then I’m sure you would love to take a walk around the block!
Set aside time to create a logistics plan for the test. Think about what you will need to bring and eat, when you will leave for the exam, and how you will get to the testing site.
Get sleep!
Eat brain food. Skip the fast food and diet drinks!
Take time to relax. You’re stressed to the MAX right now, and trust us, we understand. Give yourself a break. Watch a movie, go for a swim, or take a yoga class!

We hope these bar exam tips are helpful! Best of luck on your last few days of preparation! If you have any questions, give us a call at 800-529-2651.

Important August MPRE Dates

August 22, 2022June 16, 2016 by AmeriBar

If you’re planning on becoming a licensed attorney, you will probably have to take the MPRE. It is required for admission to all states except Maryland, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico. Students in Connecticut and New Jersey may successfully complete a professional responsibility course in lieu of the MPRE exam.

The next MPRE is coming up on August 13. There are two important deadlines you need to make note of if you’re planning on taking the August exam.

The cost to enroll at the first deadline, June 23, is $84. There is a second opportunity to sign up, but it will cost you double the cost of the first deadline. The fee for the June 30 deadline goes up to $168.

Per the NCBE website, “Online registrations must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the registration deadline. Telephone registrations must be completed by 4:45 p.m. eastern time on the registration deadline. Absolutely no registrations will be accepted after the late registration deadline. Please do not contact NCBE or LSAC to request exceptions to this policy.”

For more information about MPRE registration, please see the NCBE website at http://www.ncbex.org/exams/mpre/registration/.

Making a Realistic Study Calendar

September 12, 2018May 6, 2016 by AmeriBar

Creating a realistic study calendar is a huge part of your study process. In the past couple of weeks, we have told you when and how you should begin studying. Something that we have mentioned is making a realistic calendar, but it’s something that should be addressed more fully.

As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, students can typically benefit from 6-8 weeks of full time study. “Full time study” here means approaching studying as you would a full time job. You wake up in the morning and begin studying, you take a lunch break, and you continue studying until the evening. You wake up the next day and do the same thing. So, it truly is like a full time job. Luckily this amount of studying isn’t permanent as it generally lasts only a few weeks.

So, what do we mean by a realistic study calendar? A realistic study calendar will build in your intended study time. If you are working full time, then there is no way that you will also be able to study for 6-8 hours a day for 5-6 days a week. It just isn’t feasible. That means you will need to extend your calendar for longer than 6-8 weeks. For this scenario, 10-12 weeks would probably be best. That’s the current time frame until the next bar exam. So, if you’re working, it would serve you best to start studying now.

If you’re not working, being realistic is still important. If you don’t have intentions of studying every day from 8 AM-8 PM, don’t schedule yourself that way. Plus, you may burn out if you study all day every day with no break. Be realistic about your approach so that you have enough time to study the material, but you don’t overextend yourself and burn out early.

Whether you are working or not, building in some off time is critical. Make sure you give yourself one to two days off a week. Don’t study from sun up to sun down, or you won’t retain anything. Make sure that you are getting adequate rest so that your brain can soak up all of that knowledge.

After you’ve enrolled in one of our courses and you still have questions about your study calendar, please let us know. We will be happy to help you sort your schedule out. Give us a call at 800-529-2651.