There is no question that the bar exam is a daunting test. When I sat for it in 2010, I was surprised at the amount of material that the exam covered and just how stressful the experience was. The fact is though, you should relax as if you studied, you will likely pass the exam. Here are some helpful tips.
Get a Good Night Sleep Before the Exam
Believe me when I say that you are not going to learn anything more at 9PM the night before the exam (or the morning of the exam). You have likely been studying for months and that consistent studying is what will pay off. Put down the books at 9PM at the latest the night before the exam and relax. The best advice I can give is to go to see a movie or perform some other low stress activity the night before the exam.
Review What You Cannot Bring Into The Exam Room
Make sure you follow the rules with respect to what you can and cannot bring into the exam room. During my exam, at least 2 people where removed from the exam room for bringing items that were not permitted.
Bring a WaterProof bag for your Computer
The day I sat for the NJ bar exam, it rained heavily. As a result, there were several people who had their laptops in a bag where the laptop got wet. As a result, the laptop did not work during the exam and the candidates were forced to take the exam by hand. You do not need this type of stress the day of the exam.
Do not Borrow Time From Subsequent Exam Questions
Plan your time with each question and move on if you are stuck or a question is taking too long!!!! This includes multiple choice and essay questions. When I sat for the NY bar exam, the last question on one day was a Corporations question that was very simple. If I had wasted more time on question 1 (which was difficult), I would have missed scoring some easy points. Move on and if you have time come back to the questions that are taking a long time.
Do not Talk About the Exam With Friends
No one knows what the answer key will look like and you will only stress yourself if you discuss exam questions with anyone. Everyone will miss something so why have what you missed (or did not miss) pointed out by another student. For that matter, do not talk about the material with students the day before or of the exam. Again, it will only stress you out.
Relax - You will Likely Pass
Bar examiners publish statistics of how many people pass the bar exam. For first time writers from ABA approved law schools, the pass rate is often close to 90%. This should give you comfort that you will likely pass. Also, most States are grading to a minimum standard and do not have a preset number of people that they want to pass. Relax and just do your best.
Good luck. You will look back on this day for sure and realize that there really was not anything to be worried about. Find out more about the bar exam by buying our book "Law School Lowdown." You can click the image to the right to find out more! or click here to Buy Law School Lowdown
