Week 10:
The Final Countdown!

Final-week study strategies

You can learn a lot in a week; make every day count (you can rest on Monday!).

MBE

Keep reviewing and answering practice questions. Work on your weaknesses. It's not too late for that lightbulb moment in a topic or subtopic that has thus far eluded you. Complete the "Complete Practice Exams" 1 & 2 in Adaptibar if you have not already done so.

MEE

For essays, switch from mostly outlining answers to mostly reading the prompt, thinking about the answer, then reviewing the sample answers. When you run across a rule you don't know (or don't know well enough), make a flashcard. Review as many essays as you can. So doing will (a) fill in gaps in your knowledge, (b) improve your issue-spotting efficiency, and (c) lessen the odds of your being surprised on exam day by the way a particular topic is tested.

MPT

At this point, I would prioritize the MBE and MEE over the MPT (anyone else sick of eating bar-exam alphabet soup?). I would not spend time writing out complete MPT answers. Instead, if you have not already done so, make sure you have reviewed the most-likely MPT task formats (objective memo, persuasive brief, objective letter, persuasive letter) and maybe skim some of the more esoteric tasks [link] (closing statement, interrogatories) just to see how the instructions guide the format of the answer.

Monday: Relax, Rest & Reconnoiter!

Q: Should I study the day before the exam?

A: If it makes you feel better and calms your nerves, sure. But feel free to take the day off and relax. Whatever you "learn" by cramming on Monday will be in your short-term memory, and it will be lost when your brain starts dredging up info from your long-term memory to answer exam-day questions. Many (most?) preppers find that answering some multiple-choice questions, reviewing outlines, or flipping through flashcards helps calm their nerves, and that's a good thing. But it's unlikely to make much difference on exam day.

The same is true for the evening of Day 1. Relax. Vege out on Netflix. Sleep. Or run through some Adaptibar questions if it makes you feel more confident.

Q: So what should I do on Monday?

A: Check into your hotel (if you are staying in a hotel). Map out your route from the hotel (or wherever you are sleeping) to the exam site. Actually drive the route during rush hour to see how long it takes, make sure there is no construction on the route, etc.

Plan an alternate route in case a wreck slows traffic on exam day. Figure out where and what you will eat on exam day. Get a full night's sleep (or at least 8+ hours of bed rest; sleep may elusive).

Re-read the exam-day instructions. Know what you must, may, and may not take into the exam site. Don't forget your laptop power cord! Do you have your "One clear plastic bag to hold Permitted Items"?

Print your exam ticket and put it in your clear ziplock bag! Last year, one of our preppers forgot her ticket until she arrived at the exam site. Trust me--you don't want that kind of stress! (The story has a happy ending: she asked the concierge at the hotel adjacent to print her ticket, took the exam, and passed!)

Show some gratitude. Nobody does this alone. Your family and friends have put up with a lot these last eight weeks! Let them know how much you appreciate their support. It's the right thing to do. And expressing gratitude reduces stress, improves sleep, and enhances cognition [link]—three things you very much need the day before the exam!

The first rule of the bar exam . . .

The bar exam is like Fight Club: The first rule of the bar exam is you don't talk about the bar exam!

This is not because the exam is shrouded in secrecy; it's to maintain your sanity until the exam is over! Avoid examinees who obsessively want to dissect the part of the exam you just completed. All that will do is freak you out and zap your confidence, and the exam-dissectors generally don't know what they are talking about (and some are downright malicious; they want you to freak out). When the exam is over, then feel free to discuss it to your heart's content (but at that point, you might just want to forget the whole thing!).

It's entirely normal to feel stressed out this week. Take a deep breath—you can do this! If you need talked back from the ledge, reach out to me, Prof. Deutsch, or your mentor. We've got your back!

Addendum: How do I know if I'm ready?

Howdy! This is an addendum to this week's blog post. I should have made this the question of the week; I've answered it a dozen times in the past couple of days. So I'll answer it now for everyone:

Q: What numbers should I be looking for in Barbri/Themis/Adaptibar to feel like I can actually pass this !@$%! exam?

A: Our data show that the following numbers have a high correlation with bar passage:

1. 85% completion in Barbri or 75%+ (85% is better) in Themis, with serious effort (as opposed to simply marking things done to get the % up).
   

2. At least 1,100 questions in Adaptibar by exam day with 7-day averages in at least the high 50s (higher is better) on at least 100 questions (either a practice exam, focused practice, or regular mixed practice) in the 10 days before the exam. If a prepper does not have Adaptibar or has it but answers fewer than 1,100 questions, I want to see a score in the low 60s on some 100-question all-topics set, like Barbri's or Themis's simulated or capstone exams.
   

3. Answered or reviewed in some meaningful way at least 100 essays (130 seems to be the sweet spot) and scored at least 4s on fully written-out essays where the prepper knows the law (it's hard to score a 4 when you don't know the law yet).
   

4. Can consistently score at least a 3 on MPTs written under exam time constraints.
   
   To some extent, all of these numbers are sliding scales. For example, consistently higher MCQ scores can make up for a weak essay or two, and consistently strong essays can make up for a mid-50s MCQ score.

Q: What if I'm not hitting these numbers? Is it hopeless?

A: No! These numbers are averages. But you might want to think about deferring.

Q: Why would I want to defer? Why not simply take my chances?

A: A few reasons. First, not passing does take a mental toll. Second, "I decided to defer because of [Covid, health, familial issues, whatever]" is a better answer to the job-interview question, "Why didn't you get licensed in October?" Third, the second-time pass rate is much lower than the first-time pass rate. E.g., the statewide pass rate for the July '21 exam was 82% for first-time-takers and 24% for repeaters. Several factors affect the "repeat" number, but your first try presents your best shot at passing. Finally, the BLE might—might—waive the February registration fee if you are exposed to Covid before the exam--and given the rise of Omicron ba.5, you've probably been exposed recently. Read the BLE's FAQ to make an informed decision.

Q: I think I might need to defer. What should I do?

A: Email me or Prof. Deutsch. We'll meet with you to help you make a fully informed decision and, if you decide to defer, tell you exactly what to do.