According to research from the American Bar Association, only about 75% of first-time examinees pass the bar. In the last few years, the rate has dropped drastically. Essentially, people are finding it more challenging to pass the exam than ever before.
Can this trend be reversed? How can you avoid falling into the same trap and successfully pass the bar exam on your first try?
Here’s what you need to know:
Companies like BarPrepHero help close this gap of pass and fail rates. Online courses provided by these platforms allow a student to continue their research and education while accessing a wide variety of resources. In particular, Bar Prep Hero is one of your best options for solving this exact problem!
Keep reading to learn what you need to know about the exam and how BarPrepHero helps you pass:
About BarPrepHero.com
BarPrepHero’s courses correspond with how the bar exam is set up. That starts with the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), which comprises of a series of 200 standardized multiple-choice questions. Additionally it covers the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) which has six 30-minute essay questions that require you to demonstrate an understanding of the different areas of law. Finally, test takers will be asked a succession of state-specific questions and given a Multistate Performance Test (MPT), which is also covered by this bar review course.
To successfully complete all these steps and earn a passing grade, you must select the best answers given the circumstances and based on your personal judgement and knowledge of the legal system. Consequently, BarPrepHero is a bar review program that prepares students for this task by covering MBE, MEE, and MPT parts of the exam.
Resources include every official question ever released, alongside hundreds of original multiple-choice questions. Some of the subject matter covered by this course includes:
Constitutional Law
Real Property and Torts
Criminal Law and Procedure
Civil Procedure
Evidence
Contracts
Because of its powerful combination of original practice tests and content from past exams, law students who use this study resource have an excellent chance of passing the Multistate Bar Exam and starting their fast-paced legal career!
BarPrepHero Pros
Thousands of Bar Exam Test Questions
BarPrepHero has been collecting data on real MBE test questions for years. They offer a series of single-subject MBE practice questions that cover the following:
Constitutional Law (263 questions)
Contracts (250 questions)
Criminal Law and Procedure (271 questions)
Evidence (254 questions)
Real Property (253 questions)
Torts (280 questions)
Civil procedure (76 questions)
What’s even better is that some of these practice bar exam questions are offered for free. However, access to their entire catalog of study materials can only be obtained with premium access.
Engaging Content and Bar Exam Simulators
Bar Prep Hero’s mixed-subject MBE practice exams are made up of 300 questions that come in 6 modules. It also has 1500 authentic MBE practice exams broken into 19 separate
modules. This specific structure makes the material easier for students to digest and study at their own pace without running out of steam.
The MBE Exam Simulator is a random mix of 200 exam questions that simulate the actual MBE. It contains a combination of questions from other tests that cover the seven major subjects in law and provides no hints or explanations. You’re on your own, which makes it a killer study tool sure to prepare law school graduates for the real world!
Fantastic Bar Essay Prep Content
Premium access is worth it if essays are your weak spot. BarPrepHero gives you access to every official MEE essay from the last 23 years of bar exams— including model analyses that are illustrative of specific discussions.
Furthermore, the courses also contain MPT tests from the last 23 years of bar exams and all official MPT performance sheets ever released. These real-world samples go a long way for students trying to grasp the flow and format of the test!
Loads of Flashcards
Finally, the cherry on top of this bar review course is that every package comes with over 1,800 flashcards in 12 different categories. They cover a wide range of subjects, from torts to contracts and criminal law. Other legal areas that stand out include:
Security Transactions and Mortgages
Will, Trusts, and Estates
Business Organizations
Family Law
Civil Procedure
Using these flashcards are an easy way to squeeze in a quick study session when you don’t have a lot of time. Alternatively, they make for a great resource during your last-minute cram session before exam day.
BarPrepHero Cons
Limited Standard Access
Although understandable, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that BarPrepHero’s Standard package only comes with a year access. Although this is their most affordable option, you’ll still have to purchase it again if you need more time to finish your studies. Consequently, you may want to opt for the Premium package if you see yourself needing more time to prepare for the MBE.
So, Who Is The Ideal Student?
BarPrepHero is a self-study course. That means you have to be independently motivated; there are no instructors or guided videos to lead you. You and you alone will choose the time and place to study and for how long.
Ultimately, this product and company is dedicated to giving the power of learning back to students. Therefore, if you’re looking to avoid a “classroom” setting and prefer to learn at your own pace, then BarPrepHero should be a good fit.
Summary of Course Features
Here is what BarPrepHero offers as a standard:
Thousands of official MBE questions
500+ questions exclusive to BarPrepHero
Premium tests
Single-subject and mixed-subject tests
1,800+ flashcards covering 12 categories
Unlimited test retakes
Smart Challenge Bank
Cross-device progress tracking
Detailed email consults
BarPrepHero Pricing
Bar Prep Hero pricing is based on needs more than bundles. That being said, every package contains all of the features listed above. There are three to choose from based on how you learn and your level of need:
MBE Standard – Simulated MBE Only, 500+ MBE Questions
Price: $99 (1-year access)
Includes: Everything listed above. It should be noted that this is the most affordable package, so you only get the basic stuff. Additionally, the Standard package comes with 13 premium tests (not 42). You also receive 3 detailed email consults (rather than 10 with the other packages).
MBE Premium – Full MBE Review, All 2,225 MBE Questions
Price: $299 (one-time purchase and lifetime access)
Includes: All features listed above, as well as some interesting additions. With the MBE Premium bundle, you have access to the 200-question MBE Exam Simulator. Furthermore, you also have the power to run analytics on the probability of your pass rate. Also, this package comes with the MBE Pass Guarantee, which promises a full refund if the student fails.
UBE Premium – Full Bar Exam Review, All MBE/MEE/MPT Questions
Price: $449 (one-time purchase and lifetime access)
Includes: Everything listed above, as well as 1,715 real MBE questions licensed directly from NCBE. You also have access to the 200-question MBE Exam Simulator and powerful pass probability analytics. Additionally, you’ll have a UBE Pass Guarantee with a full refund if you fail. Some other features provided by this popular pick are:
Every official MEE essay from the last 23 years of bar exams (downloadable)
Studying for the bar exam is a serious time commitment, but there are ways to maximize your study time.
There are lots of different course and study material providers, such as Kaplan, Themis, Adaptibar, or Barbri. But not every law student has the luxury of 8 to 10 weeks of uninterrupted time to prepare for the bar exam.
Today’s examinees often find themselves juggling bar prep alongside their jobs and families. Some commercial bar prep courses make impossible demands on your time that make examinees feel behind from the outset. Fortunately, SmartBarPrep is designed to help you make the most out of your study time by working smarter, not harder.
Keep reading to learn more about what makes this one of the best bar review courses on the market:
Overview of SmartBarPrep
SmartBarPrep was created by a lawyer and designed to help time-pressed examinees to pass the Bar exam the first time, by intensively reviewing the most-tested topics. Their philosophy is the “80/20” rule. The idea behind the 80/20 rule is simple— SmartBarPrep has examinees focus 80% of their studying time and energy on the most important 20% of topics.
By focusing on the most important rules, examinees can make the most of their time while getting maximum exposure to the things they are most likely to see on test day. To help with that, SmartBarPrep has condensed the most-tested rules into user-friendly color-coded outlines.
Here’s a course snapshot of SmartBarPrep’s UBE Pro Package:
UBE/MEE Priority Outlines
Smart Sheets – shorter “attack outlines” for easy reference
Topic Frequency Charts for the MBE, MPT, and MEE
Smart Guides to the MBE and MEE
600 real MBE questions
325 MEE practice exams with answer analysis
100 MPT exams with point scoring sheets
Electronic and printable flashcards
What’s Included in Smart Bar Prep’s UBE Pro Package:
UBE/MEE Priority Outlines
SmartBarPrep’s greatest strength is its fantastic outlines. Having high-quality outlines is an invaluable tool during bar prep; they’re your go-to reference for rules and explanations, and are easily one of the two most important resources for your studies (the other is practice questions, but more on that later).
SmartBarPrep’s outlines not only contain detailed rules and applications, they also go a step further by providing frequency statistics and color-coded priority levels for each rule. This is a powerful tool that’ll help you focus on the most important topics and target your studying accordingly. It’s particularly helpful as you get closer to test time and want to maximize the time you have left to pick up as many points as possible.
SmartBarPrep also provides context for these topics, telling you where in the exam each rule last appeared. This context can be incredibly helpful as you work to develop issue-spotting skills and recognize individual issues that might be presented as part of an intertwined fact pattern.
Smart Sheets
Similar to an “attack outline” you may have used in law school, Smart Sheets are concise (about 10-12 pages) reference outlines that are designed to complement their longer outlines. They include the same color-coded frequency data and provide a great quick reference guide that’ll come in handy when doing practice MBE and MEE.
One of the best ways to study, particularly in the beginning of your schedule, is to look up the answers to multiple choice questions when you’re not sure of the rule. The act of researching the answer reinforces the learning process and gives you more exposure to the rule and its context. SmartBarPrep’s Smart Sheets are particularly well-suited for this purpose.
Topic Frequency Charts
These charts for the MBE, MPT, and MEE are a useful reference material for study planning. By laying out past bar exam topics in an organized chart, Smart Bar Prep facilitates a more meaningful use of study time. If there are areas that you’re really struggling to grasp, the frequency charts can help put those topics into perspective.
To use a common example, the rule against perpetuities throws lots of examinees for a loop. But according to the frequency chart, it’s only appeared on 10% of past exams. The savvy bar prepper will see this and divert more of their energies elsewhere. For the sake of convenience, SmartBarPrep cross-references these frequency charts with their priority outlines as well.
600 Real MBE Questions
The MBE is without a doubt the most important part of the bar exam. This multiple-choice exam question section is the most heavily-weighted part of the exam (50%). Ultimately, getting a good MBE score is not only crucial for success on the bar exam, but it can also cushion you if you’re a bit shaky on the written portions of the exam.
SmartBarPrep includes a bank of 600 questions from past bar exams that’ll help you get a feel for the kinds of questions you’ll be up against on test day. Remember, the bar exam is designed to be tricky and set traps, nowhere is this truer than the MBE portion. Smart Bar Prep’s question bank is an important tool in your study arsenal.
Hundreds of MEE and MPT Questions
While the MBE is the most heavily weighted portion of the bar exam (50%), scoring highly on the remaining two sections — the MEE (30%) and the MPT (20%) — is also crucial for bar exam success. SmartBarPrep includes a bank of MEE and MPT questions from past exams complete with explanatory answers and helpful self-scoring guides.
SmartBarPrep Pricing
SmartBarPrep offers four packages at various price points. Their flagship package, UBE Pro, costs $399. For that price, you get all o
f SmartBarPrep’s priority outlines, Smart Sheets, frequency charts, smart guides and practice questions. UBE Pro also includes 600 MBE questions, a feature only available in that package.
At $275, UBE Premium includes all of SmartBarPrep’s priority outlines, Smart Sheets and frequency charts, as well as a bank of MEE and MPT questions. This package doesn’t include a bank of MBE questions. If you already have a bank of MBE questions from another bar prep course, SmartBarPrep’s UBE Ultimate package might be a good fit for you.
The remaining two tiers of SmartBarPrep’s packages are the UBE Deluxe for $199 and UBE Standard for $124. The two packages include similar offerings; both include SmartBarPrep’s priority outlines, Smart Sheets, frequency charts, and smart guides. UBE Deluxe also includes online and printable flashcards.
Ultimately, if flashcards are an essential part of your study strategy then you should consider UBE Deluxe. Otherwise, UBE Standard is a great option that will save you a bit of money.
Pros & Cons
Take a look below at a snapshot of some of SmartBarPrep’s major pros and cons:
Pro – Comprehensive and Detailed Outlines: SmartBarPrep’s greatest strength is its priority outlines. Outlines are an essential part of bar prep and SmartBarPrep provides you with detailed outlines covering all MBE and MEE topics. The outlines also integrate helpful frequency statistics and context to show you where each topic has appeared on past exams.
Pro – Real MBE Questions: As mentioned, SmartBarPrep’s UBE Pro provides access to hundreds of past MBE questions. The bar exam tests your ability to spot issues as much as your substantive knowledge of the law. Answering and reviewing as many real MBE questions as possible is crucial to success on exam day. SmartBarPrep provides a substantial library of past questions with explanatory answers.
Pro – Practice MBE Exams: SmartBarPrep offers four practice MBE exams. Each exam includes 100 MBE questions, which is equivalent to two full MBEs. Taking a full 200-question practice MBE exam under timed conditions is an important study strategy that’ll give you an idea of the time management and stamina needed to crush the bar.
Con – No Lectures: The only major con to this program is the lack of instructional lectures that are available with some of the more expensive bar prep courses. Access to videos and in-class lectures covering the substantive black letter law can be helpful, particularly if there are bar exam subjects that you didn’t take in law school. These are most often MEE subjects like secured transactions or business associations. Fortunately, SmartBarPrep does include very detailed priority outlines covering these subjects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still not sure if SmartBarPrep is the right bar prep course for you? Take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions below:
✅ Does SmartBarPrep include support for non-UBE jurisdictions?
Yes! While SmartBarPrep focuses on UBE jurisdictions, the MBE is administered in every jurisdiction so its MBE resources are useful in every state. SmartBarPrep is also starting to branch out to some non-UBE jurisdictions, including some state-specific materials for California.
✅ How Long will I have access to SmartBarPrep’s online materials?
SmartBarPrep’s outlines and most of their other materials come as downloadable PDFs, giving you access to them for as long as you need.
✅ Does this course offer a guarantee?
SmartBarPrep offers a thirty-day guarantee on its materials other than practice MBE questions. According to their website, “If after reading through our outlines and study guides, you aren’t happy for any reason, just email us within 30 days of purchase and you’ll receive a full refund.”
Ideal Customer
If you’re still on the fence about SmartBarPrep, take a look below to see what studying styles are best suited to this course:
If you’re an independent self-starting learner who studies well on their own, this is the course for you.
If you learn best by reading and studying from outlines, this is the course for you.
If you are planning to take the bar exam in a UBE jurisdiction or want to supplement your own state-specific studying with MBE and MEE prep, this course is for you.
If you learn best in a structured classroom environment, this course is NOT for you.
If you’re looking for a bar prep course that will track your progress,this course is NOT for you.
Final Recommendation
SmartBarPrep excels at presenting the rules of law tested on the UBE in a format that allows you to prioritize the most highly tested topics. This course is an excellent resource that won’t break the bank. For that reason, it’s a worthwhile option for any student in need of outlines.
Overall, SmartBarPrep packs an impressive amount of important bar topics into its materials and their outlines carefully prioritize the most-tested materials to help you CRUSH the Bar Exam!
The bar exam is arguably the most difficult test that a person can take, but you’ve also got financial considerations to think about.
Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of taking time off work to study for the bar exam. And as a single mother, non-traditional student who worked her way through law school and after, I faced the formidable reality of studying for the bar exam while still pulling in full-time hours.
Take it from me: you can get through this, but you‘ll have to be resourceful and creative. Here are a few ways to study for the bar exam while working full-time.
Okay, so you may not be able to quit your job for three months to study for the bar. However, you might be able to strategically maneuver your schedule to work better for you during this period.
If you’re working at a law firm or in another legal position, your boss will probably understand the pressure you’re under with the bar exam on the horizon. Maybe you can double up on hours at certain times to create extra study time during certain weeks.
Perhaps you can work from home and save yourself some time commuting. Alternatively, maybe you can push back a few assignments until after the bar. Think through some possibilities and go in with a plan so that you can present it to your boss.
At the very least, try to a week off before the bar exam so that you can give a final push during your studying. This way, you won’t be concerned about work commitments around the bar exam.
Squeeze in Studying Schedule Where You Can
Because you’re working full-time, you have fewer available hours to commit to studying. This means that you have to try to get in as much bar review as possible, given your schedule constraints. Many courses offer a variety of mediums for you to use their program, so take full advantage of this— whether that means watching videos during your workout, reviewing flashcards while waiting in line at the grocery store, or listening to audio lectures while driving back and forth to work.
Don’t Skip A Solid Bar Exam Prep Course
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you’re working full-time that you can simply self-study and do not need a bar exam prep course. Additionally, don’t assume that just because your preferred review course doesn’t mesh with your work schedule, you have no choice but to study on your own.
Remember: you didn’t write the bar exam or the bar prep books, so don’t think that you will suddenly be able to crack them on your own. Participating in a bar course can help law students like you stay on track and hold you accountable. Additionally, with more non-traditional legal programs available, courses like BarMax offer flexible scheduling or online options to accommodate your schedule.
You may be concerned about taking a bar review course because of the cost. If you’re already having to work full-time, you may have your own financial pressures to deal with. However, it is important that you look at the course as a financial investment. If you pass the bar exam on your first go-around, you can begin your legal career sooner and increase your income faster than if it takes you multiple attempts to pass it. Additionally, you may miss out on promising opportunities if you fail the bar exam.
There are some creative options that you can use to help minimize the cost, such as:
Serving as a bar prep course representative during law school
Looking for discounts on in-person or online courses
Completing a bar prep class offered for a full semester at your law school
Attending free bar prep introduction sessions at your law school or other nearby facilities
Purchasing used review books that are still current
Basically, consider using commercially prepared outlines to be sure that you can get through as much information as possible while working in an effective way. Also, look for courses that are more geared toward your situation and provide more condensed forms of review.
Don’t Compare Yourself to Other Law School Students
While you might want to check in with your peers on occasion, don’t try to measure your progress with theirs. This may make you feel anxious, which will not help. It doesn’t matter how quickly each of you respectively completes your studying, just as long as you both make it to the finish line. Furthermore, unless you’re trying to get a reward for having the highest score on the bar exam in your state, you don’t have to do exceptionally well on the bar exam— you just have to pass! Aiming for a C may seem insufficient to someone who might have worked during law school, took law school classes and had other responsibilities, but keeping realistic expectations in mind may help you lower your stress level.
Concentrate on Specific Sections of The Bar Where You Need The Most Help
When you have other commitments outside studying, you have to be more strategic with how you spend your time. While you may learn some strategies that can help you gain a few points, you need to look for areas that will matter the most to your score.
Consider your weaknesses. If there were law school subjects that you didn’t take, you may need to devote extra time for those subjects on the test. If contracts or property was not your forte, your time may be better spent honing in on these areas.
On the other hand, if you’re a whiz in corporations, you may be able to bank on this area giving you some extra points on the test. I don’t remember ever preparing a single essay question or MPT answer during my studying since my legal research— and writing was my best asset in law school! Think through your own strengths when considering how to divide your limited time.
If there were law school subjects that you didn’t take, you may need to devote extra time for those subjects on the test. If contracts or property was not your forte, your time may be better spent honing in on these areas.
Start Studying Sooner
Since you’re working during your study time, you might want to begin studying sooner so that you can spend fewer hours each week during your preparation. The reality is that you will have less time to study than other test takers who can devote their entire lives to bar prep.
Start studying as soon as you can after finals to stretch out your study schedule as long as possible. This will ultimately allow you to reduce the number of hours that you can study each week to a more manageable level while also retaining your full-time position.
Divide the number of hours the course program recommends by the number of weeks you have to study to determine the number of hours you should be studying each week.
Optimize Your Bar Study Schedule by Marking Your Calendar
When you are balancing work and studying for the bar, you must be extra diligent about how you manage your time. If you’re not careful, you may waste hours of precious time and not even know where it went. Early in the process, mark your calendar with your study goals. If you plan on studying each week for 20 hours, write down how you will spend this time, such as watching videos, reviewing books or taking practice tests.
Try to devote blocks of time to your studying instead of a stray hour here or there. Your study time must be impactful, and it’s easier to study in a chunk of time at once rather than going back and forth between your work and home life and your studying.
Also, try to schedule study sessions when you’re at your peak cognitive level. If you’re not a night person, studying at midnight is probably not going to be that effective. Likewise, if you’re not a morning person, waking up at sunrise to study probably won’t translate to successful study sessions.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can work full-time and make it through an entire bar prep course without any modifications. You likely will not have hundreds of hours to listen to prepared videos. Instead, look for courses that have condensed the black letter law to smaller pieces that are easier to digest— instead of trying to teach you about every nuanced aspect of this area of the law over the last 300 years. With less time available to you, you must be able to maximize the time you do have.
Maximize Your Weekends
A realistic schedule for your week may be completing two to three hours during your work days and 10 hours per day off. So, a typical work week may allow you to have 10 to 15 hours during the weekdays and 20 hours during the weekend for a reasonable 30 to 35 hours per week.
Make the most of your weekends (or your other days off) and spend most of your study time on higher-level tasks. While you may want to use weekday studying for more passive reviews, such as reading through flashcards or outlines, full days that are not affected by your work obligations are perfect for more active studying. This can include completing official MBE questions, reviewing your answers, and taking practice tests.
Eat the Bar Exam
Grab your sandwich and your outlines and find a spot to study and eat while at work. Many jobs offer a one-hour lunch break; take advantage of this time if it applies to you. Basically, it might be easier for you to focus for one hour during a typical work day while still possibly having energy to do higher level tasks like completing multiple choice questions. It’s also good practice for the bar exam day itself, since you’ll be around distractions.
While you may want to use weekday studying for more passive reviews, such as reading through flashcards or outlines, full days that are not affected by your work obligations are perfect for more active studying.
Find a Good Study Spot
Before you attempt to study, isolate a location where you can really focus. Since you have less time to study than the average test taker, you must ensure that those hours you do spend on studying are actually spent studying, not trying to get you back in focus.
If you have kids, you might need to leave the house or have them leave during your study time. If your boss doesn’t mind, you may be able to stay late in the office and study there.
Your ideal study location should be quiet and free of distractions. You may also need to have an internet connection and decent lighting. However, it shouldn’t be so comfortable that it lulls you to sleep. While you might think your local law library or your law school may be an ideal location, if there are groups of other people there or your law school friends may bother you, you might want to consider an alternative location.
Ask for Help
As the strong, independent type, you may feel that you can take on the world on your own – and maybe you can! But if you have other people around you who love you and are vested in your success, consider asking for help.
You may be able to reach out to your support network to find ways to ease your burden. This can take many forms. Maybe a loved one can prepare a weekly meal for you or take your dog for daily walks. Maybe someone can pick up groceries for you on their way home from work. Maybe a friend can be available to provide some emotional relief.
Time saving methods and logistical support can make a big difference during this critical time of your life.
Your ideal study location should be quiet and free of distractions. You may also need to have an internet connection and decent lighting. However, it shouldn’t be so comfortable that it lulls you to sleep.
Take a Repeat Class
If you have unsuccessfully taken the bar exam in the past, consider taking a repeat class. These classes are designed to help you increase your bar exam score without reiterating everything from previous lectures. They also tend to skip the time-consuming videos that may not translate into a better score for you.
Keep Looking for Bar Study Tips
Studying for the bar exam while working full-time is no easy feat. Keep an eye on our blog for ongoing resources and tips to help you make the most of your bar exam preparation. Check back periodically for some more great advice on how to effectively study for the bar – and good luck!
One skill that is expected to be cultivated and refined during law school is the ability to write well. This makes sense, since good writing will be essential for many legal careers. You will likely need to write memos, client letters, motions, petitions, briefs and other legal documents— so good writing is important! Consequently, the bar exam takes note of this and makes writing an essential component of it.
Whether you’re taking the Multistate Essay Exam or a state-specific bar exam, you will be writing lots of essays during the bar exam and in your preparation for it. So here’s what you need to know about essay writing on the bar exam and strategies you can implement to improve your score.
Check out the most important bar exam essaywriting tips below!
Most states use the Multistate Essay Exam. If you’ll be testing in one of these states, here are the basics you need to know:
There are 6 essay questions in total. This part of the test is 3 hours, so you have 30 minutes per question. Also, the subjects for this portion of the test cover:
Agency
Partnerships
Corporations and limited liability companies
Civil procedure
Conflict of laws
Constitutional law
Contracts
Criminal law and procedure
Evidence
Family law
Real property
Secured transactions
Torts
Trusts and future interests
Wills and estates
While any of these topics are fair game, these particular topics make up the majority of the MEE:
Civil procedure
Contracts
Corporations and LLCs
Family law and trusts
Future interests
Consequently, you may want to spend extra time preparing for these areas of the law while also studying for the other subjects.
The good news is that there are guides you can use to determine the most highly tested essay rules. These bar exam study resources will identify these rules and teach you additional rules of law.
Here’s another important tip: focus your time on these major rules instead of wasting too much energy on nuanced rules that are less likely to be tested.
Keep reading for more important study tips to help you pass the MEE:
Bar Essays Studying Tips
The first part of learning how to tackle the essay writing portion of the bar exam is to develop a solid study plan. Your plan should incorporate the following:
Learn More About the IRAC Method and Format
You may have used a variety of writing styles in law school, such as IRAC, CRAC or CREAC. However, the IRAC structure is the most commonly used one on the bar exam, and is what bar examiners will expect. Hence, you need to be familiar with this writing system:
I – Issue
R – Rule
A – Analysis
C – Conclusion
This system ensures that you write concisely and only include the necessary information. It’s not flowery and won’t contain a lot of excess content— which is a good thing, since you’re on such a constrained time limit!
As you practice, read through your answers and label each sentence with an I,R,A, or C. if a sentence cannot be labeled under one of these letters, it probably does not belong.
Practice Essay Writing Each Week
When you spend so much time studying for the bar exam, it may feel tempting to skip practicing the lengthy essay portion of the test. However, this is one of the biggest mistakes made by most test takers.
Bar essays are an essential component of the test; they can often help leverage a higher score if you don’t do as well on some of the other test portions. Furthermore, while reviewing the rules of law is important, writing about them can show you understand them and know how they apply.
Basically, don’t leave practicing these essays until the end of your preparation. Instead, make practicing essays part of your weekly study plan!
Practice Under Timed Conditions
When you first begin practicing the essay portion of the bar exam, you may not want to time yourself so that you can be sure you are spotting all the issues and honing your writing style. However, toward the middle of your study time, you will want to start practicing under timed conditions.
It is not enough to know how to write a good essay. You need to know how to write a good essay quickly. You need to be able to quickly discuss the most important issues and know when not to elaborate on others.
The best way to study for these questions is to find previous MEE questions and practice them under timed conditions. Then, review the analysis to determine how you did.
Review Rules the Last Two Weeks of Your Study
Focus on memorizing as many rules of law as possible during your last two weeks of studying. You’ll need to be able to recall these basic rules as part of your essay writing without hesitation, so be sure that you can recite rules of law without even thinking about them.
Okay, so now it’s the day of the bar exam— you need to know how to truly tackle these questions in the moment of truth. Here’s what you need to do:
Plan The Time You Have for Writing Essays
Before beginning this portion of the test, you should have a plan on how you will manage your time, such as:
First 10 minutes: Read the essay prompt. Maybe read it multiple times. Don’t rush this part; your ability to recall this information will be essential to answering the question. Also, outline your answer as you read through the prompt.
Next 15 – 17 minutes: Write your answer.
Last 3 to 5 minutes: Review your answer to check for competition and to make necessary edits.
Stick to this timeline for every question. If you start going over 5 minutes on every question, you won’t have enough time to tackle the last question. Ultimately, it’s far better to get out an analysis of all the questions than to answer one question perfectly and not even address another.
Make an Outline
Making an outline can help you organize your thoughts and create a plan on what you will be writing about. Mark up the prompt as you go— you may want to highlight or underline certain information to help your recall later.
Try to make this outline clear, such as making a bullet list of items related to the prompt. If you run low on time, you can always copy and paste this information to provide a semi-answer to the prompt. Write your rule statement and list the relevant facts that will support your analysis. Also, consider how much time you will need to discuss each subpart of the answer.
Apply the IRAC Structure
Now it’s time for you to apply what you’ve learned. Use IRAC to fully answer the question.
Issue
Briefly state the issue in a bolded heading. Issues are usually clearly stated on bar exam essay questions rather than hidden in a fact pattern, so this should be an easy way to pick up points. Restate the issue and move onto the next part of your answer.
Rule
State the rules that apply to the case. This is where rote memorization comes into play, since you need to be able to state the proper rule that applies to the question. Bold key terms to show that you know what rules and terms apply. This will get you the points you need on this section.
The summary of rules should be clear and concise and should demonstrate that you understand what is involved. Only address those rules that actually apply to this case and address the specific question.
Analysis
Show how the rule applies, given the particular fact pattern. This will be the longest portion of your answer. However, your analysis should still be shorter than your analysis in your legal writing class. You can pick up (or lose) a lot of points in this portion of the answer! You need to demonstrate that you know how to apply the law to the facts. Generally speaking, the more facts you’re able to explain, the higher your score will be.
Most of the facts in the fact pattern will be there for a reason— and you need to explain why these facts matter in your analysis. Provide a step-by-step analysis of how the facts support your conclusion. You may be able to score extra points by identifying counter-arguments or a majority and minority view.
Conclusion
End with a brief conclusion. One sentence is fine here. Perhaps unlike law school exams, there is usually a “right” conclusion. Some writing structures will use a conclusion first and then end with a conclusion, but this is not recommended on the bar exam. If you start with the wrong conclusion, the grader will look for ways to prove why you are wrong while grading your answer; therefore, save your conclusion for the end!
Provide a step-by-step analysis of how the facts support your conclusion. You may be able to score extra points by identifying counter-arguments or a majority and minority view.
Organize Your Content
Make your essay simple to read by taking advantage of all the tools at your disposal. Use paragraph breaks to organize your content, creating a clear I, R, A, and Csection. Additionally, bold and underline key words and principles of law. Many essay graders will be scanning your work, so make it easy to identify that you understood the legal issues involved by drawing their attention to these key terms.
Also, use transitional words to qualify certain statements and to explain where you are going with your answer. This makes it easier for the grader to follow your analysis, as well as helps you to stay on track.
Answer the Question
Seems obvious, right? Listen:
While it seems simple to just answer the question you are asked, many bar exam essay questions include numerous fact patterns, potential rules of law that apply, and even some red herrings. Be sure that you only answer the question that is asked; don’t go off on a tangent that will not score you any extra points!
Read over the instructions to the question and follow these instructions, even if that means ignoring something or assuming certain facts are true. Any time you devote to issues that are not relevant to the instructions takes away from time that can score you more points.
Manage Your Time
Now that you’re in the middle of your answers, keep a close eye on time. It can be tempting to take just a few more minutes to feel you completed a question, but this can come back to haunt you by taking away necessary time from another question. Set alarms if you need to — and are permitted to — so that you know when time is up for each section. Also, you may want to set a reminder a few minutes before your allotted time so that you can quickly wrap up the question before moving on to the next one.
With that being said, avoid writing a partial essay and then moving onto another one. It can take several minutes to regain your bearings and remember what the essay was about when you switch back and forth. Instead, finish each question in the allotted time and then move onto the next.
Avoid writing a partial essay and then moving onto another one. It can take several minutes to regain your bearings and remember what the essay was about when you switch back and forth.
Quick Tips for Essay Writing
Here’s a quick round-up of tips to keep you on track when preparing your bar exam essays:
Read the facts more than once. Don’t rush this part!
Don’t write a lengthy, historical background of the law. Instead, make it concise.
Don’t write a long analysis regarding policy if the question does not ask for it.
Present counter-arguments but spend less time on them than arguments
Provide a clear and decisive conclusion.
Pace yourself. The two-day bar exam is a marathon, not a sprint. Approach each question with patience and don’t try to rush it.
Don’t talk to anyone about your answers. This will undoubtedly make you doubt yourself; you don’t need a hit to your self-confidence at this time!
Have a fun plan for what to do after the bar exam to have something to look forward to.
Conclusion
So, there you have it— a plan to help you tackle the essay portion of the bar exam. Use these strategies to help boost your score and you will soon be a licensed attorney!
Thanks for reading and good luck on your exam!
Frequently Asked Questions About Bar Essays
How do you write an essay for the bar exam?
There’s a specific structure that bar examiners expect when you write answers to essay questions. This structure is called IRAC, which is short for “Issue, Rule, Analysis, and Conclusion.” When writing a bar essay, try and structure all of your sentences around these four subjects in a way that makes sense.
How many essays are on the bar exam?
The essay portion of the bar exam is called the Multistate Essay Exam, or MEE for short. It is made up of six different essay questions that you must write answers to over the course of three hours. The subjects can vary depending on what test you take, but all are related to the legal field and will require excellent logical reasoning and critical thinking to earn a high score.
How long should bar exam essays be?
Although there may not be a set word limit for your bar exam essay, a good rule of thumb is to write at least 1,000 words for each answer. However, you should avoid padding out your article’s word count with excessively detailed descriptions of legal concepts; stick to the IRAC format and ensure each word in each sentence has a purpose.
Is it better to write or type the bar exam?
There’s no universal answer to this question, since some students will prefer to write by hand and others will prefer typing. However, there are significant benefits to typing your bar exam essay questions over using a pen and paper, such as easy erasing and the ability to copy and paste. However, power issues on rare occasions have forced essay writers to resort to pen and paper, and it makes it impossible to lose progress due to a software error.
If becoming a lawyer was easy, everyone would do it.
There are some serious hurdles every legal professional has to overcome— but if you’re preparing to take the bar exam, the good news is that you’ve almost reached the end.
But don’t take that as an excuse to slack off. After all, you’ll need to study even harder than you did for the LSAT if you want to be among the 80% of law school students who pass on their first attempt.1 Furthermore, your performance on the exam can determine if you’re among the 72% of students who land long-term full time employment after passing.2
So how do you prepare? Simple:
Using one of the best bar review courseslisted below will ensure you’re both motivated and capable to overcome this hurdle and start your legal career.
Check out our detailed analysis below:
Compare The Top 5 Best Bar Exam Prep Course in April 2021 :
Flexibility: While BarMax is now also available online, having access to stacks of books through the app makes this course the easiest to use on the fly or whenever you have a spare moment to study. Studying for the bar exam is almost fun when you can do it on your iPhone or iPad at the coffee shop, gym, or beach. Internet access is not required to access content through the BarMax app, and you don’t have to waste time driving to class.
Price: At $1,499, BarMax Bar Exam Review’s comprehensive state course price is much lower than the industry average. The price includes lifetime access to audio lectures from Harvard Law alumni, such as the legendary Arthur Miller, corresponding black-letter law outlines, and flashcards. There’s more than 1,750 real multiple-choice questions (MBEs), real practice essays, real performance test (PT) questions, personalized writing revisions, analytics and customer support by phone, email and in-app message boards. This is an incredible value.
Study Planner:BarMax provides a recommended study calendar that sets forth daily assignments and a clear overview of the material, including how much you will need to study. The calendar suggests a more reasonable study plan of 15-25 hours per week for 12 weeks. This efficiency is unparalleled. Additionally, since BarMax is the only bar review course to offer instant and lifetime access, it is an amazing option for students who would like to get started with bar prep sooner—a great idea if you are working full-time or are an international student.
0% Financing:BarMax also offers 0% financing, which allows you to get immediate access to any BarMax course and split the purchase into budget friendly 3, 6 or 12 monthly payments. BarMax also offers a public interest discount for students pursuing careers in public interest law.
Bottom Line: BarMax is such an appealing choice for students due to its reasonable price and flexible coursework. Students can take advantage of their generous payment program and offline-compatible study materials
Practice Questions: Whether you’re studying for the UBE, MBE, or MPRE, you can get all the practice questions you need with this review course. Quimbee offers 1,800+ practice questions with both their UBE and MBE prep courses. But if that’s somehow not enough for you, they also offer a staggering 4,900+ additional practice questions as part of their Study Aids monthly subscription package.
Multifaceted Education: For one price, Quimbee provides you with a large catalog of bar study materials in several different formats. If you want to learn new concepts through lectures, check out their library of professionally-produced video lessons. Alternatively, they provide text study materials in both print and digital formats— and much more.
Financing and Affordability:If you’re worried about paying for Quimbee’s UBE prep course, they offer flexible financing through Affirm. Additionally, paying for one of their bar prep packages will earn you credit towards other purchases on their site, which can add up into a pretty good deal.
Mobile App:Nowadays, it’s important for most students to have access to study materials wherever they are. Fortunately, Quimbee can accommodate this need with their free mobile app available on both iOS and Android devices. With this, you can access all your bar prep materials on your phone or tablet without losing connectivity or functionality.
Bottom Line: Quimbee offers a slickly designed and well-researched bar review course for law students all over the country. Whether you need to prep for the UBE or you just want to brush up on some MPRE concepts during your commute, this is a terrific choice to get the education you need
Varied Catalog: Crushendo has a huge library of study materials that can effectively prepare you for the MBE and UBE, including over 2,000 practice questions. But it’s not just multiple-choice questions you can use to study— they also provide hundreds of mnemonic devices, downloadable audio lectures, and flashcards.
Audio Lectures: Do you consider yourself an auditory learner? If you like to learn through listening, Crushendo offers a lot of content that will perfectly suit your educational preferences. Not only are their lectures easily downloaded for listening offline, but they even include audio flashcards that drill important concepts to improve your memory of them.
Access Granted:How long does it take you to study for an exam? You probably need all the time you can get, especially when preparing for something as tough as the bar. Fortunately, you’ll have lifetime access to Crushendo’s study materials with only one affordable up-front payment— so you’re free to take all the time you need!
MPRE Not Included:Although it’s common to see a bar prep course offer some sort of free MPRE content, Crushendo unfortunately does not. However, they do offer an affordable study guide for this exam that’s just as effective as the rest of their catalog.
Bottom Line: If you want to pass the last hurdle and become a lawyer, Crushendo is a fantastic way to do it. They offer great study materials that are affordable enough to keep you out of any more student debt!
Fully Comprehensive:Kaplan’s Complete Bar Review Course contains a large amount of resources and is available in just about every state. With this course students have access to unlimited essay grading, live lectures (in-person, or live-online, and on-demand), full-length simulated exams with review, a final countdown study plan, and 4,000 exam-like MBE questions.
Structured Program: Their course has a clear outline and helps students stay on track. The overall structure of their program includes approximately 7 days of MBE prep, up to 36 days of comprehensive subject review (varies by state), 4 to 5 days of simulated exam preparation for each part of that state’s exam, and about 2 weeks (varies by student) for a final countdown study plan with highly tailored assignments.
Flexibility: Kaplan not only provides their complete course in most states, but students have the option to attend course lectures either in-person or live online from the comfort of wherever. In addition all students will have access to their 24/7 Online lecture Library where they can review the course lectures on-demand. They also have a mobile app and through it users can access some of their bar review course materials on the go.
Price: This is going to be one of the more expensive options depending on which state you plan on studying for, but as you can see it comes with a ton of material. Prices for the Complete Bar Review Course range anywhere from the more affordable $1,895 in some states, up to around $3,600 in others.
Bottom Line: No one offers an educational package with the same level of quality as Kaplan. Their live courses are widely available and exhaustively comprehensive, although students will need to pay up for enrollment.
Tons of Practice Questions: Bar Prep Hero was designed around one specific study tool— practice questions. In order to best acclimate law students to their exams, this review course gathers thousands of multiple-choice questions for them to work through and become familiar with the exam structure. In addition to many actual exam questions that were retired, this course features hundreds of entirely original questions that can’t be found in any other course!
Anxiety Relief:Answering practice questions can help most students prepare for their exams to an extent, but it can only help so much at preventing pre-test jitters. Thanks to the assistance of an experienced yoga instructor, Bar Prep Hero’s UBE Premium course provides audio files for students to listen to in order to relieve any anxiety they might have before taking their exams.
So Many Flashcards:If you thought the number of practice questions Bar Prep Hero provides is impressive, you’ll be blown away by how many flashcards are included in their MBE prep materials. Even if you enroll in their more affordable MBE Standard course package, you’ll still be able to work with over 1,800 digital flashcards accessible on desktop and mobile devices.
Limited Accessibility:With so many appealing study materials included in Bar Prep Hero, you might be worried about having enough time to take advantage of everything included in your course. And while this won’t be an issue when enrolling in their MBE Premium or UBE Premium courses, this may be a concern for their lowest-priced option. With only one year of access, you might feel like you need to rush through the thousands of questions and flashcards before it expires!
Bottom Line: This is a bar review course with one focus— preparing students for exam conditions and exam content with a large volume of multiple-choice questions and flashcards. If that’s what you need to take your tests with the highest confidence, Bar Prep Hero is right up your alley.
Smart Studying: The best way for a smart person to study is by using smart study products. That’s the reasoning behind the bar prep study materials provided by this company. Their Priority Outlines focus on the most relevant concepts for each section as they appear on the bar exam— down to what percentage of the questions cover each one!
Free Trials: For those of you who aren’t sure if SmartBarPrep is really capable of providing the bar exam study resources you need, there are plenty of free resources available for you to try out. Whether you’re interested in learning more about the essay portion of the exam or you want something more state-specific, there’s something available to give you a taste.
Smart Flashcards: In addition to their other smart study materials, perhaps the most impressive feature offered by this bar review course is their Smart Flashcards. These can be accessed on your desktop computer or on any mobile device, and they allow you to identify and strengthen your problem areas. You’re not going to find this anywhere else!
Price Variation: Since the bar exam varies from state to state, SmartBarPrep varies the costs of their prep courses as well. This isn’t a big deal for students in some states, like California— but it means that students in states like Oregon will end up paying higher prices due to these variations.
Bottom Line: This isn’t like any other bar exam prep course currently on the market— which is a positive for some and a negative for others. If you’re even slightly interested in SmartBarPrep, check out their free resources.
Authentic Study Materials: All of AdaptiBar’s practice questions are licensed questions that have been released from past bar exams. By practicing with authentic MBE questions (instead of simulated questions written by test prep companies) you’ll be better prepared for the questions you will see on the actual MBE exam. AdaptiBar offers more than 1,749 real MBE practice questions and 215 simulated questions (1,964 total), giving students a lot of first-rate practice material at an affordable price.
Technology Adapts to You: AdaptiBar’s software automatically adapts questions to your ability level based on your performance. In the Practice Questions mode, students are presented with certain types of questions until they consistently perform well on that particular type. The Past Performance Table tracks how many questions have been answered and calculates the accuracy of your answers, so you’ll be able to target and improve on your weaker areas.
Restricted to MBE Exam: Students looking for a comprehensive review course to help them cover all the material on the bar exam will be disappointed, as AdaptiBar focuses exclusively on the MBE portion of the exam. As a result, AdaptiBar is most effective when used as a supplement to a more thorough review course.
Bottom Line: AdaptiBar offers an enticing study package with powerful adaptive learning technology and real questions from the exam. Unfortunately, they only offer a study course for one section of the BAR
Price: Themis Bar Review provides a comprehensive program at a very reasonable price of $1,695 for all states. Included with the price students get video lectures and quizzes for each subject on the exam, simulated exams, flashcards, over 3,000 MBE practice questions, unlimited essay grading, and 24/7 customer support.
Efficient Learning Modules: Their video lecture library is made up of shorter, more manageable 15-20 minute video segments. This can help students stay more engaged with their lessons and increase retention of study material. Themis allows students to learn at their own pace and in a very manageable format.
Availability: Themis’s course is currently available in 44 jurisdictions, so some student’s won’t be able to take full advantage of the course. That being said, for the states that they do offer a review for, students will receive a fully comprehensive course tailored to their state bar.
Bottom Line: Themis has done a great job breaking down their educational modules into shorter lengths of time, making it easy to squeeze in a quick study session. It’s too bad they have limited physical availability.
Comprehensive: Barbri has been a big name in bar exam preparation for close to 50 years. They offer an in-depth review that includes live-online or in-person lectures, multiple outlines, online study materials with progress tracking, a mobile app, simulated exams, multiple workbooks, and essay feedback.
Available in All States: Something unique about Barbri is that they provide a full bar review course for every state. This is useful for students who would like to dive into a program that covers everything that they need to know, including the more state-specific material.
Price: Barbri may have the most experience with bar exam preparation, but they definitely make their students pay for it. No matter which state your studying for, Barbri is going to be one of the most expensive options. Their prices range from $1,400 up to $3,895 depending on which state you are preparing for.
Bottom Line: If students are willing to shell out the premium cost for BarBri, they will be rewarded with an extremely comprehensive BAR review course with full availability in all 50 states.
Need some more info about the bar exam? Check out our answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:
Which bar review course is the best?
BarMax is currently the best online bar exam prep course. This is because they have a large catalog of practice questions and flashcards that are accessible on many different devices. They also have financing options and a money-back guarantee, making it much easier to justify paying their enrollment fees.
What is Barbri’s pass rate?
Although BARBRI doesn’t publish exact pass rates for their students, they provide some approximated data that help paint a clearer picture. According to them, 9 out of 10 BARBRI students pass their exams with up to 25 more points than the average exam taker.3
How do I choose a bar prep course?
In order to determine which bar prep course will be the most helpful, it’s a good idea for you to identify your preferred learning style based on Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences.4 Once you’ve identified the style of learning that’s most effective for you, choose a course that offers study materials suited towards that learning style. For example, a video-heavy course like BarMax is great for visual-spatial learners, and a course like Quimbee that has a lot of practice questions is ideal for logical-mathematical learners.
Crush the Bar Exam requires writers support their work by using primary sources. These include the exam’s governing body, white papers, government data, and interviews with leading experts in the field. You can learn more about the standards we follow by checking out our editorial guidelines.
Okay. You’ve selected the state in which you want to take the bar exam, turned in your application, and signed up to take the next bar exam in a few months. What’s the next step?
I recommend finding a good bar review course. This will ensure you’re 100% prepared to handle all of your bar exams and pass.
Even if you’re a freshly graduated law school student, this can be an invaluable educational resource that makes the difference between passing on your first try— or having to retake it next year.
If you’ve done any research into bar exam preparation courses, you might have narrowed down your decision to two of the biggest names: BARBRI and Themis.
But which one is better? Much like virtually every law school essay, there isn’t a simple answer.
Instead, it depends – on you, on what you’re looking for, your study habits, and your past history with the bar exam — just to name a few things.
So here’s what you should know when deciding between Themis vs. BARBRI!
Barbri
According to BARBRI’s site, they have helped law school students pass the bar exam for over 50 years. Based on their own analysis, more lawyers have passed the bar with their assistance than all other bar prep courses combined.
Here are some fast facts:
Plans and Prices
At the time of publication, BARBRI is offering the following plans and prices (which sometimes fluctuate):
Self Pass: $1,999
Guided Pass: $2,699
Ultimate Pass: $3,999
What’s Included with BARBRI
Here’s what you get with each option:
Self Pass: On demand lectures, simulated MBE and pass predictor score report, more than 2,500 multiple choice practice questions, select expert graded essays, online personal study plan, personal study plan progress center, 100 essays for reviews and self-grading, bar review baseline, online essay architect, immersion workshops, BARBRI study plan app, LawMaster Study Keys app, attorney support.
Guided Pass: You get everything you would get for the Self Pass program but you also get live and on demand lectures, unlimited expert graded essays and a hard copy book set.
Ultimate Pass: You get everything that is included in Guided Pass, but you also get Multistate Edge access, mini MBA course access, e-discovery course access, and a tablet.
BARBRI says that you can study for the bar exam in any U.S. jurisdiction. It also offers a 0% monthly down payment option for those who qualify.
Guarantee
BARBRI’s guarantee to allow you to retake the course without paying any more money to the company depends on which course you were in:
Self Pass: One same-state online retake for the next bar exam if you completed at least 87% of the course.
Guided Pass: One same-state online retake for the next bar exam regardless of how much of the course you completed.
Themis is a company with less history in the bar prep industry. However, it’s becoming more popular among law students thanks to its flexible platform.
Here are the essentials:
Plans and Prices
Themis has a single bar review course currently priced at $2,395. It also offers an L.L.M. Advantage course for $2,795. This can be an invaluable resource if you’re interested in post-graduate legal education— one that’s not provided with BARBRI.
What’s Included with Themis Bar Review
The bar review course offers the following:
Daily instruction through on-demand video lectures
Interactive lecture materials
3,600 MBE-styled practice questions
Hundreds of practice essays
Unlimited essay grading
Mobile app to study on the go
Searchable outlines
Daily calendar adjusted to your pace that provides a task list
Diagnostic assessments
Personalized advice and feedback
Workshops on test-taking strategies
Themis currently offers its courses for 44 states.
Guarantee
Themis offers a Pass or a Free Repeat Guarantee in which first-time Themis takers receive a free repeat course for the next administration of the same state bar exam.
Comments Around the Web
Some of the comments from people who said they purchased a Themis bar preparation course include:
Very Good:Very happy with the bar prep course and passed on the first try
Very Good:More than enough graded essays with feedback
Good:Their study plan is realistic and doable
Good:Plenty of multiple-choice questions
Good:Liked the practice exams
Good:Presenters who were familiar with the state laws for the jurisdictions they cover
Good:MBE questions prepared them for what to expect during the real bar exam
Good:Felt the prep course helped them pace for the actual test
Good:Taught them helpful strategies to reduce the number of possible answers
Good:Felt it was flexible and you could move to different topics if you wanted to
Good:Does a good job of teaching black letter law
Bad:Felt that the course did not go into enough depth on some subjects
Pros and Cons
Here are some of the good things people have said about bar courses from Themis:
Great presenters who were knowledgeable about state subjects
Flexible format with online set-up that allows you to study at your own convenience
Videos are much more digestible and offered in 20-minute segments
Flashcards for multistate subjects
Easy to track progress and identify weaknesses
Helps you memorize rule statements better
Counselor calls you to check on your progress and provide support throughout your prep course
Affordable with tons of discounts, including one that applies when taking the exam from another state.
These are some criticisms students have made about this prep company and its study materials:
Not available in all jurisdictions
Outlines were not as robust as BARBRI’s
May not go into enough depth in certain subjects that test takers may find challenging
Some of the things about both bar study courses are similar, so they may not be worth considering as dealbreakers. These include:
Test preparation schedule: Both programs are based on a typical 8 – 10 week study schedule.
Retake guarantee: Both programs offer you the ability to take the prep course again if you fail the bar exam on your first try after taking the course, but the rules and guidelines are slightly different.
On-demand: Both programs offer online videos you can watch on your own schedule, although the quality of the presentations may differ.
Public interest scholarship: Both programs offer a public interest scholarship or discount for students who are or will pursue public interest work, although the price of the discount and guidelines on how to secure this pricing may differ.
1L/2L materials: Both companies offer free study materials for 1L and 2L students to introduce them to their courses and help them prepare for final exams.
Pass rates: Both companies offer strong pass rates, with about 85-90% for first-time test takers. Average pass rates are higher when students have completed more of the program.
Online breakdown: Both programs also offer online interfaces that let test takers see what questions they are missing and highlight weak areas.
Essay grading: Both programs offer the option to have examiners grade essays, although the number of essays or quality of grading may differ.
Bottom Line
Whether Themis or BARBRI is best for you depends on your individual situation and study style.
BARBRI may be best for students who:
Want a robust offering of materials
Need more structure
Prefer to have someone else determine their study schedule and guide them during the bar preparation process
Prefer a live, in-class option
Themis may be best for students who:
Are working or nontraditional students
Have less time to study or cannot study in person
Want to study at home
Want more online and mobile tools at their disposal
Want to pay a lower price
Meet one of the discount options that are currently available
Final Tips
Whether you ultimately decide to go with BARBRI or Themis, the main thing you should keep in mind is that bar exam prep is long and difficult. However, if you follow the outlines that the bar prep course provides you and mechanically go through preparation, you will increase your odds of passing the exam. Some other studying strategies that you may find useful include:
Take practice tests to get yourself physically and mentally prepared for the real test.
Carefully read the answer explanations for all of the questions, whether you got them right or wrong. This will help you reinforce your understanding of the law.
Use the tools provided by your bar prep course to identify your areas of weakness and spend more time on those subjects.
Start studying for the bar exam as soon as possible.
Learn what study method best helps you retain information and use it as much as possible. This may be watching videos, listening to lectures, completing interactive handouts, using flashcards, or other methods.
Consider taking a free MPRE course with the bar prep course provider to see how you respond to their teaching methods.
Consider supplementing your bar prep course with other tools or services. Many students who successfully passed the bar exam the first time also used AdaptiBar.
Bar Prep Hero’s mixed-subject MBE practice exams are made up of 300 questions that come in 6 modules. It also has 1500 authentic MBE practice exams broken into 19 separate
every official MEE essay from the last 23 years of bar exams— including model analyses that are illustrative of specific discussions.
